The Treatment
Jason Segel talks ‘Shrinking’ and aspiring to Paul Giamatti’s career
Actor and writer Jason Segal tells us what it’s like to work on his acclaimed Apple TV+ series “Shrinking,” and shares comedy writing advice from Judd Apatow.
By Elvis Mitchell • • 1 min readEmmy-nominated actor and writer Jason Segel has proved his comedy bonafides many times over. He was in the ensemble of the long-running sitcom How I Met Your Mother, and became a staple of the “R-rated comedy” film boom in the 2000s and 2010s. To the latter point, you’ll find him in such classics as The 40 Year Virgin, I Love You, Man, and Forgetting Sarah Marshall. He has also proven adept at drama including in The End of the Tour and the series Dispatches From Elsewhere.
His Apple TV+ series Shrinking allows him to tap into both sides, with a multi-layered performance as a grieving therapist who forms unconventional relationships with his patients. Season 2 of the series concluded late in 2024 and season 3 is forthcoming. Segel tells The Treatment why he aspires to be like actor Paul Giamatti, reveals the great writing advice given to him by Judd Apatow, and explains why a particular Shrinking monologue was the best acting he has ever seen in person.
