Former “Star Wars” and “Indiana Jones” actor Harrison Ford has revealed it was “extraordinary” to work with Michael J. Fox on “Shrinking.” The television series marked the first time that the pair have worked together and the experience left a lasting impression on Ford.
Harrison Ford Speaks About Working With Michael J. Fox
“Shrinking” is a comedy-drama that was created by Bill Lawrence, Jason Segel, and Brett Goldstein, with Segel also taking on a starring role as Jimmy Laird. The character is a therapist who loses his wife and begins to take a far more aggressive method with his patient and intervenes directly in their lives.
Ford portrays the more serious Dr Paul Rhoades, a mentor to Jimmy who also suffers with Parkinson’s disease throughout the series.
During a panel at Apple TV’s inaugural press day at Santa Monica’s Barker Hangar, Ford spoke about the experience of working with Michael J. Fox and how “extraordinary” the actor is.
According to The Hollywood Reporter, Ford said, “It was a bit daunting when I thought about it, because I am representing a character that has Parkinson’s, and Michael, of course, has the real thing.”
The actor continued, “I’ve always felt a real sense of responsibility for getting that part of my story right. But Michael is an extraordinary, generous and lovely fellow, who I did not know at all and had a chance to, just working on this show.
He added, “It was an extraordinary experience to work with him. He is such a powerful presence. Such grace and courage and indomitability, and some of that, I hope, will help me color my portrayal of a character with Parkinson’s.”
He concluded, “That’s the serious part of it. But the fun part of it was there as well. It was an extraordinary experience, I think for all of us, to be with Michael and see how he does what he does. He’s so funny as well.”
Michael J. Fox Impressed With Ford’s Portrayal
GettyMeanwhile, Fox was similarly impressed with Ford when he had the chance to work with him on “Shrinking.”
Speaking in an interview with Vanity Fair, the “Back to the Future” actor explained how he was brought “to tears” after watching Ford perform on set.
Fox was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease in 1991 when he was just 29 years old and has gone on to become a major advocate for raising awareness of the condition.
He told the outlet, “What I wasn’t prepared for was how much of his own understanding of the disease he brought to it. I mean, I recognised Parkinson’s in his eyes. The things I was feeling, I recognised in the way he was expressing himself”.
