Jason Segel Talks Typcasting, Shrinking Season 2

Jason Segel, the comedian famous for shows like How I Met Your Mother and Freaks & Geeks, has shared some details about what he and showrunner Bill Lawrence had to do when Brett Goldstein became part of the cast for Season 2 of Shrinking.

Shrinking, the Apple TV+ comedy starring Segel alongside Harrison Ford, Jessica Williams, Lukita Maxwell, Michael Urie, and Christa Miller, is set to premiere its second season on October 16th. Bill Lawrence, as well as Segel and Goldstein, are returning as showrunners, but this isn’t the only responsibility for Goldstein in Season 2. In addition to his role as producer and writer, the actor has been cast in the upcoming season.

While speaking to The Hollywood Reporter about the return of Shrinking, Lawrence talked about Goldstein’s incorporation and what they had to do in order to remove Goldstein from his Ted Lasso stereotype. In the sports comedy about an English soccer team of underdogs, the actor plays Roy Kent, a grouchy coach with an insane ability to spew out profanity as if his life depended on it. Per Lawrence’s claims:

“I made a mistake that I think audience members make sometimes when you equate somebody to a part they played. This needed to be an empathetic, sweetheart of a guy and in my head I’m like, ‘No, Brett’s more like Roy Kent.’ And then I’m like, ‘What am I talking about? He’s such a sweetie and he’s so lovely as a person.

Jason Segel really rallied and was like, ‘What are you doing man? We should just have Brett play this part.’ I’m not going to spoil it but the show would only work if you end up rooting for this guy, and I think he kills it.”

Segel also expanded on giving Goldstein the opportunity to get rid of the Ted Lasso stereotype. He compared it to his own quest when dealing with people associating him with his character in How I Met Your Mother, Marshall Eriksen.

“I knew, secretly, that he wanted to play that part and I knew he would kill it. I have a lot of experience being Marshall Eriksen and then working to have people see me as other characters; I know he probably deals with that as Roy Kent, so I just wanted to be the voice to say no, do something totally different, let’s break that now. And he’s amazing in the show.”

Shrinking Is One of Modern Television’s Most Heartwarming Comedies

Season 1 of Shrinking was critically acclaimed, with many calling it Apple’s most noteworthy offer in comedy after Ted Lasso ended its third season in 2023. Critically acclaimed and with a Rotten Tomatoes score of 91%, Season 1 was recognized at major award shows like the Golden Globes and the Primetime Emmys, where it was nominated in acting categories.

In the show, Jimmy Laird is a grieving therapist who can’t separate his wife’s death from his work. His ethics are shattered when he starts becoming part of his patients’ lives. Although the reception of Shrinking was beyond expectations, there were a few detractors to Jimmy’s unconventional methods of therapy. When talking to The Hollywood Reporter, Lawrence addressed this:

“The therapy community has been kind and really embraced us because they know it’s a fictional story and I think at its core, I think every therapist character is out there trying to be of service and trying to help people. I think they’re vibing on that.”