‘Shrinking’ star Jessica Williams: ‘I never thought I’d end up on a show like this, but it feels really good’

Before being cast on “Shrinking,” most people likely knew Jessica Williams from her historic run on “The Daily Show” as the show’s youngest correspondent ever. Or maybe they were aware of Williams’s excellent podcast, “2 Dope Queens.” Or they saw her in the indie romantic comedy “The Incredible Jessica James.” But none of those projects likely prepared Williams’s fans for her nuanced performance on the Apple TV+ comedy series, which allows the actress to lean on her expert comedy skills while also landing emotional dramatic beats in every episode.

“I mostly did this show because I wanted to work with Jason Segel, not knowing what the show was going to be,” Williams tells Gold Derby. “And I wanted to do a show where I could show range because that’s one of the things I admire most about Jason: he can just do it all. So I liked the idea of being able to hit like a comedy joke sometimes – like we’re watching a classic ’90s or aughties sitcom – but also get to the heart of the matter and have a scene that requires being present and listening and feeling whatever emotion is required for the moment. I like being able to do that with truth and conviction. And so I just wanted to be able to do that on a show and this is a perfect medium for that. It’s a dream role.”

Co-created by Segel, Brett Goldstein, and Bill Lawrence, “Shrinking” focuses on Jimmy (Segel), a therapist grieving the death of his wife, and the found family and friend group that makes up his inner circle. Williams plays Gaby, one of the therapists in Jimmy’s practice and a longtime friend of his and his deceased wife. In Season 1, their friendship shifted amid the fluctuations of Jimmy and Gaby’s grief and became physical. Comedy ensued, but a long-term commitment was not in the cards. For Season 2, Jimmy and Gaby have officially split as hook-up buddies, and Gaby has entered into a new relationship with Derrick (guest star Damon Wayans Jr.). 

“He’s just a really fast actor,” Williams says of her chemistry with Wayans, a highlight of the season so far. “When they were casting that part, Bill was telling, with all due respect, he was like, ‘You know, when you’re on the screen, your face, your performance gobbles up the screen. So we can’t just put anybody up against you. We need someone who’s going to be able to take up the space with you.’ And Damon was a perfect fit. He’s just a really fast thinker. And he comes from such a strong background in comedy. I’ve always loved his work. I think creating chemistry with anyone – because I think our cast has really great chemistry – is about really caring about the other person and wanting to support them. So on our show, I want to see Christa Miller do well, I want to see Luke Tennie do well. I want to make sure I’m setting them up to succeed in this format while also taking care of myself.”

Williams took something of a leap with the first season of the show, since the Gaby character wasn’t fully fleshed out in the initial episodes. But her faith in the creative team and her own skills as a performer have paid off. She was an Emmy nominee for Season 1 and could be back in contention for Season 2 at next year’s Emmy Awards.

“Bill Lawrence is really great,” Williams says of the showrunner. She was a longtime fan of “Scrubs” and, in particular, found the rhythm of the show’s comedy intoxicating.

“Good comedy is like a melody. I don’t want to sound pretentious, but you can tell the setup and punch line of a joke – like when you go see a stand-up comic, it’s almost like watching someone sing and do a rhythm, right?” she says.

In that regard, Williams adds, there’s something almost old-fashioned about the success of “Shrinking.” 

“Everyone’s really hot on the show, so that’s open to interpretation, but it’s not a sexy, cool show,” she says. “It’s a really earnest show. And I like earnest people, and I like earnestness. And so I never thought I’d end up on a show like this doing a part like this, but it feels like really good.”