The Cast of 'Shrinking': Your Guide

Jason Segel as Jimmy and Jessica Williams as Gaby, sitting at the counter in an office kitchen, in 'Shrinking'

(Image credit: Apple TV+)

published 23 October 2024

Apple TV+'s mental health dramedy Shrinking is back for a sophomore season guaranteed to give viewers all the feels. Co-created by Ted Lasso alum Brett Goldstein, Bill Lawrence, and Jason Segel, the acclaimed series follows a group of therapist colleagues and their families, as they're mourning the death of a loved one. One year after his wife's death, grieving therapist Jimmy Laird (Segel) stars to break the norms (and some ethics) of his practice to make major changes to his patients' lives, and his own.

Read on to meet the hilarious cast of Shrinking.

Jason Segel as Jimmy Laird

Jimmy is a therapist living in Pasadena, California, whose wife Tia died in a car accident one year before the start of Shrinking. The series starts as Jimmy begins to reconnect with his teenage daughter Alice, while also starting an unconventional new therapy practice where the boundaries between himself and his clients begin to blur.

Jason Segel is an actor, writer, and musician who's best known for playing Marshall Eriksen in CBS's long-running sitcom How I Met Your Mother. He made his major acting debut on the classic TV show Freaks and Geeks, and went on to star in the shows Undeclared and Dispatches from Elsewhere, as well as the comedy films Knocked Up; Forgetting Sarah Marshall; I Love You, Man; Despicable Me; The Five-Year Engagement; and The End of the Tour.

Jessica Williams as Gaby

Gaby, who works at Cognitive Behavioral Therapy Center with Jimmy and Paul, has been friends with Jimmy since college, and was best friends with his wife Tia. She's a gifted counselor who's passionate about her work and became a psychology professor at the end of season 1. However, she's also been dealing with some personal issues, including divorcing her ex-husband Nico.

Jessica Williams grew up in Los Angeles County and got her big break with a role as a senior correspondent on Comedy Central's The Daily Show in 2012, becoming the youngest correspondent ever at age 22. In addition to Shrinking, she has also appeared in HBO's Girls and the second season of Max's Love Life, as well as the films The Incredible Jessica James, Booksmart, Entergalactic, two of the Fantastic Beasts movies, and Road House. She also co-hosted the podcast 2 Dope Queens alongside Phoebe Robinson from 2015 to 2018.

Harrison Ford as Dr. Paul Rhoades

Jimmy's mentor Dr. Paul Rhoades is an esteemed, compassionate, and strict therapist, who does not agree with the widow's new methods. He's also a bit of a curmudgeon, and he's living with Parkinson's disease, though he hasn't stopped eating the healthy foods he loves. Over Shrinking's first season, he reconnects with his grown daughter and strikes up a relationship with his neurologist Julie.

Harrison Ford is a legendary actor who's best known for playing both Han Solo in the Star Wars franchise, a role he portrayed over 42 years. He's also known for embodying classic characters in other action franchises, including the Indiana Jones movies, Blade Runner, and the Jack Ryan films of the early '90s. Most recently, he starred in the Yellowstone spinoff 1923, and he's set to play Thaddeus Ross in Captain America: Brave New World.

Lukita Maxwell as Alice

Jimmy's daughter Alice was mostly left to fend for herself in the year following her mom Tia's death, as Jimmy succumbed to his own grief and guilt. She did find a mother figure in their next-door neighbor Liz. Over the course of season 1, the 17-year-old and her dad began to reconcile after their emotional estrangement.

Lukita Maxwell, 22, was born in Jakarta, Indonesia and grew up in Utah. Before Shrinking, she was best known for playing Delilah in the Max teen series Genera+ion. She recently starred alongside John Cho, Katherine Waterston, and Havana Rose Liu in the horror movie Afraid.

Luke Tennie as Sean

Sean is a patient who was originally supposed to work with Gaby before she asked Jimmy to help him. Recently discharged after serving in Afghanistan in the army, 22-year-old Sean still struggles with PTSD and anger issues, which has caused trouble with his family. He and Jimmy become closer over the course of season 1, with Sean even moving in with the Laird family.

Luke Tennie, 29, is a Florida-born actor and writer, who landed his first major acting role in the SYFY series Deadly Class in 2018. He went on to appear in the Paramount+'s Players and CBS's CSI: Vegas. He also stars in the upcoming drama film Nickel Boys.

Christa Miller as Liz

On the surface, Jimmy and Alice's next-door neighbor Liz seems like a prickly suburban mom and empty nester, but she's fiercely loving to her friends and family. With three sons in college, Liz was free to serve as a substitute mother for Alice while Jimmy was going through the worst of his grief.

NYC native Christa Miller started her career as a teen model before landing her breakout role as Kate O'Brien in the sitcom The Drew Carey Show. She also appeared in recurring roles in the TV comedies Clone High, Scrubs, and Cougar Town. She's been married to her husband, Ted Lasso and Shrinking co-creator Bill Lawrence, since 1999.

Ted McGinley as Derek

Liz's husband Derek is a happy-go-lucky bundle of positivity, who has recently retired by the start of Shrinking. He's played by Ted McGinley, a television veteran who has starred on shows including Happy Days, The Love Boat, Dynasty, The West Wing, and Hope & Faith. He's best known for playing Jefferson D'Arcy on Married... with Children.

Michael Urie as Brian

Jimmy's best friend Brian is an estate lawyer who's proudly narcissistic; his catchphrase is "Everything goes my way." Though he and Jimmy are estranged at the start of season 1, they eventually patch things up, and at the end of the season Brian marries his partner Charlie.

Michael Urie is a Texas-born actor and Juilliard grad who's best known for playing Marc St. James on Ugly Betty. The stage and screen actor has also appeared on the shows Modern Family, The Good Wife, Younger, and Krapopolis, as well as the movies Single All the Way and Maestro.

Wendie Malick as Dr. Julie Baram

Dr. Julie Baram, Paul's neurologist and eventual lover, is played by Wendie Malick, an Emmy-nominated actress and former model who has appeared in dozens of TV series including HBO's Dream On, CBS's Good Company, NBC's Just Shoot Me!, NBC's Frasier, TV Land's Hot in Cleveland, ABC's American Housewife, and Netflix's Dear White People. She has also done voice-acting for dozens of animated projects, including The Emperor's New Groove, Filmore!, and Bojack Horseman.

Lily Rabe as Meg

Paul's daughter Meg has a difficult relationship with her father, as he spent her childhood focusing on work more than his family. She's played by Lily Rabe, an actress and Tony nominee who's best known for playing several roles in FX's anthology series American Horror Story. Her other recent projects include HBO's The Undoing, Prime Video's The Underground Railroad, Showtime's The First Lady, Max's Love and Death, and Apple TV+'s Presumed Innocent.

Heidi Gardner as Grace

Heidi Gardner, sitting in a county jail wearing a yellow prison uniform, in 'Shrinking'

Grace is one of Jimmy’s patients, who has struggled for years to leave her abusive husband Donny (Tilky Jones). Jimmy makes a big effort to get Grace to leave him, which eventually lands Grace in a tricky situation by the start of season 2.

Heidi Gardner is an actress and comedian who has been a cast member on Saturday Night Live since joining the show for season 43, in 2017. The Groundlings alum has also appeared in films and shows including 2018's Life of the Party, 2022's Hustle, HBO's Veep, NBC's Superstore, and Netflix's Girls5Eva.

Brett Goldstein as Louis

Shrinking co-creator Brett Goldstein steps in front of the camera in season 2, to play a recurring character that has a big effect on Jimmy and Alice's lives. The British actor, comedian, and writer is best known for playing surly footballer Roy Kent in Ted Lasso, a role which earned him two Emmy Awards for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series. Prior to Ted Lasso, he appeared in multiple U.K.-based shows and movies, and he previously created the AMC sci-fi series Soulmates. He has also hosted the podcast Films To Be Buried With with Brett Goldstein since 2018.

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Quinci is a Culture Writer who covers all aspects of pop culture, including TV, movies, music, books, and theater. She contributes interviews with talent, as well as SEO content, features, and trend stories. She fell in love with storytelling at a young age, and eventually discovered her love for cultural criticism and amplifying awareness for underrepresented storytellers across the arts. She previously served as a weekend editor for Harper’s Bazaar, where she covered breaking news and live events for the brand’s website, and helped run the brand’s social media platforms, including Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter. Her freelance writing has also appeared in outlets including HuffPost, The A.V. Club, Elle, Vulture, Salon, Teen Vogue, and others. Quinci earned her degree in English and Psychology from The University of New Mexico. She was a 2021 Eugene O’Neill Critics Institute fellow, and she is a member of the Television Critics Association. She is currently based in her hometown of Los Angeles. When she isn't writing or checking Twitter way too often, you can find her studying Korean while watching the latest K-drama, recommending her favorite shows and films to family and friends, or giving a concert performance while sitting in L.A. traffic.