Michael J. Fox’s return to acting and his Shrinking season 3 character are explained by Bill Lawrence. Fox was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease in 1991 and informed the public of this development in 1998. The impact of his Parkinson’s disease symptoms eventually led Fox to retire from acting in 2020.
This retirement proved to only be temporary, though, as it was announced in May that Fox had joined Shrinking season 3 in a guest-starring role. Lawrence, who is one of the show’s co-creators, previously worked with Fox on Spin City and Scrubs.
While speaking with TVLine, Lawrence revealed that Fox told him about missing the experience of acting, which led to him being cast in Shrinking. Lawrence teased that Fox is not playing a fictional version of himself and is instead portraying “a full-fledged character” with “ridiculous comedic timing.” He also confirmed that Fox will be part of a multi-episode arc. Check out Lawrence’s comments below:
He made the mistake of saying out loud in front of me at a social event over the summer that he kind of missed acting. Unsurprisingly, we live in a world dealing with Parkinson’s, and for Mike to be able to play a full-fledged character with that condition, I just thought it was fascinating and super cool to watch. He still has ridiculous comic timing, and people will see that as soon as the trailer comes out.
Shrinking season 2 ended with Paul (Harrison Ford) making an emotional speech to his loved ones as he grapples with his worsening Parkinson’s disease symptoms. Paul having Parkinson’s, and this being a major storyline for season 3, created a meaningful and natural way to bring Fox into the show.
While Fox is sure to bring drama and heart to Paul’s journey and the overall series, Lawrence confirms that Fox will bring plenty of comedy as well. From Family Ties to Spin City, Fox is a sitcom legend, making him well-suited to joining the many well-known sitcom stars in Shrinking‘s cast.
In addition to Ford, the series regulars are Jason Segel, Jessica Williams, Luke Tennie, Michael Urie, Lukita Maxwell, Christa Miller, and Ted McGinley. Recurring and guest stars have included Brett Goldstein, Damon Wayans Jr., Neil Flynn, Heidi Gardner, Kelly Bishop, and Cobie Smulders.
Fox is not the only newcomer to the cast in season 3, with Jeff Daniels, Candice Bergen, Sherry Cola, and Isabella Gomez also joining the Apple TV series. Daniels is playing the father of the show’s protagonist, Jimmy (Segel), a therapist with an unconventional approach who is navigating life in the aftermath of his wife’s death.
Earlier in the year, Fox did return to acting with a cameo in Disney’s animated box office hit Zootopia 2. He voices a character fittingly named Michael J. The Fox who appears during a scene in the prison. It is a cameo with only one line, though, as opposed to the more demanding experience of playing a fully-developed character across a multi-episode arc in Shrinking season 3.
Shrinking season 3 debuts on Apple TV on January 28.
Release Date
January 26, 2023
Showrunner
Bill Lawrence
Directors
Bill Lawrence
