WARNING: Spoilers ahead for Season 2 of “Shrinking”!
From “New Girl” to “Happy Endings,” Damon Wayans Jr. has joked his way into the hearts of millions of TV viewers, and now he’s taken his quick-witted comedic chops to the AppleTV+ series “Shrinking.”
Speaking to HuffPost on Monday, Wayans opened up about his new guest role in the critically acclaimed comedy-drama, which follows a grieving therapist (Jason Segel) who begins breaking the rules with his patients, consequently entangling himself in their convoluted lives.
Wayans joined the second season of “Shrinking” as Derrick ― a friend of Derek (Ted McGinley) who becomes known, naturally, as Derrick #2. Wayans’ character is the love interest of Gaby (Emmy nominee Jessica Williams), and the two show off their formidable chemistry in flirty moments that give unscripted vibes and leave audiences feeling like a fly on the wall.
According to Wayans, that’s because the bulk of their scenes actually did use improvisation, including the hysterical moment where Derrick finds a vibrator in Gaby’s “breakup box.”
“It was a moment where [me and Williams] looked into each other’s eyes like, ‘This is happening,’” he recalled of their first time on screen together. “They cut a lot of it out [from the scene where we first met], but we went on and on. There were so many different parts of that [vibrator] scene that were improvised that we didn’t get a chance to use.”
Wayans compared the many improvisational moments in “Shrinking” to the ABC comedy “Happy Endings,” in which he starred as Brad Williams from 2011 to 2013.
“I knew [any time] I showed up [on set] for ‘Happy Endings’ I had to have jokes in the holster,” Wayans said. “I had to, because [actors like] Adam Pally, Casey Wilson and Eliza Coupe were going to bring [the jokes].”
The “Shrinking” cast has “that same vibe,” Wayans continued ― which he said feels “weird,” because the Apple TV+ series is “an acclaimed show with so much drama in it.”
“But when it comes to the comedy, everyone [on set] wants to deliver that comedy,” he said.
Wayans also spilled the beans about which co-stars he enjoys spending the most time with on set.
“When I filmed the first scene from my first episode, Ted McGinley kind of put his arm around me and was like, ‘It’s good to have you here, man,’” Wayans said, laughing. “He was just so warm to me, and I was like, ‘OK, unc.’”
“Michael [Urie] is [also] great. Harrison [Ford] makes a lot of jokes in between takes. Any time we’re not shooting, he’s telling me a new funny story,” Wayans continued.
Ford’s jokes are “long as shit, but the punch lines are worth it,” he said. “I don’t think people know how funny [Ford] is.”
Wayans hasn’t officially been cast in the show’s third season, but he said he would “jump” at the opportunity to continue his role.
“We’ll see what happens, but I trust that whatever storyline [the creators] give me will be amazing, because everything they do [with the show] is just all hits and no misses,” he said. “I’m excited to see where it goes.”
The “Let’s Be Cops” star also gushed about working on another show — “Poppa’s House,” which first aired in October — with his dad and fellow comedian, “In Living Color” alum Damon Wayans Sr. The show was renewed last month for a second season.
“Poppa’s House” is “a lot like ‘Shrinking,’” Wayans said, in that “it’s very familial, warm and supportive. You don’t feel like people are waiting for you to fail.”
“It’s so much fun to be in a scene with my dad and look him in the eye knowing I’m about to make him laugh,” he added. “And just having those moments locked in on film for the rest of our lives is also something we’ll look back on like, ‘We did that.’”
Wayans said fans can expect to see him alongside Amy Schumer in Netflix’s “Kind of Pregnant,“ which has yet to announce a release date. He’ll also star in the second season of CBS’s game show “Raid the Cage,” starting Jan. 8.
We Need Your Support
Already contributed? Log in to hide these messages.
Seasons 1 and 2 of “Shrinking” are streaming on AppleTV+. The second-season finale airs on Dec. 25.
Watch the trailer for Season 2 of “Shrinking” below.