It’s no secret that Harrison Ford is one of the biggest movie stars of all time. Star Wars, Indiana Jones, Blade Runner, The Fugitive, Air Force One, hell the guy is even in Anchorman 2: The Legend Continues. We can go on, but the fact is, Ford has been an icon with performances that have impacted numerous generations, and fans are lucky that he is still a working actor at the age of 82. In his older age, Ford has expressed that acting provides “essential human contact,” continues to keep his life balanced, and that he loves the challenge of bringing characters to life, which also means exploring different mediums in the gigantic world of acting.
Recently, Ford has graced the small screen with his talents in long-form series. First was the Yellowstone prequel spin-off, 1923, where Ford co-starred alongside the legendary Helen Mirren as Jacob and Cara Dutton. 1923 has concluded after 2 seasons on Paramount+ and with the certainty that Harrison Ford fans are left wanting more of him on TV, look no further than the Apple TV+ Emmy-nominated series, Shrinking. Time to trade in the early 20th-century Ford for the modern-day Ford.
Who Does Harrison Ford Play in ‘Shrinking’?
Shrinking features Ford as a therapist, Dr. Paul Rhoades, who owns his own practice, the Cognitive Behavioral Therapy Center, which is located in Pasadena, California. The comedy-drama mainly follows Jason Segel as Jimmy Laird, who works for Paul, but Ford’s character is essential to the entire fabric of the series. Not only is Paul Jimmy’s boss, but he is also his mentor in his profession and life. Paul helps Jimmy through his life as he navigates the grief of his late wife, Tia (Lilan Bowden), his struggles with a teenage daughter, Alice (Lukita Maxwell), mostly with Paul’s trademark tough love laced with the wisdom that comes from his illustrious career and life experience.
Paul is also learning to adapt to his progressing Parkinson’s disease, a disorder that affects motor functions, which is displayed mainly in Paul’s suffering from tremors throughout the series. That’s not all. Paul is also trying to mend a relationship with his estranged daughter, Meg (Lily Rabe), and as the series progresses, fans even get to witness Paul dive back into the dating pool. His diagnosis is tailored perfectly to his character, because his decades of being a therapist have left him extremely pessimistic, stuck in his ways, and the last person to ask for help when he needs it, even with the fact that he knows his Parkinson’s will only make his reliance on other people grow over time. His Parkinson’s performance is one Ford, and everyone behind Shrinking takes it very seriously, so it comes off genuine and not offensive or tacky.
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How will Paul handle this crushing news?
Paul may have a hardened exterior, but he is an extremely caring person and truly values his relationships with his loved ones and patients, even if he has a hard time showing it. From park therapy sessions with Alice, reconnecting with his daughter, and providing guidance for his co-workers, Paul can be a real softy. His relationships bring out the best in him. Even if he reacts to a situation poorly at first, he is strong enough to admit his mistakes in order to move forward to improve himself and his cherished inner circle. Paul is far from the perfect person, but that’s what makes this role for Ford such a memorable one — it’s relatable.
Harrison Ford Delivers the Performance of His Lifetime in ‘Shrinking’
Han Solo, Jack Ryan, Indiana Jones, Colonel Lucas, the acclaimed career of Harrison Ford can not go understated, but his role as Paul in Shrinking may be the best role he’s ever delivered. This is partially because this role is the sum of all the parts Ford has played in his storied career. Paul has reached a point in his life where all the mistakes, successes, stumbles, both failed and fruitful relationships have become tools to help enhance his life moving forward, which perfectly mirrors not only Ford’s own life, but his life-long fans who are around the same age. Paul isn’t the swashbuckling hero that audiences grew to love Ford portrayed for years, and that’s what makes this role so special. Life is all about continuing to improve yourself in every facet of life and Paul is truly the antithesis of that. Mistakes do not define you. It’s how you learn from those mistakes that do.
The role of Paul also gets to showcase Ford’s acting range. His dry delivery and sometimes out-of-touch reactions to the current generation dish out an abundance of laughs. Not to mention Paul’s elevated level of sarcasm, but he is also more than willing to have hard conversations, not just because he’s a therapist, but he has them in his everyday life. The sarcasm Paul uses to deflect sometimes makes the emotional moments of his character hit even harder. When Paul is vulnerable, the audience feels it because of the impactful writing of his character by Bill Lawrence and Brett Goldstein, which initially drew Ford to the role in the first place. What an absolute gift it is to see a renowned actor deliver his best work so late in his career.
Shrinking delivers a human story about grief, the complex ways to navigate it, and how even professionals suffer with their mental health. Ford’s grumpy old-man schtick not only leads to incredibly hilarious moments, but his earnest way of moving past his stubborn nature to grow as a person himself, paired with guidance to his patients and the ones he loves around him, is what makes Shrinking a must-watch for any Harrison Ford fan. There are two seasons of the beloved series ready to be binged right now, with Season 3 already filming with a potential release date later this year. It could not be a more perfect time to get caught up in all the laughs and tears Shrinking has to offer.
Shrinking is available to stream on Apple TV+ in the U.S.
