Ted McGinley has been working on television shows and in films for more than four decades. His credits include the likes of “Happy Days,” “Married … with Children,” “Dynasty” and “Hope & Faith.” Through all the years of acting, no role has come as a big of a surprise as his current work on the Apple TV+ series “Shrinking.” “I started off as kind of a day player of a guy walking through a scene and sort of remained that way for a while,” McGinley says. “Slowly but surely, they started giving me a little more and a little more. “Slowly Derek became a character that somehow resonated. Everyone else was dealing with so much deep anxiety, pain and hurt. Derek represented sunshine and light. A place where you might like to land. A port in the storm.” That storm is the dark comedy series that follows a grieving therapist, James Laird (Jason Segel), who breaks the primary rule when he starts telling his clients exactly what he thinks. Along with Segel, the main cast of “Shrinking” during the first season included Harrison Ford, Christa Miller, Jessica Williams, Michael Urie, Luke Tennie, and Lukita Maxwell. The first season of “Shrinking” picked up two Emmy nominations. One went to Segel as Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series and the other went to Williams as Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series. McGinley became part of the main cast after his scene-stealing guest-star work in that first season. His heart-warming, ride-or-die energy for his wife Liz (Miller) was tested in the second season and yet Derek is somehow the most grounded/well-adjusted of the group. In the second season, Derek is officially retired, allowing him more time to share his calming wisdom with every member of the ensemble. The finale of season two will be available on Christmas Day but both seasons are available on the streaming service. A third season of “Shrinking” has been ordered. The limited amount of screen time McGinley got in the first season didn’t bother him because he considered “Shrinking” to be such a high-quality production. He was just happy to get the invitation to be part of the program. “To get invited in is one of the greatest pleasures of my career. But when you are there and you see everyone else is together you think you would give anything to be part of that,” McGinley says. “I am so honored by the quality and the depth of the writing. “It’s a once in a lifetime opportunity.” McGinley knows how special the role is having been involved with so many productions over the years. The California native started his career as a model but after a casting director saw his photograph in GQ, he moved into the acting world. With the expansion of his role in the second season came the dark storyline of his wife confessing that she had kissed an ex. McGinley was initially worried because Derek had been such a representative of the positive and that changed into darker elements. One of his big concerns was that maybe the audience really didn’t want more of Derek. He soon realized that the new direction opened up other acting avenues for him. “As an actor you want to play all of that,” McGinley says. “You want to play the spectrum, so that people don’t think he is just a surface character. “Liz clearly understands what Derek’s value is to her. Gabby understands that and so now more and more people will get to see who Derek is and why he is the way he is. It’s fun to explore all of that.” McGinley is not certain if the big swing in his character between seasons one and two was just a reaction to the audience or that was the plan by series co-creator Bill Lawrence and co-executive producer Brett Goldstein. His concerns about a negative reaction to his expanded role proved to be completely unfounded. Landing the role in the series made McGinley happy but the bonus was getting to work with Hollywood legend Harrison Ford. The actor known for blockbuster films such as “Star Wars: A New Hope” and “Raiders of the Lost Ark” plays Dr. Paul Rhoades, a fellow therapist who is also a colleague of the character portrayed by Segel at the Cognitive Behavioral Therapy Center.  “I am overwhelmed when I watch Harrison by his ability to be so kind to all the people,” McGinley says. “There are all these levels of what jobs are really important but if you don’t have it all in the symphony, it won’t sound well. “Harrison understands that and treats everybody with respect and kindness. He is a great person to watch on a set. He’s a massive professional. I am humbled by him.”