Harrison Ford was one of the last major movie stars to eschew television, but in 2023 he made a major splash on the small screen. In addition to starring opposite Helen Mirren in the 1923 prequel Yellowstone, he took on his first sitcom role in Shrinking. The therapy comedy gives Ford plenty of opportunities to display his brand of wry humor, but he also plays against type in several heartfelt moments — including a scene in which he sings Sugar Ray’s “Every Morning” alongside his co-star in the car. Jessica Williams.
comment Entertainment WeeklyWilliams opened up about the surreal experience of singing carpool karaoke with Ford — and revealed the actor’s role in planning the scene.
“Oh, it was so much fun — with Sugar Ray Harrison in the car,” Williams said. “They asked me for a list of songs, and a lot of the songs I picked (were) when we were in high school growing up in the South Bay. Sugar Ray was definitely up there. There were others — Sum 41’s “Fat Lip,” Nine Days’ “Absolutely,” Michelle Branch’s “Everywhere,” Avril Lavigne’s “Complicated,” No Doubt’s “Just a Girl.”
While Williams provided the initial suggestions, they made it very clear that Ford would have the final say on the “Shrinking” kit. The legendary actor picked a song from his playlist (obviously he’s an Indiana Jones Sugar Ray fan!) and did his homework. Williams said she didn’t know what to expect from the scene, but Ford was ready to give an enthusiastic performance.
“He tells us what he is willing to do,” he said. “Yes, absolutely. But we didn’t know if he knew the lines or not, and he seemed to know every single word. So it was great to do that with him. It’s very surreal.”
While early reviews of “Shrinking” were mixed, Ford’s performance on Apple TV+ was overwhelmingly praised by fans and critics alike.
“He may be the cold chaser to Jimmy’s sugary take, but Paul ends up balancing the whole show,” wrote IndieWire’s Ben Travers in his review of “Shrinking.” “Without Ford, ‘Shrinking’ might have been unbearable, but with him, I ended up happily re-watching episodes just to enjoy the actor’s spark.”
“Shrinking” is now streaming on Apple TV+ with new episodes every week.
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