How Michael J. Fox Influenced Apple TV’s ‘Shrinking’
Shrinking remains one of the best critically acclaimed Apple TV+ shows. The final part of the second season saw Harrison Ford’s character Paul dealing with his Parkinson’s diagnosis, and show creator Bill Lawrence spoke about his influence on how he wrote this part of the series. According to Lawrence, he based his writing on Michael J. Fox.
Here is what Lawrence had to say about his series and how Michael J. Fox’s battle with Parkinson’s influenced him.
Shrinking Based Harison Ford’s Character On Michael J. Fox
Bill Lawrence works as the showrunner for the Apple TV+ hit comedy-drama series Shrinking. The series is about Jason Segel’s therapist, Jimmy Laird, who deals with severe grief after his wife dies. He then starts to operate his therapy sessions differently. He breaches ethical boundaries by telling his patients what he really thinks. This helps many of them and allows him to deal with his own grief.
Harrison Ford stars as Dr. Paul Rhoades, the senior therapist and a colleague of Jimmy. However, Paul has his own problems, as he has Parkinson’s disease and is dealing with the growing side effects of his disease. Despite this setback, Paul never lets it get in the way of his work or life. He continues to practice mental health therapy while battling Parkinson’s.
Lawrence said he based the idea of how Paul deals with the disease on Michael J. Fox. “It’s cool to get to write about things you care about now,” Lawrence said (via PEOPLE). “And Michael J. Fox is my first mentor. So we wanted to represent it in hopefully an inspiring and not sad or tragic way.”
Lawrence co-created the sitcom Spin City, which starred Michael J. Fox. Fox revealed his diagnosis in 1998. The show ran for six seasons, from 1996 to 2002, but Fox left the series to deal with his diagnosis.
Shrinking Season 3 Will Deal More With Parkinson’s Disease
Apple TV+ renewed Shrinking for a third season. With the news that fans will get more of the series, Bill Lawrence said he plans to go more in-depth with what Harrison Ford’s character deals with concerning Parkinson’s disease.
“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,” Lawrence said. “And we want to kind of carry that spirit if we can into the show.”
This also means a lot to Harrison Ford, as he gets a chance to help shine a light on a very real disease in a respectable manner. “There are people that absorb these kinds of experiences with grace and courage and a little bit of wisdom,” Ford said. “The story I’m telling is a story that I know, and so I can just simply feel it.”
What are your thoughts on Shrinking on Apple TV+? Do you enjoy the series? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.
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