Shrinking Season 3 is making Bill Lawrence’s guest star dreams come true.

The second season of the popular Apple TV+ comedy by Lawrence, Brett Goldstein, and Jason Segel featured high-profile actors such as Kelly Bishop, Damon Wayans Jr., and Cobie Smulders. Season 3 continues the trend by bringing award-winning actor, author, and advocate Michael J. Fox into the fold.

At a 2024 Paley Center event in Los Angeles, Lawrence shared with DECIDER his dream guest stars for Shrinking, expressing, “Michael J. Fox has a standing invitation on all my shows. He’s my mentor and one of the most generous people I know. His story inspires me… He is the only person to whom we’ve extended an open offer, so he can join whenever and however he feels ready.”

While Fox’s exact role is still under wraps, his involvement in Shrinking holds personal significance for both him and Lawrence. They previously collaborated on Lawrence’s 1996 sitcom, Spin City, until Fox stepped away after facing a Parkinson’s disease diagnosis. Lawrence remains committed to paying tribute to his friend, an effort reflected in Harrison Ford’s portrayal of the character Paul on Shrinking.

Ford plays a wise, grumpy, fiercely funny therapist who was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease and navigates its progression throughout Shrinking‘s first two seasons. In addition to Fox, Shrinking co-creator and Season 2 guest star Brett Goldstein’s father has the disease, and Lawrence’s father also has Lewy body dementia, an extension of Parkinson’s. Plus, Phil Stutz, a real-life therapist who has Parkinson’s also inspired Ford’s character.

“Brett and I and the staff are trying to honor the people we love the most,” Lawrence told Decider over Zoom. “I got to see Michael J. Fox over the summer, and it meant so much to me, because he was such a mentor for me. So knock on wood, we keep at least coming close to representing [Parkinson’s] in a way that makes those folks proud.”