- - Michael J. Fox’s Co-Star Calls His Acting Return an ‘Incredible Act of Bravery’: ‘Awe-Inspiring’

Erin CrabtreeJanuary 16, 2026 at 11:47 PM

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Erika Goldring/Getty Images

Michael J. Fox led with courage when he guest-starred on Shrinking in a role that hit close to home.

Jason Segel—who stars as grieving therapist Jimmy Laird on the Apple TV series—praised Fox, 64, for his portrayal of a man suffering from Parkinson’s disease in the upcoming season 3 premiere, which debuts on January 28 and marks Fox’s first onscreen acting gig since his 2020 stint on The Good Fight.

“Being witness to any of it is like an incredible act of bravery, and to me, the real definition of art,” Segel, 45, told TV Insider in an interview published on Friday, January 16. “To perform an act of self-exploration so honest in front of the camera, it’s the ultimate example of what you’re trying to do out there on a daily basis [as an actor]. To see it in its most extreme and brave version is just awe-inspiring.”

Harrison Ford stars alongside Segel on Shrinking as Paul Rhoades, a fellow therapist who has Parkinson’s disease. Since the show began, Segel noted that Fox has “been a constant point of reference” for Ford’s character due to his friendship with co-creator Bill Lawrence.

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“He and Bill are very close,” Segel said of the former Spin City collaborators, “and I know he’s been really instrumental in shaping that and also answering some of the emotional questions about how he’s felt during the process.”

Segel, 45, also pointed out his unique prior connection to Fox, revealing how he inspired his career years before they shared the screen.

“The biggest thrill for me, in addition to just the bravery of the performance and how cool it is and all that, I got to tell him that in my 20s when I was trying to do a TV show and make a movie at the same time, and didn’t know if it was possible in terms of just making it through, we would all say to each other, ‘Michael J. Fox did it,’” he recalled.

Fox famously shot Back to the Future and Family Ties at the same time in the 1980s, filming the show in the daytime and spending his nights on the film. His work ethic made Segel believe he could follow in his footsteps.

“[For] me and my cohort, this was a guy that we pointed to as an example of it was possible,” he explained. “I don’t know, without him blazing a trail, that I would’ve even known that I could pull something like that off.”

Fox was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease in 1991. More than three decades later, he shared that he actually approached Lawrence, 57, about a role on Shrinking.

“[I said] ‘You did a show about Parkinson’s, and you didn’t call me?’” Fox recounted to People in October 2025. “And he said, ‘Oh, you want to do it?’ And I said, ‘I’d love to do it.’”

This story was originally published by Parade on Jan 16, 2026, where it first appeared in the News section. Add Parade as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

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Source: “AOL Entertainment”