Shrinking's Jessica Williams talks about the “stress” of bringing Gaby back to life

Although Jessica Williams had impostor syndrome about her return for season two shrinkageshe quickly found her groove again.

After her first Emmy nomination for playing therapist Gaby in Season 1, the actress admits to Deadline that she was “stressed” about returning to work on the Apple TV+ comedy following the WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes, as she Fearing her previous success in the role was just “a coincidence”.

“The day of the Emmy nomination, we went on strike at midnight,” she recalls. “It was kind of interesting to be so excited and be able to post about it and then strike for like four or five – I don't even know how long it lasted because it was dark. It was dark, but you know, I was picketing. So it felt like it happened, but then it didn't happen because there was no end to the strike in sight for a while. So I had to sit with it for a while and then I kind of forgot about it.”

Williams continued, “And then we were at the Emmys in January and because we had so much time, I didn't know if I remembered Gaby. We were supposed to film literally a few weeks after the strike started, we were supposed to film. So I was really stressed out for Season 2 and was like, “Do I remember her?” Can I do it? Can I hit the notes? Was it a coincidence? Like I was nominated for this Emmy. Can I do it again? I see it all as unfair – it's my vicious circle of perfection and expectations of myself. And so it was so nice to be on set and be like, “Oh, the reason this character works for me is because “I have the ability to play around and figure it out with comedy.” There's freedom. And so it felt good to remember that and have this character whose bones I knew really well. So I had a lot of fun, but I was really nervous.”

Created by Bill Lawrence, Jason Segel and Brett Goldstein, shrinkage follows grieving therapist Jimmy (Segel) as he begins to break the rules and tell his clients exactly what he thinks. He ignores his training and his ethics and experiences major, turbulent changes in people's lives, including his own.

After Jimmy teamed up with his longtime friend and colleague Gaby in the first season, the couple continues their chaotic dynamic at the start of the second season, which Williams said was “really fun” to build with Segel.

“Before I signed on to the show, they always vaguely knew that Gaby and Jimmy would have a messy relationship and situation,” she explained. “And that was really fun because they hired me because of my personality and the chemistry I already had with Jason. So that always happened. And I love working with him. He’s one of my favorite actors I’ve ever worked with.”

Season 2 also introduces a new love interest for Gaby, who Williams can't wait for fans to see. “They’re like two peas in a pod. This is really sweet stuff,” she teased.

Williams noted that Harrison Ford's character Dr. Paul Rhoades served as a “surrogate father figure” to Gaby and Jimmy, and this season saw “some of the most phenomenal acting” ever from the Oscar nominee, ending on a “really emotional” note.

And although Gaby and Paul had an adorable carpool karaoke moment to Sugar Ray's “Every Morning” in Season 1, Williams admitted she was “flabbergasted” by her character cutting short another musical moment in the Season 2 premiere had.

“Actually, I didn’t write that,” she noted. “You could tell Bill Lawrence when you talk to him. Tell him I was depressed too. I was really amazed by that.”

Luckily, she announced many more “fun” moments with Ford this season.

“Oh yeah, they’re all fun. My favorite scene is the one where Harrison and Wendie Malick are doing a scene together – Wendie Malick plays Julie and Gabby is obsessed with Julie and Paul and would probably like to get into a fight with them. If they asked, she would just love it. But this is my favorite thing to do with Harrison. It just writes itself. Oh, it’s great.”