Harrison Ford Says Having Michael J. Fox on Shrinking Set Is ‘Essential’ to His Performance

Harrison Ford said it’s “essential” to have Michael J. Fox on the set of Shrinking as his character continues to deal with Parkinson’s disease.

In a new interview with Variety, the Hollywood legend, 83, was asked if it was helpful to talk with the equally legendary Fox, 64, who was diagnosed with Parkinson’s in 1991. 

“It’s been essential,” Ford said in the interview published on Wednesday, July 30. “Michael’s courage, his fortitude and his grace, more than anything else, is on full display.”

Ford went on to call Fox a “very smart, very brave, noble, generous, passionate guy, and an example to all of us, whether we’re facing Parkinson’s or not,” adding that anyone “cannot help but recognize how amazing it is to have such grace.”

In Shrinking, Ford stars as Dr. Paul Rhoades, a senior therapist at the Cognitive Behavioral Therapy Center who was diagnosed with Parkinson’s. Fox, who previously worked with Shrinking co-creator Bill Lawrence on Spin City, is coming out of retirement to star in an undisclosed role.

Fox gave Ford “both a physical representation of the disease to inform myself with, but more than that, he allows me to believe that Paul could believe that he could be adequate to the challenge,” the Indiana Jones star told Variety.

Ford took portraying the effects of Parkinson’s very seriously. The disease is a “brain disorder that causes unintended or uncontrollable movements, such as shaking, stiffness, and difficulty with balance and coordination,” according to the National Institute of Aging. It worsens over time, with some people who have it experiencing “mental and behavioral changes, sleep problems, depression, memory difficulties, and fatigue.”

“The truth is that we can’t be f—ing around with this just to make a joke or anything. Parkinson’s is not funny,” Ford told Variety. “And I want to get it right. It’s necessary to be correct with what we do in respect of the challenge that Parkinson’s represents, and that we don’t use it for its entertainment value.”

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During a previous interview with PEOPLE in May, Ford said Fox’s willingness to be cast in the series is “a great source of inspiration and gives us a real purpose.” 

“It’s not just us coming together, two actors,” Ford told PEOPLE at a Shrinking FYC Event at Apple TV+ Emmy House, The Hollywood Athletic Club, in Los Angeles. “There’s a story to tell, and our commitment to the story is what joins us together. I appreciate his willingness to be a part of the show.”

Shrinking recently finished filming its third season. The show’s second season earned Ford the first Primetime Emmy nomination of his career. His costars Jason Segel, Michael Urie and Jessica Williams also earned nods.

The first two seasons are now streaming on Apple TV+.