Sunday Sitdown with Willie Geist: Emmy Nominee Jason Segel on “Shrinking” and His Comedy Career

Episode Release Date: September 13, 2025
Podcast Host: Willie Geist
Guest: Jason Segel

Episode Overview

In this episode of the Sunday Sitdown podcast, Willie Geist welcomes actor and screenwriter Jason Segel for an engaging conversation about his Emmy-nominated performance in the Apple TV series “Shrinking,” working with Harrison Ford, and the evolution of his comedy and acting career. The episode delves into Segel’s artistic motivations, his journey from breakout TV star to creator and leading man, and offers behind-the-scenes stories from his time on “Freaks and Geeks,” “How I Met Your Mother,” “Forgetting Sarah Marshall,” and “The Muppets.” Segel discusses personal growth, the impact of vulnerability in his work, and the importance of choosing paths that are true to himself.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. The Success and Tone of “Shrinking”

• Anticipation for Season 2 and impact of the actors’ strike delaying production.
  • “It's exciting. We had the strike in between season one and two... One of the benefits of that was we got to see the show.” (03:41)
• How the cast refined the show’s balance between drama and comedy:
  • “We knew how dramatic you could get, how comedic you could get, and like, what you could paint with. And, man, we're proud of it.” (04:10)
• The show’s inspiration from classic dramedies:
  • “It felt like James Brooks movies from when I grew up, Broadcast News, Terms of Endearment, where you're laughing through the hardest moments... that's the truth about life.” (05:16)

2. Harrison Ford’s Involvement & Influence

• The initial disbelief and excitement when Ford accepted the role:
  • “You do that so that for three days you can tell your friends you have an offer out to Harrison Ford and then you're gonna cast the real guy. And then Harrison Ford said yes.” (04:35)
• The shift in character dynamics once Ford came on board:
  • “His character was gonna be more of a check-in advisor...Then all of a sudden we had one of the best actors of all time, and so it became this sort of two-hander father-son dynamic.” (04:54)
• On acting across from Ford:
  • “If you have a complicated brain...and then all of a sudden, you find yourself standing across from Harrison Ford doing acting. It is impossible to feel like it didn't all work out.” (18:32)
• Ford’s comedic chops:
  • “There's an episode in season one where Harrison Ford shows up stoned to a birthday party, and it is as funny as anything I've ever seen. Like, guy's a genius.” (20:41)

3. Character & Story Development in “Shrinking”

• Overview of main character, Jimmy’s, evolution:
  • “Season one was about getting this guy out of a hole...season two is: once you get to zero, what now? Cleaning up the wreckage of the past.” (06:27)
• Parallels to post-COVID grief and collective loss:
  • “It came out right after Covid, so there was a sense of grieving collectively...for all of us, something, this force of nature, came through and took two years of our lives.” (09:09)
• Importance of forgiveness in the new season:
  • “We always pick a word [for the season]. For season two, our true north is forgiveness.” (13:09)
  • “Repairing that relationship is a big part of season two—forgiveness.” (07:22)

4. Casting, Writing, and Artistic Choices

• The value of strong ensemble casting:
  • “Every one of these cast members could be the lead in their own show.” (07:43)
• Building characters from rock bottom:
  • “I think that starting someone at rock bottom is actually a very hopeful place to start, because the only place to go is up.” (17:34)

5. Personal Reflections and Career Growth

• Transitioning from comedy to drama and back:
  • “I started doing dramas in high school...but in my head I thought I think I'm good at that other stuff. So...I got to do them both on the same show.” (10:54)
• Embracing vulnerability and using his “currency of goodwill”:
  • “In a stroke of kind of self-awareness, I'm Muppet Guy. I'm Marshall [from How I Met Your Mother]. Let's spend it—let's push him as far toward unlikable as we can and...I hope he gets better.” (09:42)
• On outgrowing certain tropes:
  • “I was 33 years old, and all of a sudden I had this revelation, like, why are you still writing things about being scared of girls? You're like a grown man...It was true at 24, 25...But when you try to stretch that and make ever less potent facsimile copies of an idea, it just wasn't satisfying.” (37:31)
• Shifting focus to art and life balance:
  • “If you live in LA and you're doing this job, you're never really leaving campus...I wanted to make sure that I was thinking about life stuff. My mother...was very persistent about telling me, you need to make sure you have a balance between work and life.” (38:56, 39:06)

6. Origin Story and Creative Freedom

• How a chance encounter led to “Shrinking”:
  • “I was on a walk and apparently the producer...saw me on a walk and texted Bill Lawrence, 'Hey, just saw Jason Segel. He looks happy. Let's do a show with him.' And here we are.” (14:19)
• The importance of being brave and less strategic with creativity:
  • “The less strategic I am, and the more I let ideas be in charge, the better the work seems to be.” (30:08)
  • “Bravery can be replaced by strategy...But I am a weird dude.” (30:08)

7. Notable Early Career Moments

• Being discovered from a high school play:
  • “My high school acting coach...put on a little play...He invited casting directors from the different studios...to come see me act without telling me...and he sat my parents down and said, 'I think your son can do this for a living.'” (23:42–24:31)
• Freaks and Geeks—its short lifespan and legacy:
  • “There's a beautiful craft service table...mid season, it started to become, like, a box of corn pops and some creamer. Like, oh, we're getting canceled.” (26:43–27:23)
• Judd Apatow’s mentorship:
  • “That's where Jud took me and a couple others aside and said...if you can improv...you can write. You just need to learn how to do it.” (27:54)

8. “Forgetting Sarah Marshall,” Muppets, and Family Reactions

• On “Sarah Marshall's” famous scene:
  • “I did not tell my mom that I did full front nudity. And then I brought her to the premiere...she is, like, beet red. She said, 'Why didn't you tell me?'...Then she sent an email to my family: 'Jason has chosen to do full frontal nudity in his upcoming film. However, I assure you it's not gratuitous and essential to the plot.'” (30:45–31:57)
• Working with the Muppets:
  • “I did not have many friends growing up...I felt really at home with the Muppets...I want to put on a show.” (34:38–35:04)
  • On tough kid feedback: “They gave me one of the forms...What's your least favorite part of the movie? Gary's face.” (35:38)

9. Personal Growth and Future Projects

• On choosing substance over repetition as he ages:
  • “Every few years you get to make something, make them count.” (38:38)
• Plans for the future:
  • “I just wrote something that I think I'm gonna try to make next hiatus...I'm going to Finland tomorrow to go make an action adjacent type movie.” (41:35)
• On staying fearless with new creative ventures:
  • “I don't want to be a guy ever who's sitting at a dinner party saying, ‘if I had done that...’ I want to go find out.” (42:01–42:44)
• Maintaining a healthy sense of humility:
  • “Luckily I have a very low sense of pride or shame.” (43:05)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Ford joining Shrinking:

  • “You do that so that for three days you can tell your friends you have an offer out to Harrison Ford and then you're gonna cast the real guy. And then Harrison Ford said yes.” (04:35 Jason Segel)

• On balancing drama and comedy:

  • “You're laughing through the hardest moments...cause the show's about grief...But what those movies did really well—what is the truth about life—is that you laugh your way through those moments.” (05:16 Jason Segel)

• On acting with Ford:

  • “It is impossible to feel like it didn't all work out...I was standing there like, oh, you're right where you're supposed to be.” (18:32 Jason Segel)

• On creative courage:

  • “Why wouldn't I end a studio romantic comedy with a lavish puppet musical? But...I gotta remember, like, no, that's what it looks like to be brave.” (30:07 Jason Segel)

• On Muppets test audience feedback:

  • “What's your least favorite part of the movie? Gary's face. Oh, I have that framed on my wall.” (35:38 Jason Segel)

• On his mother’s premiere reaction (Forgetting Sarah Marshall):

  • “She sent an email to my family that said, 'I would like to inform you that Jason has chosen to do full frontal nudity...' I assure you it's not gratuitous and essential to the plot.” (31:57 Jason Segel)

Timestamps for Important Segments

• Shrinking Season 2 Release & Tone: 03:31–04:17
• Harrison Ford Joins the Show: 04:35–06:22
• Jimmy’s Character and Season 2 Themes: 06:27–08:07
• Ford’s Comic Turn & On-Set Experience: 18:07–21:28
• Jason’s Discovery & Early Acting: 23:42–24:31
• Freaks & Geeks Cancellation Story: 26:43–27:31
• Mentorship with Judd Apatow: 27:54–28:27
• Forgetting Sarah Marshall’s Premiere Story: 30:45–31:57
• Muppets & Test Screening Anecdote: 34:38–35:39
• Personal Growth & Career Philosophy: 36:12–38:38
• Upcoming Projects & Risk-Taking: 41:35–42:47

Conclusion

Jason Segel gives listeners a candid and entertaining look into his evolution as a performer and creator, from his early days as a hopeful actor in high school to working alongside Harrison Ford in one of television’s most acclaimed shows. He discusses overcoming creative fears, the significance of authentic storytelling, and the balancing act between professional ambition and personal fulfillment. Segel’s honesty, warmth, and humor make this an insightful episode for aspiring artists and fans alike.