Jason Segel, star of the popular series Shrinking, recalls the demanding workload he managed during his twenties, balancing his role on the sitcom How I Met Your Mother alongside appearances in films such as Knocked Up, Forgetting Sarah Marshall, and The Muppets. Despite the pressure, Segel drew motivation from the example set by Michael J. Fox, whose career resilience became a guiding inspiration. Fox’s extraordinary ability to juggle starring in the TV show Family Ties while simultaneously filming the iconic Back to the Future movies provided a powerful benchmark for Segel in those formative years.
“It was actually very overwhelming, and I was very tired,”
Segel admits. He adds,
“You would hear these stories about Michael J Fox doing his show while he’s doing ‘Back to the Future’ and going from one set to another and sleeping in his trailer,”
and concludes,
“We used to talk about like, ‘hey, if Michael J Fox can do this, we can do this!’”
Season 3 of ‘Shrinking’ and Michael J. Fox’s Guest Appearance
As production for the third season of Shrinking recently wrapped, excitement grew around the guest appearance of Michael J. Fox. While Segel and Fox do not share many scenes, Segel expressed how meaningful it was to have the chance to communicate directly with one of his idols. Their interaction highlighted the enduring admiration Segel holds for Fox’s career and personal resilience.
“What an idol he is to me and to a lot of the guys who I came up with… I got to tell him, ‘hey, I think you got me through a lot of these experiences,”
Segel shared.
Recognition and New Collaborations in the Latest Seasons
The second season of Shrinking earned an Emmy nomination for Outstanding Comedy, and Segel himself was nominated for Lead Actor in a Comedy. Also noted was co-star Harrison Ford’s first Emmy nomination for Supporting Comedy Actor, attributed to his exceptional work on the series. Sedgel discussed the challenges and rewards of filming, alongside an impressive lineup of guest stars such as Michael J. Fox and Jeff Daniels, who has been cast as Segel’s character Jimmy’s father in Season 3.
Speaking about Daniels’ casting, Segel praised the actor’s versatility and impact on his own performance approach.
“That was the most brilliant casting for my dad,”
he said.
“Because, we’re doing very similar stuff. There were moments where in my head I was gonna try to mimic his movements. So I was kind of spying on him during scenes, and I realized we’re already doing the same thing… He’s one of those guys like Peter Sellers, who can’t really be put into a box. You can do drama, you can do comedy. And guys like Jeff Daniels kind of broke my brain open about not letting yourself be limited about the kind of material you can do.”
Growing Into More Complex Roles in His Forties
Segel reflects on his evolving career, expressing how his 40s help him to explore deeper, more mature characters. He contrasts this stage of his career with the high energy, often comedic roles he played in his youth. On Shrinking, Segel’s character faces profound personal loss, providing material far richer than the parts he portrayed in his earlier years.
“I really thought my 20s were my prime. So in my 20s, I was like, ‘Oh, my God, this is it.’ And then in my 30s, I had a little sense of mourning, like, the best part happened. And then my 40s have arrived, and I’m like a grown adult who’s learned all the lessons from his 20s — and now, all of a sudden, the parts are richer. They’re like man parts of people who have life experience. On ‘Shrinking,’ [his character, Jimmy] has gone through the biggest tragedy you can go through. And I’m like, ‘oh, my 20s were rehearsal. And now I get to play parts where you get to really express something.’”
Learning From Harrison Ford: Career Longevity and Artistic Depth
Jason Segel also spoke highly of Harrison Ford’s influence, both as a fellow actor and in terms of career perspective. Ford’s performance in Shrinking Season 2’s finale, in which his character grapples with Parkinson’s disease, deeply resonated with Segel. The monologue delivered by Ford stood out as a profound moment of artistic self-reflection on aging and the significance of a lifelong career.
“Harrison Ford gives this speech in the finale about, ‘I’m not sure how much longer I get to do this,’ because his character is suffering from Parkinson’s,”
Segel described.
“It’s the best acting I’ve ever seen, certainly in person, sitting there watching him give this monologue. It was sort of the bullseye of my ethos about what art is, which is somebody performing an act of self exploration for an audience. Everything he’s saying in that speech is a 1:1 ratio for what I’m sure you’re thinking about at 83 years old, at the end of any career. ‘I don’t know how much longer I get to do this, what an honor it is to get to do it with all of you. How much this career has meant to me’ and all that. You’re watching him just say these words, and we’re all crying disproportionate to the occasion — like it’s not totally right for the scene — but it works.”
The Importance of Mentorship in Shaping Segel’s Career Path
In his 30s, Segel took stock of his professional trajectory and reconsidered how he wanted to approach the remainder of his career. He recognized the value of surrounding himself with experienced mentors, learning from others who had clearer insights into why they pursued their craft. This realization led him to embrace opportunities to grow through collaboration and apprenticeship.
“When I was trying to figure out how I wanted to do the rest of this job. I was looking ahead like, ‘man, you have 50 years left of this, if you’re lucky. What are you going to do with it?’”
Segel explained.
“And I realized that surrounding myself, just getting near people I admired who seemed to have a better idea about why we’re doing this stuff than I do, and asking them a ton of questions, was going to be like the mentorship of a lifetime. Like, I have a chance to be an apprentice over and over again with people I admire.”
Diverse Creative Projects Beyond Acting
Segel’s artistic pursuits extend beyond on-screen performances. He has taken roles in series such as Winning Time: The Rise of the Lakers Dynasty, authored novels, and created and starred in the critically regarded series Dispatches From Elsewhere. This latter project, which debuted during the pandemic, holds a special place in Segel’s heart for its exploration of rediscovering childlike wonder and appreciating the beauty in everyday moments.
“I wish more people had seen it came out right during the pandemic,”
he said.
“It’s really, really special to me. I couldn’t think of anything to write after ‘The Muppets,’ and I was kind of trapped. I had worked so much in comedy in my 20s and early 30s, and then I decided I wanted to try other stuff. When you decide to try other stuff, you’re like, ‘oh, people are gonna be just as excited about this pivot as I am.’ But then it turns out, nobody gives a shit. You kind of have to start from scratch again and get people interested in what you are interested in about yourself. ‘Dispatches From Elsewhere’ was based on this real art experiment that happened in San Francisco about remembering your childlike wonder and art for art’s sake and finding joy and everything around you, the everyday minutia. I just poured all of myself into that.”
Upcoming Thriller and Continued Passion for Unique Projects
Looking ahead, Segel is preparing to write and star in a new thriller that draws inspiration from classics like Fatal Attraction and Cape Fear. He describes it as a “two-hander” project based on an idea that has been with him for about ten years, which he finally feels ready to bring to life. This project represents another step in his evolving career and willingness to explore different genres.
“It harkens back to ‘Fatal Attraction,’ ‘Cape Fear.’ And it’s a two hander. It’s an idea that has been haunting me for about a decade, and I finally felt like I was smart enough to write it. I had this idea maybe 10 years ago, and I thought, ‘oh, somebody should write that.’ And then I finally aged into the idea.”
Performing the Dracula Puppet Musical and Reflections on ‘How I Met Your Mother’
Segel also shared updates on some fan-favorite projects, including his cult Dracula puppet musical from Forgetting Sarah Marshall. He occasionally performs the musical at secret gigs around town and expressed interest in doing a performance at the Bob Baker Marionette Theater.
“I perform it every once in a while, I do secret performances of the Dracula puppet musical around town,”
he noted,
“I did one at Hotel Cafe last year. I would like to do one soon at the Bob Baker Marionette Theater.”
Regarding a potential reunion of How I Met Your Mother, Segel expressed gratitude for the impact the show had on his life and openness to participating in any future projects. He reflected fondly on his character Marshall’s unique qualities that made him both relatable and unexpectedly quirky across the series’ run.
“That show changed my life, I would do anything they asked me to do,”
Segel stated, adding,
“I think they did so many flash forwards on that show, though. I always loved that Marshall was kind of an enigma, because he could become a Supreme Court justice, but he also could lose a tuna sandwich and spend an episode just like looking for a sandwich.”
