‘Shrinking' star Ted McGinley has been ‘brought to tears' by the response to his performance: ‘It's been an amazing journey'
So, McGinley is understandably emotional about the universal acclaim he's received for his performance on the Apple TV+ comedy series Shrinking.
More from GoldDerby
Final 2025 Tony eligibility rulings: Jinkx Monsoon, Jeb Brown, and Bernadette Peters will compete as featured players
Julia Knitel describes tackling triple roles in 'Dead Outlaw' and performing 'a perfect musical theater song' in the 'weirdest' show
Derek Hough breaks down his 'Dancing With the Stars' routines with Hayley Erbert and Mark Ballas
'I'm telling you, I've been brought to tears,' McGinley tells Gold Derby. 'I'm so used to being the worst, or being told that I'm such a bad guy to add to a show. This has been an amazing journey and experience, and I honestly feel blessed. I'm working in scenes with Harrison Ford. I worshipped him as a young guy. My entire life, I've seen everything he's done. I love him, and Jason Segel — these are my contemporaries now. I mean, I still pinch myself every day. Do not tell anyone this, but I would go to work for free.'
Co-created by Segel, Brett Goldstein (who also appeared in Season 2), and Bill Lawrence, Shrinking focuses on Jimmy (Segel), a widowed therapist who tries to put his life back together following the death of his wife with the help of several close friends, including fellow therapists Paul and Gaby (Ford and past Emmy nominee Jessica Williams), his longtime friend Brian (Michael Urie), and his neighbors, Liz and Derek (Christa MIller and McGinley). In Season 2, Liz and Derek find their relationship tested, as one of Liz's old flames comes back into her life. The conflict, which culminates with Liz and the ex sharing a clandestine kiss that she later confesses to Derek, provided McGinley with some of his best material yet.
'I didn't know where they were going to go with this thing, and I purposely don't ask, because I love how it affects me as an actor,' McGinley says about Liz and Derek's rough patch. 'It feels genuine and, in this particular instance, I had tears in my eyes for Derek. I felt so bad for him because he loves her so much, and they have a truly unusual relationship, one that is deeply rooted in honesty. Both are allowed to say whatever they want to each other, and she says it however she wants, and Derek doesn't take offense to it, because he knows really what he knows about where she lives. He knows really what she means and what her bottom line is, and that sometimes it comes across harsh, but she feels different.'
In the show's seventh episode, Derek confronts Liz about her brief moment of infidelity and speaks openly for the first time about how he feels betrayed. It's a showcase scene for McGinley, whose ability to keep the dialogue realistic and feeling contemporaneous is unmatched. (Fortunately, the show is a comedy series, and Liz and Derek reconcile by the end of the episode.)
'I feel like the writing is so special and so high-brow that they don't ever write down to anyone, and that you're never asked to play something obvious,' McGinley says. 'That's such a unique pleasure. We create this environment on the set, which is safe, allowing you to take chances and fail without anyone caring. There's no judgment — you can take a huge swing, get up, and take another one. When you're on a set, it's always about time. We're always in a hurry, and in this show, it never feels like that's the case. They always make room, and that's because the crew is so gracious and kind, allowing you to take chances and do it again.'
McGinley says it also helps to have a scene partner like Miller. 'When you're doing a scene like that, it's so intimate, and with Christa, I can never anticipate what she's going to do,' he says. 'She's a very difficult read as a human being and as an actress, and so it's so fantastic to work opposite someone that you could never anticipate what's coming. She's just so wonderfully talented and unique.'
Shrinking Season 2 is eligible for Emmy Awards consideration this year, and the creative team behind the Apple TV+ series hopes to increase its nominations total from Season 1, where the series landed two acting bids for Segel and Williams. The cast is back, now shooting Season 3, which is expected to premiere later this year.
McGinley says they've shot about seven episodes thus far, with some pickups to come because of production disruptions caused by the Los Angeles wildfires earlier this year.
'There are challenges this year, and you see a lot of Derek and Liz — I've had a lot of interesting things to play so far, and it's going to be an interesting year for Derek,' McGinley says, loathe to reveal too much about what fans of the show can expect.
'By the way, every episode, I'm always afraid they're going to write me off or kill me,' he jokes. 'Am I still in it?'
All episodes of Shrinking are available to stream on Apple TV+.
Best of GoldDerby
Derek Hough breaks down his 'Dancing With the Stars' routines with Hayley Erbert and Mark Ballas
'Lilia, oh Lilia!' Patti LuPone on her 'Agatha All Along' witch and 'getting in trouble' for spoiling Marvel secrets
'Drama's harder than comedy': Ken Jeong says lead role in 'Accused' was 'beyond a dream come true'
Click here to read the full article.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
17 hours ago
- Yahoo
‘I felt my organs shut down': Stars of ‘KPop Demon Hunters' on getting love from BTS, contending for Oscars, and becoming a cultural sensation
KPop Demon Hunters is officially historic. The animated Netflix hit, which has been breaking records for the streaming service since its June 20 release, just notched a No. 1 entry on the Billboard Hot 100 for one of its several trending songs, "Golden." It marks the first time a K-pop girl group (albeit a fictional one, in this case) has topped the chart. The film itself, meanwhile, has become Netflix's biggest animated original feature ever and the second most-streamed English original movie of all time. A sing-along theatrical release is set for Aug. 23-24. KPop Demon Hunters' monumental success shows no signs of stopping, much to the delight and shock of the film's stars. More from Gold Derby 'We're in the club forever': First-time Emmy nominees celebrate their moment in the spotlight 'Landman' Season 2: Everything to know about Billy Bob Thornton series as teaser trailer, return date revealed Arden Cho, May Hong, and Ji-young Yoo, who provide the speaking voices for the demon-hunting girl group Huntr/x, are still wrapping their heads around suddenly being part of a cultural juggernaut. On a busy press day, the actresses sat down with Gold Derby to talk about being noticed by BTS, awards possibilities, and what it's like to suddenly have fans of every age group. Gold Derby: Congratulations. This movie has been such a massive success and has managed to shock the industry, and now it's even an Oscar contender. What would it mean to the three of you to see get that kind of awards recognition? Arden Cho (voice of Rumi): I mean, it would be such an honor. We feel so lucky just to be here and to be receiving all this love. It's amazing to be part of a movie that makes everybody feel good. May Hong (voice of Mira): I only found out a couple of weeks ago that that was a possibility, and I don't really think I can wrap my mind around what that means. A.C.: It's still registering! Ji-Young Yoo (voice of Zoey): I think we long passed the point where I was able to understand any of what's been happening, so I think the fact that we went from making a movie that I think we all really loved and cared about to it developing into this phenomenon worldwide, to what is quickly becoming an Oscar and awards run. … I'm just along for the ride and I'll process it all after. So many K-pop idols have shown love to the movie and chimed in about the accuracies to their real life, and groups covered the songs at KCON this past weekend. What's been your reaction to BTS, Seventeen, and some of the biggest music acts in the world right now embracing this film? A.C.: That stamp of approval! We're like [pumps fist]. Yes, we did it! M.H.: When I see that they all have millions and millions of followers, I also can't wrap my mind around that they're so into what we have done. Obviously we didn't sing or dance personally, but still. Even with Lee Byung-hun [Squid Game's big bad Front Man who voices Gwi-ma, the king of demons], it's like, so that person knows I exist? A.C.: I think we're just so thankful because all of these idols and artists who are loving the movie have really helped us get here, right? I mean, it is thanks to the fans and the viewers and, in a sense, our colleagues, people in the industry. Again, all of us cared about this so much, but especially our writers and directors and producers really worked hard to make this such an accurate and beautiful depiction of Korean culture and music and fashion and all of it. … I'm so grateful. J.Y.: I think it's something that was a concern amongst all of us when we were making the film. We wanted to make sure we got Korea right, that we got the culture right. All of us were like, 'Will they approve? Will they accept it?' So to see them not just accept it but embrace it, and support it, and give us so much love, is just the biggest sigh of relief. The warmth that spread through our bodies when all of this started happening was really just wonderful, and as an ARMY [short for "Adorable Representative M.C. for Youth," BTS' fandom name] for 10 years, going on 11 now, there's no words. I felt my organs shut down [when BTS mentioned the film]. A.C.: All of our phones were blowing up. Everyone was like, 'Did you see it?' JY.: Everyone kept asking me what I thought and there's no thoughts. I thought I might faint. Did you have a moment while recording your lines where you realized the incredible potential this film had to be huge? A.C.: I think for me, it was when I saw the animations really develop and saw the moment where the Saja Boys are introduced, and the girls are being girls and they're like, "Ugh, they're not even good." That whole scene was one of my first times seeing the girls and their reactions, and I was like, "Why are they so stinking cute?" And then the boys. … Like, the popcorn eyes? We were all feeling it in the room and Maggie [Kang, codirector] was like, "We're working so hard to make them so hot." We were seeing these little moments, and of course Maggie and Chris [Appelhans, codirector] saw the vision the whole way, and I'm so thankful that they had this world in their minds to create this. But I think for me, as the sessions went on, I was so, so excited and by the time I watched the screener I was running around like, "Guys, this is going to be incredible. This is going to be so big." We get to show the world Korea and our culture and our food, our music, our fashion, and we're so proud of it. I also love the Konglish [a colloquial mix of Korean and English] that we get to sneak into the movie and not really explain. J.Y.: I think all of us knew that we made something great, and we were all really proud of it and knew it would find an audience, but there's a difference between finding your audience and a success, and what's happening right now. I just don't think anyone was thinking, "Oh yeah, we're going to become the No. 1 most watched animated film on Netflix of all time." We're No. 4 for English language right now and we're still climbing. None of these are things that I think anyone, even the most industry veteran expert, could have foreseen. It's just very special. M.H.: I think my nearest and dearest called it first. I think my most loved ones, when they got to see it early, said, "This is going to be it." I was like, "I mean, I think it's amazing, so I hope so…" J.Y.: My litmus test is my dad. My dad tends to have a very honest take, so he'll always tell me if he thought a project I was in was boring. He'll say, "Oh, I kind of fell asleep in this part." He has rewatched this film almost daily, and he's a 55-year-old lawyer. He was not the target audience for this, so I think the fact that he was connecting to it so much and was so enthusiastic about it made me be like, "Oh, this has a crossover appeal. If we can get it right, it'll spread." And it has. AC: It's the emotional rollercoaster the movie takes you on. I don't think so many people expected to cry or feel all the feels. It's healing. That brings me to my next question, because in the movie there's an important quote: 'Our faults and fears must never be seen.' In the film's context it's technically about being hunters and idols, but obviously so many women and girls can relate to feeling that way. Have you received messages from fans of the film about what Rumi going against that sentiment in particular meant to them? AC: For me, that message hit so close to home, and I think as a woman in the industry, and as an Asian American and a Korean American, I feel like there's so many layers to that. Culturally we've talked about this a lot where I feel like the Asian culture is a lot about not talking about the things that might be embarrassing or shameful, or your struggles. We only want to show the good moments, the pretty moments, and I think there's this expectation to be so perfect. At least on myself growing up, I felt like, as an immigrant family, you're here, so you've got to be the best, be perfect, be great, and be better because of this opportunity, but that's a lot of pressure. Then again, as women, why can't we be goofy and make ugly faces and make funny sounds and not always be attractive? … I think it's been so healing seeing people really let down their guards and saying, "This is who I am." ... I feel like as actors we have an even greater pressure, and I'm sure as idols that pressure is something we can't even imagine. I think that's why we felt this responsibility because as K-pop lovers, and people who respect this industry too, we know that K-pop is a whole other thing. That world is a high bar. J.Y.: Sunlight is the best disinfectant. Beautiful! J.Y.: That's not mine. I took that from someone. [laughs] Your characters go through a wide range of emotions and I imagine that's not always easy to express through the voice. Were there any scenes that were particularly challenging to record? A.C.: It was so much fun, but the beginning was a little bit awkward because we're actors, and we're so used to playing together. … Oddly enough, the easiest thing was all the emotional stuff for Rumi because I feel like everything she was saying, whether it was to Celine or when she felt like Jinu betrayed her, I felt like all those moments. … It was almost weird where it felt like if you'd been with an actor, it would've almost been too vulnerable, but in a weird way I was like, "Oh, this is my first time doing this to no one," and it felt oddly healing and nice for me. M.H.: That's so interesting. I think that there definitely is an emotional intimacy that you're able to access when you're alone and without the influence of somebody playing with you. It's almost like being in your diary as you're reading lines, like you're referring back to something that really is personal to you rather than being there and playing a scene. A.C.: Yeah, and now I'm thinking about how in some of those big scenes Maggie and Chris would look away and give me privacy. I would come back and I was crying and I was like, 'Oh, thanks, guys.' It was also cool to see their response because they were like, 'I'm in this very intimate moment with you.' And then you see the world and the art. M.H.: But I didn't feel watched! A.C.: Yeah, that's great directing. They provided us a safe space to create together. Aw, that makes me sad. I want to go back! M.H.: Yeah, take us back! A.C.: C'mon, sequel! What's the experience of being part of this cultural juggernaut of a film taught you about yourself? A.C.: I think there's a lot of confirmation. I think that so much of my life I tried to be what people wanted me to be. I tried so hard to be this perfect version and obviously we're all so imperfect, so I think I was so unhappy for so much of my younger years fighting myself in a sense. I feel like in my 30s, I was just like, "I'm going to do my best to love who I am, my flaws and everything, and to just be," and I feel like this movie is that message. To know that that's what resonates with people, and that's what makes people connect… Then on top of that, I've been on this journey of seeking projects that make me really happy and proud to tell a story, whether it be something that has a touch of Korean culture or a little Asian American identity without being so in your face about a specific message. ... It just shows that we shouldn't be scared to tell stories that haven't been told before. I really hope this movie is just the beginning of so many more incredible stories for people like us. J.Y.: I think artistically I've long held an opinion that has been certainly confirmed by this movie. During the campaign for Parasite, and I'm sorry because I'm definitely going to butcher this quote, director Bong [Joon Ho] had a really great quote where he said, "If you can get over the barrier of one-inch subtitles there's a whole world of international cinema waiting for you." I've always felt that good art comes from anywhere, and art that is specific and nuanced and complex is universal regardless of where you come from. I think this movie is absolute proof of that. I think lots of people maybe have preconceived perceptions of what KPop Demon Hunters is, and ultimately it is a great piece of art, and it's really wonderful to see that opinion get confirmed on such a global scale. I'm very excited to see more artists stay true to who they are and make some great films. On a sillier note, which Western celebrities do you think would make good demon hunters? All: Ooh! This is hard! J.Y.: The clips of Destiny's Child reuniting, I mean … demon hunters right there! The lockstep? Yeah. Yes. This is not for the demon hunters, but I feel like Pedro Pascal would be an excellent Bobby. He's such a champion to everyone who knows him, and he's the nicest. I think he has a Bobby heart. A.C.: I thought of Olivia Rodrigo, and I don't know why, but I just thought of Anne Hathaway. J.Y.: She's a singer! She could totally do it. Meryl Streep could do it. She could do anything. A.C.: Lady Gaga! J.Y.: Oh my god, singing "Abracadabra" to seal the Honmoon. A.C.: Kelly Clarkson, I feel like, is always sealing the Honmoon. M.H.: I feel like I'm not thinking of really classic female characters, but Parker Posey? [laughs] Which is totally not what we're talking about, but I would enjoy seeing what that interpretation would be. J.Y.: Along the lines of The White Lotus, Jennifer Coolidge! I'm so with you on this. A.C.: Buffy the Vampire Slayer! Sabrina the Teenage Witch! I'm totally aging myself, but all of that good stuff. Lastly, has anyone come up to you and said they were a fan of the film where you were like, "What do you mean? You know who I am?" Who surprised you? A.C.: This has been happening a lot! I've been traveling a ton and I'm having 6-year-old kids running up to me and grabbing my hand and being like, "You're Rumi! You're the speaking voice of Rumi!" I'm like, "Wait, you're a 6-year-old boy. How do you know me?" And they're like, "I did my research." The mom is like, "Oh yeah, the boys have seen the movie like 17 times. They know everything. They Google you guys. They know your face." I'm like, "What? This is incredible." I feel like I'm really impressed by ages 5 to 7 or 8. So far, I feel like that's my most popular age right now. I've been invited to many 7th and 8th birthday parties. Unfortunately I've been too busy to go, but I feel like we really need to start making some appearances. I feel like the really young fans understand the story. Every once in a while I'm like, "What did you like about the movie?" and I love that one of the best responses I got was from a 7-year-old boy. He was like, "I loved the ending scene where they all come together and they learn that you have to be together. You can do it with each other." I'm like, "Yes, that is exactly what this movie is about." And then, you know, he's with his brother and they're dancing to "Golden" at the same time. … Also, all the 60-plus men and women that are just rocking out to the soundtrack. M.H: I like the converts the most. The dads who are like, "I don't even like K-pop or anything but I watched it six times." There's no target audience. A.C.: The target audience has been human. If you're human and you have a heart and any feeling, you are the target audience. KPop Demon Hunters is streaming now on Netflix. Catch a sing-along version of the film in theaters Aug. 23-24. Best of Gold Derby Everything to know about 'The Batman 2': Returning cast, script finalized Tom Cruise movies: 17 greatest films ranked worst to best 'It was wonderful to be on that ride': Christian Slater talks his beloved roles, from cult classics ('Heathers,' 'True Romance') to TV hits ('Mr. Robot,' 'Dexter: Original Sin') Click here to read the full article. Solve the daily Crossword
Yahoo
17 hours ago
- Yahoo
Everything to know about ‘Nobody Wants This' Season 2 as sneak-peek photos drop: ‘It will be an extension of last year but even more'
The love story continues. On Thursday, Netflix released the first images and new plot details for the second season of its breakout hit Nobody Wants This. The Emmy-nominated comedy which earned nods for Outstanding Comedy Series, Lead Comedy Actress (Kristen Bell) and Lead Comedy Actor (Adam Brody) returns on Oct. 23 with 10 episodes. Here's everything we know about the new season. More from Gold Derby Everything to know about 'Wednesday' Season 2 as [spoiler] is confirmed to return 'I felt my organs shut down': Stars of 'KPop Demon Hunters' on getting love from BTS, contending for Oscars, and becoming a cultural sensation The Plot Season 2 picks up where the show left off, diving deeper into the relationship between agnostic podcast host Joanne (Bell) and hot rabbi Noah (Brody), whose unlikely romance surprised even them. Now that love has bloomed, they need to see if they can make it last. The official Season 2 synopsis reads: 'First comes love, then comes life. The last time we saw agnostic podcast host Joanne (Bell) and unconventional (hot) rabbi Noah (Brody), their unmatched chemistry surprised everyone in their lives, including her sister Morgan (Justine Lupe), his brother Sasha (Timothy Simons) and sister-in-law Esther (Jackie Tohn), and even themselves. Their spark proved stronger than all of the obstacles trying to keep them apart. Now, they're back and fully committed to merging their lives — and loved ones — together. But their differences still exist and can't be ignored. The challenge now is not just falling in love against all odds, but staying together in spite of them.' New Guest Stars Leighton Meester, the Gossip Girl alum and Brody's real-life spouse, joins the cast as Abby, Joanne's former middle school nemesis who is now an Instagram mommy influencer. Show creator Erin Foster spoke to Gold Derby about landing Meester for the show. 'She is so funny. I know that I didn't discover her. She's already a big star, but she's so funny,' says Foster. 'I definitely wrote in some little Easter eggs for people with the interactions for Adam and Leighton.' Other guest stars this season include Miles Fowler, Alex Karpovsky, and Arian Moayed. Setting and Locations Just like Season 1, the new season continues to be a love letter to Los Angeles but this time, with a more intentional focus on the city's small businesses. 'Last year we did it sort of just organically wherever we were, but this year it was much more intentional that we found local businesses and really went out of our way to highlight them," says Foster. "I think that it'll be an extension of last year, but hopefully even more." Best of Gold Derby 'Australian Survivor vs. The World' premiere date and cast photos: 'King' George Mladenov, Cirie Fields, Parvati Shallow … 'Five new life forms from distant planets': Everything to know about 'Alien: Earth' as new trailer drops Everything to know about 'The Pitt' Season 2, including the departure of Tracy Ifeachor's Dr. Collins Click here to read the full article. Solve the daily Crossword
Los Angeles Times
a day ago
- Los Angeles Times
Kathy Bates on her ‘Matlock' Emmy nod; how being ‘super sensitive' serves Jason Segel on ‘Shrinking'
In the latest episode of The Envelope video podcast, Kathy Bates discusses starring in a hit TV series at 77 with 'Matlock,' and Jason Segel explains why he finds the emotional vulnerability of 'Shrinking' so creatively fulfilling.
