The creative team behind Ted Lasso is working on a new project, and they’re adding some major star power to boot. Harrison Ford, the iconic actor known for playing lovable tough-guy characters in franchises like Star Wars and Indiana Jones, has boarded the comedy drama series Shrinking for Apple TV+. The show was first announced in October of last year, though this is the first piece of casting news to hit the web since the project was unveiled.
Developed by Ted Lasso producers Brett Goldstein and Bill Lawrence, the ongoing series will center around a grieving therapist, played by co-producer Jason Segel, who begins to break the rules and tell his clients exactly what he thinks. Ford will play the supporting role of Dr. Phil Rhodes, a down-to-earth and sharp “blue-collar shrink” who was a pioneer in cognitive behavioral therapy. His character begins the series having been recently diagnosed with Parkinson’s, which forces him out of his comfort zone as he deals with intrusive friends, his estranged family, and his legacy.
This will be the first-ever ongoing role for Ford, who previously kept his television career restricted to cameo appearances and minor roles. Segel and the team of Lawrence and Goldstein are writing the show, with Neil Goldman, Jeff Ingold and Liza Katzer also set to serve as executive producers. It will be the third series created for Apple TV+ by Lawrence, after the wildly successful Ted Lasso and the Vince Vaughn-led Bad Monkey. Segel also maintains a steady relationship with the studio, after starring in the feature film The Sky is Everywhere earlier this year.
Shrinking does not yet have a release date.
Source: The Hollywood Reporter
