Michael J. Fox has revealed that Harrison Ford’s performance as a character living with Parkinson’s disease in Shrinking moved him so deeply that he immediately called co-creator Bill Lawrence and asked to be part of the series. That conversation led to Fox’s return to acting for the first time since 2020, making his Season 3 appearance one of the show’s biggest moments.
Speaking to the Los Angeles Times, Fox recalled his reaction after watching Ford’s performance and said, “Bill, why the f*** am I not on the show?” His direct and humorous response quickly turned into reality, with the writers bringing him in as a guest star. In the Season 3 premiere, Fox plays another Parkinson’s patient who meets Ford’s character during a doctor’s visit, and their first conversation mixes humor with genuine warmth.
Michael J. Fox praised Harrison Ford’s honest performance
Speaking to Vanity Fair, Fox explained why Ford’s performance stood out to him on such a personal level. He said, “I wasn’t prepared for how much of his own understanding of the disease he brought to it. I mean, I recognized Parkinson’s in his eyes. The things I was feeling, I recognized in the way he was expressing himself.”
Fox added that Ford’s work brought him to tears and praised the actor’s subtle performance, calling it “so brilliant and so fun to work with.” Ford shared similar admiration, describing Fox as “an extraordinarily powerful person.”
The reunion also created excitement among the cast because it marked the first time Fox and Ford had shared the screen together. New episodes of Shrinking continue to arrive every Wednesday on Apple TV+.
