Jessica Williams On Gaby Working Through the Mess for ‘Shrinking’

Jessica Williams is so generous when talking about her co-stars of Apple TV+’s Shrinking. Every time we talk about a scene or a moment from this remarkable season two, she brings it back to the other characters in the most Gaby-like way. Bill Lawrence’s comedy series radiates a kind of warmth that could so easily feel artificial but never does thanks to the off-the-charts chemistry between each and every member of the cast. Williams’ Gaby is the kind of person that you want in your corner even as she deals with her own personal struggles.

Throughout season two, Jason Segel’s Jimmy insists on trying to make his therapeutic style into a casual brand that he calls “Jimmying.” The word recalls the idea of trying to open a fickle jar or stuck front door. Gaby, on the other hand, effortlessly brings people into her orbit, so “Gaby-ing” doesn’t have the same kind of desperation.

“Gaby’s always Gabying,” Williams says quickly. “If the concept of Jimmying was presented to her, she would think that Jimmy needs it himself. That’s the best part. She has her true north and she goes for it. That’s why she’s so fun to play. She wouldn’t have to announce that she’s doing something in the same way that Jimmy does.”

Even though Gaby was so close to Tia and Jimmy, Williams reveals that Gaby was surprised that she fell so hard for him. There is an automatic bond formed already, and when they stop hooking up, it upends their entire relationship. In a way, Gaby has to grieve that relationship ending on top of her ongoing grief for her friend. It shakes everything up.

“It’s not normal for her, and I think she’s genuinely surprised by where her feelings took her,” she admits. “They were such good friends before, and she didn’t see him like. With Tia gone, there’s this hole, and these two people have this one person in common and a true, deep love for that person. I think that happens quite a bit actually, where one of the best friends and the spouses of someone who’s departed actually ends up together or hooking up. It makes sense to me. Gaby is so different from Jimmy in a lot of ways that I think she’s genuinely surprised at the budding relationship and hooking up as she comes out of her divorce.”

The generosity between the actors extends to the characters, and I was delighted to see how this cast mixes up the dynamics between them all. Williams details that she gets excited to explore these bonds in a deeper way.

“With season one, we are figuring out who the characters are to each other, but, with season two, we’re mixing and matching all of them together,” Williams says. “Each set of characters have their own dynamic, and that’s really fun to explore. I love watching Michael Urie play with other people, and I love getting to play with him. Everyone cracks me up in their own way. Part of being a supporting character and being a thoughtful actor is trying to set people up to succeed too. If I can lob a joke to Christa [Miller], I’m going to do that. We really find joy in doing it and working with each other, and I hope it comes through on screen. There’s so many different ways to do a rom-com, and that’s what’s so great about Gaby and Liz. Bill Lawrence is obsessed with them together. There’s so many different forms of love on the show that can feel rewarded.”

Ted McGinley’s Derek and Gaby share a moment in her office when he seeks her advice about his marriage. She looks at him straight-on and asks, ‘Do you want therapist Gaby or friend Gaby.’ It’s a simple question that marks a clarification between work and life but also the barriers and respect of friendship.

“I think towards the end of last season, we discovered that Gaby and Derek have a really special relationship and that they love each other,” she says. “Ted McGinley is such a great actor, and I am so damn thrilled that he is getting the flowers that he deserves. In that scene, I love that Derek pops up at the office and he’s so involved in other scenes with Harrison [Ford].”

We get to see Gaby with her sister more, and this season shows us the relationship with her mother. I couldn’t help but wonder if Gaby ever considered her position on motherhood but not in terms of her having a child. Being an adult figure to Alice kicks in a parent-child relationship, but Williams notes that we do not get enough of seeing friends exploring the loss of their closest friends. It’s usually a parent, lover or spouse.

“Gaby is in such an interesting place in this season after coming out of her divorce and trying to figure stuff out and oftentimes being the red flag,” she says. “I am excited about that this season. I feel like on Instagram and Twitter people are always demonizing women and men that are giving red flags and trying to cancel people. Motherhood, at this point, is not even what she’s thinking about at this stage, but there is something to losing your best friend and seeing that person, her baby, and feeling a maternal instinct to help take care of her. Liz is someone who is so used to being a mom that she really sweeps in, and Gaby is like Alice’s fun auntie. There is something beautiful about seeing your best friend in their kid. I really hope we get into it more in season three.”

Shrinking is streaming now on Apple TV+.