Latest news with #Shrinking
Los Angeles Times
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- Los Angeles Times
In a pinch, the writers of ‘Shrinking' turn to their acting ‘assassin': Michael Urie
Ever since landing the career-making role of gay assistant/fashionista Marc St. James on 'Ugly Betty' — at 25, just three years out of Juilliard — Michael Urie has been a busy, award-winning actor unbridled by being unabashedly out. Over the last 20 years, he's glided between TV ('Modern Family,' 'The Good Wife,' 'Younger'), film ('Beverly Hills Chihuahua,' 'Single All the Way,' 'Maestro') and Broadway ('How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying,' 'Torch Song,' 'Once Upon a Mattress'). 'Whatever I'm currently doing is my favorite,' says the 44-year-old over video chat from the Manhattan apartment he shares with partner and fellow actor Ryan Spahn. 'I find the work itself feels the same. Working on a scene with Harrison Ford is not that different than being onstage with Sutton Foster. I'm opposite somebody at the top of their game, who knows this medium better than anyone, and they're treating me like a peer. I'm there and it's thrilling.' Ford is just one of the many 'titans' Urie feels he's surrounded by on his latest big gig, Apple TV+'s 'Shrinking,' where he plays attorney Brian, gay bestie to star Jason Segel's Jimmy, a straight, unorthodox psychotherapist struggling with the loss of his wife and raising his teen daughter on his own. Segel, who co-created the series with Bill Lawrence and Brett Goldstein, describes Urie's audition tape as electric and flawless. '[Michael's] not a guy who's showing up and figuring it out on the day,' he says of Urie's 'exceptional' prep work. 'Like a pinch hitter or an assassin, he comes in and just perfectly executes the assignment of every scene.' Segel notes that the spot-on work Urie delivered during the first season convinced the show's creative team he could shoulder the dramatic heft of what was planned for the second. In it, Brian tells Jimmy's daughter, Alice (Lukita Maxwell), how and why he has befriended the guilt-ridden drunk driver (Goldstein) who killed her mother — which, two episodes later, he repeats nearly verbatim to Jimmy, leading to much-needed catharsis all-around. The intense scenes were 'a huge, huge challenge I was so up for and so game to do,' Urie says, and 'easily the greatest gift anyone's ever given me in television.' 'He's just the best dude,' says Segel. 'It makes you want to write for [him]. It makes you want to see him thrive.' Given his success, it's hard to believe Urie almost didn't pursue acting professionally. Born to a seamstress mom and an oil industry draftsman dad in Houston but raised in Dallas-adjacent Plano alongside his older sister, Laura — a Bay Area psychologist who loves 'Shrinking' — he liked performing in plays as a teen but says, 'I didn't think anything like this was at all possible.' He wanted to be a filmmaker like his idol, Tim Burton, or maybe a high school drama teacher like those he worshiped along the way. All that changed when he entered a Texas-wide poetry reading competition as a high school senior. In the middle of a seven-minute piece interpreted in an appropriately serious manner, Urie elicited unexpected giggles from the audience. 'In the moment, I started to lean into everything they were finding funny,' he remembers, 'and I kept getting bigger and bigger laughs.' If walking away with that state championship made Urie seriously consider giving acting a shot, getting into Juilliard after auditioning on a whim made him believe he might succeed. 'I was like, 'Oh, my God! This is where Robin Williams, Patti LuPone, William Hurt and Kevin Kline went to school,'' he recalls. 'Suddenly, I'm in the club.' Urie's certainly made the most of that membership, and he remains thankful to have been given opportunities to bring so many shades of gay to LGBTQ+ audiences throughout the world. But 'Shrinking' has seriously broadened his brand. 'I'm being stopped on the street by more straight men than ever,' he reveals. 'It's empowering. What I feel is pride that all these straight men like Brian and think of him as their friend.' In Season 3, currently shooting in Los Angeles, Urie's Brian and his TV husband, Charlie (Devin Kawaoka), will tackle co-parenting their newly adopted child. 'It's not just the baby,' says Urie, resisting a gender reveal so as to not ruin the surprise. 'It's what the baby means to people around him: Charlie, the biological mother and Liz (Christa Miller). And how [being a] dad fits into the rest of his life, in these friendships, in this chosen family. So far, they've written big comedy and some super serious pathos.' Which is exactly as Urie likes it. Shocked and flattered by the growing Emmy buzz surrounding his Season 2 turn, he'd clearly be thrilled to win yet confesses he long ago gave up on accumulating awards. 'All I really wanna do is work,' he says. 'I'm way more comfortable on a set, in rehearsal or onstage than I am at a podium or on a red carpet.'
Perth Now
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- Perth Now
Jason Segel hails Shrinking co-star Michael J. Fox
Michael J. Fox has been a "huge inspiration" for Jason Segel. The 63-year-old actor stars alongside Jason, 45, in the Apple TV series 'Shrinking', and Jason has relished the experience of working with one of his idols. Jason - who starred on 'How I Met Your Mother' from 2005 until 2014 - told People: "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. "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." Bill Lawrence, the co-creator of 'Shrinking', previously revealed that Michael served as the inspiration for the comedy-drama series. The 56-year-old producer explained that Michael's journey with Parkinson's disease inspired Harrison Ford's on-screen character, who is also battling the neurodegenerative disease. Bill - who previously worked with Michael on 'Spin City' - told People: "It's cool to get to write about things you care about now. And Michael J. Fox is my first mentor. So we wanted to represent it in hopefully an inspiring and not sad or tragic way." Bill has been amazed by how Michael has coped with his health struggles. He shared: "I found the first mentor in my life and career, Michael J. Fox, to be so inspiring with the way he took it in stride and continues to work harder than anybody I know. And we want to kind of carry that spirit if we can into the show." Meanwhile, Michael previously admitted that his meteoric rise "made no sense" to him. The actor - who moved from Canada to the US at the age of 18 - initially struggled to find work in Hollywood, but he ultimately shot to international stardom as Marty McFly in the 'Back to the Future' franchise. He told 'Entertainment Tonight': "I was dumpster diving because I knew the grocery store would throw baked goods out. We'd steal jam and peanut butter from the IHOP or Denny's. It was a tough existence. "But in a relatively short period of time I was famous and I was the biggest movie star in the world ... It was crazy. It made no sense."
Daily Mail
4 days ago
- 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.'
Express Tribune
6 days ago
- Entertainment
- Express Tribune
Zach Braff to reprise his role for 'Scrubs' reboot
Scrubs is coming back, and so is JD. Zach Braff is the first original cast member to join the reboot of the 2000s medical sitcom, reported Deadline. Reprising his role as John "JD" Dorian, Braff was present for all nine seasons of the original series. The reboot, which was announced almost six months ago, is currently in development at ABC with no filming location announced as of yet. Sources report that Braff's news comes after months of internal negotiations and the star's request for the filming to take place in LA as opposed to Vancouver, which was originally planned. Reportedly, an escalation of the clash could have led to the project being scrapped, though both parties eventually came to an agreement. In the past, Braff has shared that he's optimistic about the project's prospects. "I'm going to tell you something that nobody else is going to get. Scrubs is a Disney show. Bill [Lawrence] has a Warner Bros deal. Once those two companies figure that out, I think the people will get what they want. I think it's going to happen," he told Entertainment Tonight. He also expressed interest in returning to the series, adding that he's still close to his former co-stars. "It would be so much fun [with] all my favourite people. We all still hang out. A lot of people who were on long shows say that, but it's true," he said. Although no other deals have been locked yet, 20th TV — the television studio arm of 20th Century Studios — is expected to reach out to original cast members Sarah Chalke (Elliot Reid), Donald Faison (Christopher Turk), John C McGinley (Perry Cox), and Judy Reyes (Carla Espinosa) soon enough. All have said that they would be happy to return. With original series creator Bill Lawrence also onboard under an exclusive overall deal, the reboot is off to a promising start. However, Lawrence won't be writing or running the show as he has much on his plate — Shrinking, Ted Lasso, Bad Monkey, and the upcoming Steve Carell comedy series. Speaking to Deadline in October last year, he revealed that the series was very close to "being figured out". Sharing his insights on the process, he added that he wanted to approach the reboot with a combination in mind. Lawrence wants to show new viewers "what the world of medicine was like for the people they love" and how it's viewed by "idealistic" young people who pursue the field because they consider it a calling.
Geek Feed
7 days ago
- Entertainment
- Geek Feed
Michael J. Fox Joins Season 3 of Shrinking
Michael J. Fox was once a big star, but struggles with Parkinson's disease had forced him to retire from acting. Fox does have small appearances here and there, but now he's ready to come back to the screen thanks to Apple TV+'s new series, Shrinking . As Apple TV has officially announced, Fox is going to be joining the third season of Shrinking as a guest star. Here's the official post: Big feelings incoming. Michael J. Fox joins the Shrinking cast as a guest star in season 3.#Shrinking Season 2 — New Streaming — Apple TV (@AppleTV) May 15, 2025 It's not clear what kind of role Fox would be playing in the series, but seeing as the show does deal with mental health, it's possible that Fox could be playing a character with Parkinson's, seeing as he wouldn't have to hide any of his tics. For context, here's a look at Fox last year during an appearance at the BAFTAs: It's possible that Fox's interactions could be with the character of Paul (Harrison Ford) who also has Parkinson's, and his symptoms just seem to be getting worse with each season. Whether he's going to be someone Paul would regularly interact with or someone the other characters meet, I'm just excited to see Fox on the screen again—especially since he was such an icon of the 80s… but you didn't even have to be born in the 80s to enjoy the timelessness of Back to the Future today. The third season of Shrinking still has no release date, but you can check out the first two seasons now streaming on Apple TV+.
