Damon Wayans Jr. joins the cast of “Shrinking” as Derek, the love interest to Gaby, (actress Jessica Williams) a therapist who prides herself on her ability to rescue others and solve their problems all the while disregarding her own.
The Apple TV+ series centers around Jimmy Laird (actor Jason Segal), a therapist who takes an unconventional approach to working with his clients while haphazardly managing the process of grieving his late wife. Jimmy is also trying to repair a strained relationship with his outspoken daughter, Alice (actress Lukita Maxwell).
Wayans’ character, Derek, is the man of everyone’s dreams. However, when he comes into Gaby’s life, it’s on the heels of her divorce where she felt the strain of helping her ex recover from an addiction. Being in a healthy, equally yoked partnership with Derek is uncomfortable for Gaby and she tries to sabotage their relationship.
When asked about their characters’ complicated dynamics, Wayans said, “Derek is probably more mature than Gaby and that’s a first for her. He’s a guy who has his baggage in order, and he may be ready to marry Gaby if things go right.
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“In his mind, he sees a white picket fence with two or three kids but Gaby isn’t ready for that yet. I think she’s afraid of what this relationship could lead to because she doesn’t need to fix me. And sometimes when you don’t need to fix someone, it frightens you. But there are a lot of women and men that like fixer-uppers. But what do you do when you don’t have to fix somebody?”
Prior to shooting his episodes of “Shrinking,” Wayans was in production for the upcoming Netflix film, “Kind Of Pregnant” and he’s also starring in the hit CBS series “Poppa’s House” alongside his father, Damon Wayans Sr. When asked what excited him about joining the cast of “Shrinking,” Wayans revealed, “I wanted to be in scenes with Harrison Ford. To share a scene with him was a dream come true.”
Ford, renowned for his iconic roles in “The Indiana Jones” franchise, plays therapist Dr. Paul Rhoades in “Shrinking.”
Wayans added, “I’ve known one of the show’s producers, Bill Lawrence, for a while. He reached out to me and asked if I wanted to play “Derek. I was like, ‘Yeah. Can I be in some scenes with Harrison Ford?’ When I arrived, I was blown away because I was surrounded by Harrison Fords. Everyone here is perfect for their role, and they add so much to their characters. The show is so deep. Each character has so many layers. I was sitting there acting, but also, watching. It was like an out-of-body experience. It’s phenomenal to be a part of this show.
The critically acclaimed series was recently renewed for a third season. Wayans gave insight into his time on set saying, “The show is so well written and the characters are so defined. It’s such a fun environment. You do one take by the book, and then everything else is just fun.
“The writers are pitching you jokes. I pitch jokes to Jessica [Williams]. Jessica pitches jokes to me. It’s such a free-flowing sharing environment.
“So, I didn’t feel like I had to do too much work to get into the mindset of Derek. It’s such a treat to be on this show.”
Watch new episodes of “Shrinking” on Apple TV+