Brett Goldstein has a pretty simple policy when it comes to who he works with: no “d–kheads”. And after co-writing and starring as grumpy, aging footballer Roy Kent in the much-loved hit TV series Ted Lasso and co-creating comedy drama Shrinking, the 44-year-old is finding it easier to enforce that rule.
“I’m a very lucky boy,” he tells WHO during a chat about Season 2 of Shrinking, which stars Jason Segel, also a co-creator, as a grieving therapist who begins using unorthodox methods on his patients.
In the recently launched second season, Goldstein is stepping in front of the camera in a pivotal role, with the English actor and writer taking on the character of Louis, the drunk driver who killed Tia (Lilan Bowden), wife of Jimmy (Segel) and mother to Alice (Lukita Maxwell). It’s a far cry from Roy Kent and a performance that’s not to be missed.
How does your character in Shrinking compare to Roy Kent from Ted Lasso?
Completely different. The opposite, in no way like Roy Kent, nothing like Roy Kent, except for the eyebrows perhaps. But even those are less so. It’s a very, very different character. It’s a much more dramatic part and he’s a very different and very vulnerable and dramatic character.
When did you know that you were going to play that part and have you been writing it, knowing that you were going to take it on?
No, we’d written it and I didn’t think I was playing it. Jason Segel called me and [fellow co-creator] Bill Lawrence into his trailer, and he was like, “Brett should be playing this. Why isn’t Brett playing this part?” And he said, “Think about it overnight.” And Bill then sent me a very nice message, basically saying, “If you think you can do this, I will support you. I will back you. If you think you can do it.” And I was like, “F–king hell, alright, let’s give it a go.” So it was quite late. But when you write something, writing it is the research. I knew the character, I understood the character because we’d spent so long writing it, so it wasn’t like it was completely alien jumping into it.
How did you find the perfect tone for the show and how have you managed to continue it in the second season?
The tone is, I think, how we the writers think life is – it’s funny and it’s sad and it’s embarrassing and it’s stupid and it’s tragic.
In the last episode of Season 1, Jimmy makes a toast to thank friends and family because when life gets tough, they’re the ones to help you get through. Who are those people for you in real life?
I have lots of very good friends, actually. I think I’m very, very lucky. I’m not going to name them all, because they’re all private people. Someone the other day asked me, “Do you have lots of friends that are, like, a six out of 10 friend?” And I was like, “No, I don’t. I only have the really good ones otherwise it’s a waste of time.” I think I’m very lucky, and I have a very good group of friends who I’ve known since I was at school. So I would turn to them in need.
As well as having a great gang of friends personally, you’ve got a great gang of friends from your TV shows – on screen and on set.
I’m very, very lucky, and I think it also is like the privilege of getting to choose who you work with as well. Like, I don’t want to work with d–kheads. I don’t want to waste my time. Everyone works hard, right? You work hard, everyone works hard. And most of my life, 90 per cent of it is work. So the time I’m doing that better be fun, otherwise why am I doing it? You know what I mean? I better be working with people I love, otherwise how depressing. So I’m very, very lucky that there are these amazing people, but that I also – and you get a good sense of people – I wouldn’t work with people that aren’t great because I don’t want to spend my day with d–kheads. Is that fair?
Seems like an excellent rule to live by. It’s been said that this series is mapped out for three seasons but if everyone was on board, then there maybe could be a fourth – so where are you at with that?
Listen, if everyone would like to continue, I’d be very happy to. It’s a nice world and I like all the characters – and there are a f–king load of them. The hard part is servicing everyone every episode. So there’s definitely enough story that we could do more, but that’s up to you.
Stream Shrinking on Apple TV+ from $12.99/mth, with a 7-day free trial.
