Shrinking Sneak Peek: Kelly Bishop Makes Debut as Harrison Ford’s Ex

Kelly Bishop’s quick wit and zinging one-liners are front and center in her debut on Shrinking — and Harrison Ford’s Paul is on the receiving end.

“Just talk to your ex you don’t even know why she’s here,” Jimmy’s (Jason Segel) lawyer pal Brian (Michael Urie) tells Paul (Ford) in Us Weekly’s exclusive sneak peek at Bishop’s debut as Paul’s ex-wife, Susan.

Brian tries to be upbeat about Susan’s unexpected arrival, saying, “Maybe she found a painting worth a billion dollars, and you get half! It could be fun news.”

Paul is not convinced, but opens the door to ask, “Susan, why are you here?”

Susan, who is laughing over a glass of wine in the other room, gives a deadpan look before answering her ex-husband’s question.

“I had a friend who recently got diagnosed with Parkinson’s. She died a few months later,” she says rather matter of fact. “And I felt like you and I should talk again before you die.” (Paul is a senior therapist who has been diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease.)

Paul does everything not to roll his eyes before closing the door and turning his attention to Brian. “You were right, fun news!” Paul quips, throwing his hand up, exasperated.

Bishop, 80, joins the Shrinking cast for season 2, episode 5, which airs on Wednesday, November 6.

In the episode, Paul’s estranged daughter, Meg (Lily Rabe), is in town for a presentation and her mother, Susan, decides to tag along. During the visit, Susan decides to have a sit-down with Paul and hash out some of their past issues.

“We always knew we were going to bring Paul’s ex-wife in because the second season was a lot about dealing with your past,” creator Bill Lawrence told Entertainment Weekly on Friday, November 1. “And you can’t really move forward until you deal with your past.”

Lawrence explained that through Susan’s arrival viewers will learn “why he’s estranged from his daughter and what he feels guilty about.”

The showrunner revealed that Bishop was cast partially because of the cast’s “Broadway love” — as the actress was an original Chorus Line cast member. Bishop’s time on Gilmore Girls as the witty and at times cutthroat Emily Gilmore only added to her charm.

Ultimately it was Bishop’s charisma and ability to face off against Ford, 82, that landed her the role. “The best thing, as far as her assertive nature, we knew Kelly, just from having been fans, could definitely not only stand up to Paul, but even just dropping in for a few scenes, immediately feel like his equal and someone that could give as much as she got,” Lawrence added. “Man, we love that combo of the two of them.”

Bishop was just as excited about teaming up with Ford, telling the outlet, “I found him professional, amiable and a delight to work with.”

While the actress is a veteran in the entertainment world, she revealed in September that it was only recently that she learned to love all the parts of herself.

“I think I’ve forgiven myself a lot — not that I’m ashamed of anything — but I think I’m a little easier on myself,” Bishop told Forbes at the time, explaining that writing her memoir, The Third Gilmore Girl, brought a lot of clarity. “I love myself a little bit more. Pat myself on the back — I’m my friend — my very best friend is me.”

She added, “It’s just saying, ‘Be grateful, be happy. You’ve had a really good run here and it’s not over.’ That’s it.”

For Bishop’s latest act, watch her on Shrinking Wednesday, November 6. The series airs weekly on AppleTV+ with new episodes through Wednesday, December 25.