Is Harrison Ford Leaving ‘Shrinking’?

Three seasons into Apple TV’s beloved Shrinking, I can’t imagine a version of this deep, delightful comedy that doesn’t star living legend, icon, and GOAT Harrison Ford — nor do I want to!

Ford’s hilarious, curmudgeonly character Paul Rhoades is essential to Shrinking‘s DNA, not to mention his relationship with Julie (Wendy Malick) is one of the greatest on TV. Ford’s thoughtful, authentic portrayal of Parkinson’s disease raises crucial real-life awareness. And the 83-year-old actor is indisputably giving some of most profound performances of his career. He even landed his first Emmy nomination for Season 2!

Despite those facts, as we approach the end of Season 3, viewers can’t help but wonder: Is Harrison Ford leaving Shrinking?! Why? Let’s break it down.

While Shrinking excels at finding humor in the midst of incredibly challenging moments, one of many reasons the show is so revered is because it refuses to show a sugarcoated reality of Parkinson’s disease. In Season 3, as Paul’s symptoms continue to progress, he makes some major lifestyle changes while confronting his mortality. After accepting that it’s finally time to retire, he spends a chunk of the season winding down his practice and passing professional wisdom on to his mentee, Gaby (Jessica Williams), who he calls his “legacy.” But Paul isn’t simply planning to leave the office. He’s also saying goodbye to California and heading to the East Coast to live with his daughter Meg (Lily Rabe) in Connecticut.

Since Shrinking’s first three seasons shined such a huge spotlight on Jimmy, Gaby, and Paul’s overlapping professional lives, viewers worried that without Paul in the office, Ford would get significantly less screen time. When they learned Paul was leaving the state and wouldn’t be physically present for regular bench therapy sessions, whimsical car karaoke, weekend hikes, or found family events, the panic understandably started to set in.

Photo: Apple TV

As DECIDER noted in our Season 3 review, when the end credits roll on the third season, there’s a clear sense of closure within the group. Lawrence likely completed the three-season arc he initially pitched, and it would have been an incredibly satisfying, full-circle conclusion. But Apple TV renewed the show for Season 4! And without spoiling any storylines, I feel fairly confident that we won’t have to imagine Shrinking Season 4 without Ford — no matter where Paul ends up living.

With so many major life changes coming up for the group, Shrinking‘s fourth season will undoubtedly look and feel a bit different. But there’s been no confirmation that Ford is leaving the series ahead of Season 3’s finale. And after the third season wrapped, the actor delivered an emotional speech to the cast and crew, saying, “You guys are the best. The very, very best, at what you do and how you do it. And how you make people feel is just fucking amazing. I love this place. I love working with you guys. I hope we can all get back here and do it again.”

Another hopeful sign that Ford isn’t leaving the series? Alice (Lukita Maxwell) is going to college at Wesleyan University, also in Connecticut! Will she and Paul meet to catch up over delicious CT pizza? Could the Shrinking fam be headed to the East Coast? (And will Gaby break her vow to never set foot in the boat shoe infested state?) As a CT resident who knows co-creator Bill Lawrence also has CT roots, I’d be lying if I said the Season 4 potential wasn’t exciting to me. We could see Sailboat Paul, and more intimate scenes with Meg, Julie, and his fam. As he teased in a conversation with Gaby in Episode 9, he also wants to hop on Zoom with her for a couple hours first thing each morning to keep in touch. So Shrinking Season 4 could also give us Paul vs Technology.

There’s always a chance that Shrinking could reveal Ford is stepping back from the role ahead of Season 4, but he’s been incredibly open about his love of the show, as well as the fulfillment, pleasure, and pride he takes in the work. When speaking about the series at a recent Apple TV press day, he said, “If it was all over here, that would be sufficient for me… This has been very special for me and it really nurtures me and it makes me feel like what we’re doing has value and importance.”

All of this is to say that I refuse to buy into fears that Ford is leaving Shrinking, and as of right now he isn’t as far as we know. To quote the living legend during his Life Achievement Award acceptance speech at the 32nd Annual Actor Awards earlier this month, “It’s a little early, isn’t it?”

With two episodes left in Shrinking Season 3, there are undoubtedly lots more incredible Ford performances to come. So stay tuned, and we’ll be sure to share more Shrinking Season 4 updates as they roll in.

New episodes of Shrinking Season 3 premiere Wednesdays on Apple TV.