Shrinking season 3 trailer sees Michael J Fox return to acting after 5 years

The first trailer for Season 3 of Shrinking officially revealed that Hollywood legend Michael J. Fox is returning to acting after a five-year hiatus. The Apple TV+ hit, which stars Jason Segel and Harrison Ford, has become a fan favorite for its humour and exploration of mental health, making Fox's return a perfect fit for the show’s tone.

Fox, who announced his retirement in 2020 due to his ongoing battle with Parkinson’s disease, appears in a recurring role that highlights both his comedic timing and his resilience. In the trailer, he is seen sharing a heartfelt and witty exchange with Harrison Ford’s character, Paul, in a waiting room.

Shrinking season 3 will release episodically every week on Apple TV+ starting January 28, 2026. The season will have 33 episodes, with the final one releasing on April 8, 2026.

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Michael J. Fox returns to acting in Apple TV+'s Shrinking season 3 trailer

In the newly released trailer for Shrinking season 3, Fox’s character is sitting next to Dr. Paul Rhoades (played by Harrison Ford). Fox’s character turns to him and asks a simple question that anyone who has spent time in a doctor's office can relate to:

"What are you in for?"

When Paul bluntly replies, "Parkinson's. You?", Fox’s character doesn't skip a beat and replies:

"Just a haircut."

According to show creator Bill Lawrence, Fox isn't playing a version of himself, but a "full-fledged" and acerbic new character who will have a multi-episode story arc when the season premieres on January 28, 2026.

Michael J. Fox joining the show reunites him with the Shrinking creator Bill Lawrence. The two first worked together a long time ago on the hit comedy series Spin City. Fox was the star of that show for four years, but he had to leave in 2000 because of his Parkinson’s disease. Later, Fox also appeared on another one of Lawrence’s popular shows, Scrubs. In that guest role, he played a doctor who dealt with OCD, showing how people live with difficult health conditions.

Shrinking first premiered on Apple TV+ on January 27, 2023. The show follows Jimmy Laird, played by Jason Segel, a grieving therapist who is struggling to cope after the death of his wife. In his grief, Jimmy decides to break all the rules of his profession by telling his clients exactly what he thinks. This "honesty" leads to big changes in both his life and the lives of his patients.

The show also stars Harrison Ford as Dr. Paul Rhoades, Jimmy’s mentor, who is dealing with his own health battle with Parkinson’s disease. It explores how people deal with sadness, the importance of family, and how being truthful, even when it's messy, can help people heal.

To catch upto the show before the release of the third season of Shrinking, viewers can watch the first two seasons of the show on Apple TV+ via subscription.

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Stay tuned for more updates.

Edited by Suchita Patnaha