Harrison Ford takes his role in Shrinking very seriously, especially when it comes to portraying Dr. Paul Rhodes’ journey with Parkinson’s disease. At the PaleyLive event, “An Evening with Shrinking,” on Dec. 12, the 82-year-old actor told PEOPLE that he treats the character’s Parkinson’s diagnosis with “absolute seriousness.”
Ford shared that he understands the responsibility of showing Paul’s journey with Parkinson’s. The character’s diagnosis, revealed at the end of the first season of the Apple TV+ series, adds depth to the story, and Ford takes this role seriously.
There’s no plan to make this a joke, Some people face challenges like these with bravery, wisdom, and grace. Of course, not everyone reacts the same way.
Ford saidAdvertisement
Paul is someone who can show what living with this condition feels like, and I believe that’s something important to share with our audience.
He added,
Brett Goldstein, the co-creator and writer of the show, shared the inspiration behind Ford’s character during his appearance on Late Night with Seth Meyers last month. He admitted that, at first, he didn’t plan to reveal the character was inspired by his own father. Brett Goldstein shared that his father has Parkinson’s and initially, they didn’t plan to talk about it while discussing the show.
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Then, Bill Lawrence accidentally mentioned it, I called my dad and told him, ‘Hey, Bill brought up your Parkinson’s. I hope that’s okay.’
Brett said
His dad responded with humor, saying, “Wait, are you telling everyone I’m Harrison Ford?” Brett laughed and replied, “Yeah.” His dad’s reaction? “That’s awesome. Go for it. Totally fine!”
In October, Harrison Ford spoke with Vanity Fair about his role in the popular comedy series and why he continues acting at 82. When asked what keeps him going, Ford said,
I get something important out of it—human connection. I get to collaborate with talented, experienced people. It’s fun to work with them.
I’ve always loved humor, I enjoyed jokes and how they’re put together. My dad used to tell jokes, and I was always fascinated by the words and ideas behind them. When I decided to become an actor, I wanted to do both serious drama and comedy. I ended up doing both and never really saw much difference between them.
Ford shared
I approach a joke the same way I handle an emotional or serious scene—it’s all part of acting.
He added,
Shrinking season 2 can be streamed on AppleTV+.