Apple TV+sShrinkingis a show about a therapist who decides to take a non-traditional approach to help his patients. For a show focused on therapists, the heart of the show lies in the office of each therapists played byHarrison Ford,Jason SegelandJessica Williams. It has been revealed that Segel and his co-stars were instrumental in the development of their character’s offices.
According toVariety, the production designerCabot McMullenworked with each of the actors closely to develop a design for their characters’ office. The design strategy was based on a character-driven representation through books, color palettes, artwork and desktop details. Ford, who plays Paul, was more influential in the design of his character’s office, requesting things that would fit his characters’ personality. McMullen revealed that Ford had requested a chair with arms because of his character’s Parkinson’s disease. Ford even went as far as to show the designers where he would like things to be placed.
“When Harrison came in, he’s a very physical actor who feeds off his surroundings and counts on props, set dressing and production design to fuel his process. So, he came in and said, ‘I need a chair with arms because of his character’s Parkinson’s disease. He started showing us where he needed pieces of furniture so he could do push-ups and exercise. He even wanted a bike in there, as he thought Paul would be a cycling enthusiast.”
Speaking about Segel’s character Jimmy’s office, McMullen said the design of the office was based on the stage Jimmy was in his life. Jimmy’s character in the beginning is struggling after the death of his wife, and he neglects his house, his daughter and his plants. McMullen said:“All his plants are dying. So, you’ll notice everything in there is wilted and not doing well.”On the other hand, Gaby (Williams) is the life of the party, and that shows through the vibrant colors shown in the artworks, fabrics, and furniture in her office.
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‘Shrinking’s Portrayal of Therapy has Drawn Criticism
Shrinking, which recently received somebacklash for not portraying therapy the right way, follows Jimmy, a therapist grieving from the loss of his wife as he decides to take a non-traditional approach to therapy by being more hands-on with his patients. The Apple TV+ dramedy was created by Emmy Award-winningTed Lassoco-creatorBill LawrenceandBrett Goldstein,who is a writer and actor on the sports comedy-drama. Segel also serves as co-creator and executive producer. Other executive producers areNeil Goldman, Randall Winston, Jeff Ingold,andLiza Katzer. The series also starsChrista Miller, Michael Urie, Luke Tennie, and Lukita Maxwell.
Shrinkingis available to stream on Apple TV+ with new episodes released every Friday. Check out Collider’s interview with Segel about his filmWindfallbelow:
