Latest news with #JasonSegel
Daily Mail
26-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
Michael J. Fox heaped with praise by Shrinking costar following shock career update
Michael J Fox has been applauded by Shrinking costar Jason Segel ahead of his hotly-anticipated appearance in the Apple TV+ show. In a new interview, How I Met Your Mother star Jason, 45, revealed just how much of an inspiration the Back to the Future actor was for him during the earlier days of his television and film career. The sweet moment comes weeks after it was announced that Michael, 63, is coming out of retirement amid his Parkinson's battle and returning to the small screen, delighting fans across the globe. Speaking at the Shrinking FYC Event at Apple TV+ Emmy House at The Hollywood Athletic Club on Sunday, Jason swooned of Michael: 'I didn't get so specific as much as telling him that he was an idol of mine. 'I got the chance to tell him that he was a huge inspiration to me while I was in a weirdly similar situation doing How I Met Your Mother and movies at the same time and being tired.' He continued to People: 'We always would talk about Michael J. Fox and what he was doing with Back to the Future and Family Ties at the same time. 'He's an idol for sure.' It was revealed earlier this month that Michael would be coming out of retirement to appear in the upcoming third season of Shrinking. The Hollywood star initially went into retirement in 2020 due to his struggles from Parkinson's. Emotional fans took to social media to share their delight over the news amid the star's health woes. 'My admiration for this man has no limits! I'm happy to see him acting again,' one fan gushed in a Reddit post announcing the news. They continued: 'Having Parkinson's disease in my immediate family, I appreciate how much he has done for raising awareness of the disease, and I have enjoyed how he has incorporated the disease into his acting. Looking forward to seeing what he will be doing in Shrinking.' 'Good for him! Excited to see him,' wrote another. 'With how well Shrinking balances its humor with gut-punch moments, I wouldn't be surprised if Fox really puts his soul into his character and makes it feel cathartic,' chimed in someone else. 'Oooh! Love the show and this is really cool news. I can see him fitting into the cast very well,' another enthused fan wrote. Shrinking follows widowed and grieving therapist Jimmy (Jason Segel) who begins to break the rules and tells his clients exactly what he thinks. Ignoring his training and ethics, he finds himself making huge, tumultuous changes to people's lives, including his own. Michael was diagnosed with Parkinson's disease in 1991 at age 29 while filming Doc Hollywood, after experiencing a sore shoulder. The actor went public with his diagnosis in 1998. Michael previously worked with Shrinking's co-creator Bill Lawrence on ABC's Spin City. However, he left after season four in 2000 after his Parkinson's symptoms worsened. The dad-of-four also featured in a two-episode arc Scrubs, another Lawrence-led series, where he played a genius doctor with severe OCD. Michael has said the disease prompted him to largely retire from acting, devoting more time to spending time with his family and working for his foundation, The Michael J. Fox Foundation, which funds research and the search for a Parkinson's disease cure Most famously, Michael starred as teenager Marty McFly in the science fiction movie Back to the Future in 1985, as well as in the sequels Back to the Future Part II (in 1989) and Back to the Future III (in 1990). Harrison Ford also spoke highly of Michael and his enthusiasm to join Shrinking. 'His willingness to be part of our show is a great source of inspiration and gives us a real purpose,' he told People. The octogenarian actor plays therapist Dr. Paul Rhodes in the TV show, who faces his own Parkinson's diagnosis. He explained: 'It's not just us coming together, two actors. There's a story to tell, and our commitment to the story is what joins us together. I appreciate his willingness to be a part of the show.' When asked if working with Michael aided his depiction of the disease, Harrison said: I'm sure that there are subtle things that will show up later. 'When we were together, it was an accomplishment of all of us trying to meet all the ambitions, both obvious and attendant, to the ideas we're trying to deal with.' He noted: 'I've done what I could to acquaint myself with the aspects of the disease that I'm portraying. 'My character's in a much different stage of the disease than Michael's. But Michael is totally there on the intellectual level. And emotionally, his humor and his courage are evident.'
Geek Tyrant
23-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Geek Tyrant
Jason Segel to Star in James Ponsoldt's Twisted Recovery Thriller SPONSOR — GeekTyrant
Jason Segel is taking a sharp turn from comedy and heartfelt dramedy into full-blown psychological darkness. He's set to lead Sponsor , a new thriller from director James Ponsoldt, his collaborator on Shrinking . This time around, Segel isn't playing a lovable everyman with emotional baggage. In Sponsor , he plays Peter, a man whose life derails after a DUI crash and who must either serve prison time or enter a court-mandated recovery program. He chooses the latter, and that's where the real nightmare begins. The program pairs him with Jerry, a mysterious 12-step mentor whose 'support' becomes something far more sinister. That role is still being cast. Segel and Ponsoldt co-wrote the script, and the duo released a joint statement that gives a taste of the tone they're aiming for: 'We set out to explore what happens when support becomes control — when the person you turn to for salvation slowly becomes your worst nightmare. 'After collaborating on Shrinking, we were excited to channel that same emotional intimacy into a psychological thriller, where the stakes are darker, more dangerous, and deeply personal. We can't wait to bring this unsettling story to life with such an incredible team.' Backing the project is Platinum Dunes, the producing powerhouse behind A Quiet Place and The Purge . Producer Brad Fuller added: 'We loved the twists and turns as well as the inside look at the world of recovery. Moreover, Jason and James' work together speaks volumes.' Between Segel stepping into darker territory and Ponsoldt's ability to capture raw, intimate performances, this could be the kind of story that fans will be interested in watching. Source: Variety
Yahoo
18-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
‘Shrinking' Season 3 spoilers exposed during set visit, including Harrison Ford's ‘extraordinary' time with Michael J. Fox
"The doctor will see you now," Harrison Ford told a group of Emmy voters as he opened the door to his character's therapy office during a one-of-a-kind set visit for Apple TV+'s Shrinking, held Friday at Warner Bros. Studios in Burbank. Ford and the rest of the cast — Jason Segel, Jessica Williams, Luke Tennie, Michael Urie, Lukita Maxwell, Christa Miller, Ted McGinley, and Brett Goldstein — had been filming since 6 a.m., but they stayed overtime until late in the evening to shake hands with Television Academy members and answer their burning questions. The whole ensemble then joined moderator Yvette Nicole Brown and showrunner Bill Lawrence at the Steven J. Ross Theater for a hilarious Q&A (in which some Season 3 spoilers were exposed), followed by a screening of the Season 2 finale. More from GoldDerby Cannes: 'Die, My Love' reviews kickstart early Oscar buzz for 'astonishing' Jennifer Lawrence How 'Mad Max: Fury Road' became an unlikely Oscar contender 10 years ago 'Sunset Boulevard' star Tom Francis reveals how he plays 'the complete and utter opposite' of Nicole Scherzinger's Norma Desmond Ford was excited to "dish the dirt" about the comedy series, revealing to Gold Derby that he had just worked with upcoming guest star Michael J. Fox the previous day. "It was an extraordinary experience," Ford said while standing behind his character's desk, which was adorned with files, pens, and a rainbow-colored pillbox. Fox was diagnosed with Parkinson's disease in 1991, the same ailment that Ford's character, Paul Rhoades, deals with on Shrinking. "For me, he is an extraordinary presence," Ford said of Fox. "He's suffering terribly from debilitations of Parkinson's, but his brain, his humor, his intellect is 100 percent. He's fast and funny, a whole human being wrapped in this devastated body. This is real sh-t we're dealing with here. It's really fun to be a part of a serious effort to investigate what it feels like to be going through these things, and bringing the audience the experience of human empathy." The sets were created by production designer Cabot McMullen, who has worked with Lawrence for 30 years, ever since Spin City, and set decorator Andrea Mae Fenton. They greeted audience members just outside the therapy office sets and said that the actors were "having a lot of fun in there." They explained that the show's interiors are filmed on the Warners lot, while the exteriors are shot in Altadena, which was recently devastated by the Los Angeles wildfires. Ford and Maxwell were in Paul's office and raved about the "high-class production," as fake sunlight poured in from behind the windows. Segel, Urie, and Goldstein were in Jimmy's office, where Urie encouraged everyone not to listen to the tour guides, and Segel pretended to be one, shouting, "Right this way, everyone!" Williams and Tennie were in Gabby's office, and she proudly pointed out her character's props like "scrunchies" and "literature." And Miller and McGinley were in the kitchen set, where they divulged that production had just been allowed to return to Altadena "last week," so now they're catching up by filming eight episodes on location simultaneously. Gold Derby During the panel, Lawrence teased that Season 3 is all about "moving forward. ... This show is about being stuck. I don't know how long this show is going to go on, but I know we're going to finish the three-season story that we're trying to tell. If the show came back a fourth year and Jason's character was going, 'I'm still really sad about my wife,' I'd be in trouble. Hopefully you'll get to see these characters take steps forward in their lives, and some work out, and some do not." On the topic of chemistry reads, Segel stated that he threw every "mandate out the window" when he met Williams, because their "conversation was just so alive, and she was just very clearly who we wanted to hire." After he read with Maxwell the first time, he immediately sent a group email to everyone that simply declared, "That's my daughter." When he got some pushback, Segel reiterated, "I'm happy to read with whoever you want, but that's my daughter." The team then joked about how Ford was an "overnight success" because of Shrinking. "I didn't audition — they did," laughed the veteran actor whose movie credits include the Star Wars and Indiana Jones franchises. So, why did he want to come to television? "Bill was especially heartwarming ... and it has been an exceptional honor to be a part of this company and to work on this material, with the intention that these people have. Every one of these people are rocket ship kinds of crazy, brave, wonderful people." Ford got a big laugh when he literally dropped his microphone on the floor, and Segel quickly picked it up for him. Apple TV+ When it came to finding Gabby's voice, Williams remarked that "it starts with great writing and ends with great writing." Shrinking was the "perfect opportunity" for her because she'd been such a fan of Lawrence's show Scrubs, and of Segel's acting work. Williams added, "There's a genuine joy with working with [the cast], and we all make each other better. I want to rise to the occasion to work with them." Speaking about her dual roles as an actress and as the music supervisor, Miller stated that choosing the songs "informs what I'm doing acting-wise. Liz has her heart on her sleeve ... and so now I have my heart on my sleeve all the time. My son graduated college, and I was the only one sobbing when the confetti came down. I'm that person now." Urie told the crowd that he had no idea Brian was a narcissist until midway through Season 2. "Bill would say, 'You're such a narcissist, say something narcissistic here.' And I was like, 'Why does he keep saying this about my character?' Season 2 came out and I watched it, and I was like, 'Oh sh-t!' This therapist came to me and she was like, 'I love the show, and I love your character. You're such a narcissist.' And that was the moment I was like, 'OK, a therapist said it, I guess it's really true.' It's this weird thing where, you know, a narcissist doesn't know they're a narcissist. So, I guess I was!" SEE 'Shrinking' acting Emmy submissions include Jason Segel, Harrison Ford, Jessica Williams, and these 4 guest stars Goldstein hilariously went off on Lawrence for not believing that he was the right person to portray Louis Winston, the drunk driver responsible for Jimmy's wife's death. "He said, 'I don't see it. I've never seen it,'" Goldstein recalled. "And then 24 hours later, he said, 'I believe in you as an artist. If you think you can do this, then I will back you. But just know that this character and the entire season rests on you, and if you f--k this up, you killed Shrinking.'" Ultimately, Goldstein wanted to play the character because, "You only live once, so what the f--k?" The team also discussed the return of Cobie Smulders as Sofi in Season 3, after being introduced last year as a potential love interest for Jimmy. Speaking about his former How I Met Your Mother costar, Segel said, "Cobie and I worked together for 10 years, but because of the way that I was married on that show, Cobie and I never really had many storylines together. ... There's a history between us that the characters [on Shrinking] seem to have for no reason, [and] it looks like they've known each other forever." Miller chimed in, "We got to work with Cobie today, who I'm obsessed with. But that scene in Season 2, you just killed it." All of the regular actors are being submitted by Apple TV+ for this year's Emmys, along with four guest stars: Smulders, Damon Wayans Jr., Kelly Bishop, and Heidi Gardner. Shrinking received two Emmy nominations last time for Segel and Williams, while Urie won the Critics Choice Award. SIGN UP for Gold Derby's free newsletter with latest predictions Best of GoldDerby Is 'SNL' new tonight? Host, musical guest details How Natasha Rothwell helped Belinda get her groove back in 'The White Lotus' Season 3 Making of 'The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power' panel: Bringing the Balrog to life was 'like doing a slight of hand card trick' Click here to read the full article.
Yahoo
18-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Michael J. Fox Joins Apple's 'Shrinking' Season 3 in Guest Role
Michael J. Fox will make his first acting appearance in several years with a role in season three of Shrinking. The five-time Emmy winner will guest star in the Apple TV+ comedy; details of his role are being kept under wraps. Season three of Shrinking is currently in production. More from The Hollywood Reporter As Shoppers Cut Back on Spending, Live TV Streaming Services Aim to Attract Subscribers with Up to 70 Percent Off 'Murderbot' Review: Alexander Skarsgard Is a Droll Delight as a Lethal Cyborg Who'd Rather Be Watching TV in Uneven Apple Series Owen Wilson Is a Golfer Who Can No Longer Hack It in Apple's 'Stick' Trailer Fox's last on-camera acting role was in The Good Fight in 2020, reprising his Emmy-nominated role as attorney Louis Canning. The actor has been living with Parkinson's disease for more than 30 years and has helped raise more than $2 billion for research through his eponymous foundation. In Shrinking, Harrison Ford's character, Paul Rhoades, was diagnosed with Parkinson's during season one. Fox's Shrinking appearance will be a reunion for him and co-creator Bill Lawrence. The two worked together on ABC's Spin City (Lawrence's first series as a creator), and Fox also guest-starred on Scrubs. Fox joins Jeff Daniels, Sherry Cola and Isabella Gomez as additions to the season three cast. Shrinking stars co-creator Jason Segel, Ford, Christa Miller, Jessica Williams, Luke Tennie, Michael Urie, Lukita Maxwell and Ted McGinley. Segel, Lawrence and Brett Goldstein created Shrinking. They executive produce with Neil Goldman, James Ponsoldt, Jeff Ingold, Liza Katzer, Randall Winston, Annie Mebane, Rachna Fruchbom and Brian Gallivan, Ashley Nicole Black and Bill Posley. Warner Bros. Television, where Lawrence and Goldstein have overall deals, and Lawrence's Doozer company produce. Fox is repped by UTA and Vision PR. Deadline first reported the news. Best of The Hollywood Reporter 22 of the Most Shocking Character Deaths in Television History A 'Star Wars' Timeline: All the Movies and TV Shows in the Franchise 'Yellowstone' and the Sprawling Dutton Family Tree, Explained
Daily Mail
17-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
Michael J Fox will make comeback in Shrinking after stepping back from acting due to Parkinson's
is making an acting comeback in the Apple TV+ series Shrinking after he he stepped back from the profession after his 1991 Parkinson's diagnosis. The Back To The Future star, 63, last acted when he reprised his Good Wife character, Louis Canning, in the 2020 spinoff The Good Fight. But he will now make a return to the screen for the third season of the Emmy-nominated show which stars Jason Segal and Harrison Ford. Jeff Daniels, Sherry Cola and Isabella Gomez, will also join the cast. It's not yet known which character Fox will play. But emotional fans took to social media to share their delight over the news amid the star's health woes. 'My admiration for this man has no limits! I'm happy to see him acting again,' one fan gushed in a Reddit post announcing the news. They continued: 'Having Parkinson's disease in my immediate family, I appreciate how much he has done for raising awareness of the disease, and I have enjoyed how he has incorporated the disease into his acting. Looking forward to seeing what he will be doing in Shrinking.' 'Good for him! Excited to see him,' wrote another. 'With how well Shrinking balances its humor with gut-punch moments, I wouldn't be surprised if Fox really puts his soul into his character and makes it feel cathartic,' chimed in someone else. 'Oooh! Love the show and this is really cool news. I can see him fitting into the cast very well,' another enthused fan wrote. Shrinking follows widowed and grieving therapist Jimmy (Jason Segel) who begins to break the rules and tells his clients exactly what he thinks. Ignoring his training and ethics, he finds himself making huge changes to people's lives, including his own. Fox was diagnosed with Parkinson's disease in 1991 at age 29 while filming Doc Hollywood, after experiencing a sore shoulder and twitching finger. The actor went public with his diagnosis in 1998. Fox previously worked with Shrinking's co-creator Bill Lawrence on ABC's Spin City. However, he left after Season 4 in 2000 after his Parkinson's symptoms worsened. The dad-of-four also featured in a two-episode arc Scrubs, another Lawrence-led series, where he played a genius doctor with severe OCD. Fox has said the disease prompted him to largely retire from acting, devoting more time to spending time with his family and working for his foundation, The Michael J. Fox Foundation, which funds research and the search for a Parkinson's disease cure. Fox starred as teenager Marty McFly in the science fiction movie Back to the Future in 1985, as well as in the sequels Back to the Future Part II (in 1989) and Back to the Future III (in 1990). He played Alex P. Keaton on Family Times from 1982 until 1989. Earlier in the month, the actor announced his fifth memoir. The book, co-written with Nelle Fortenberry, is called Future Boy: Back to the Future and My Journey Through the Space-Time Continuum, and is set to drop in the fall. The memoir will focus on the year 1985, which is when Michael was working on both Back to the movie Future and the series Family Ties - as well as years before he was diagnosed with Parkinson's Disease. 'As we approach the 40th anniversary of Back to the Future, my thoughts turn to my adventures as a younger man,' he told People. 'This book has basically become a time machine for me, but unlike the DeLorean, there's plenty of room for anyone who'd like to climb in for the ride,' he added. The book will also be released the same year as the 40th anniversary of Back to the Future, which catapulted him to fame in 1985.
