Inside Shrinking star Jason Segel's life from alcoholism to his younger famous girlfriend

Shrinking season two has kicked off, sparking interest among Apple TV+ subscribers in its leading man, Jason Segel.

The comedy-drama, last aired in January 2023, follows the story of bereaved therapist Jimmy Laird, portrayed by Jason Segel, who decides to break protocol and speak his mind to his clients.

With a star-studded cast including How I Met Your Mother's Jason Segel and Indiana Jones legend Harrison Ford, it's no surprise that the show was renewed for a second season, this time featuring 12 episodes.

As only the first two episodes are currently available, subscribers are eager to discover what lies ahead, as well as learn more about actor Segel.

Religious upbringing

Jason Segel was born in January 1980 in Santa Monica, California, to parents Jillian and Alvin Segel, a lawyer. He is the middle child, with an older brother Adam and younger sister Alison.

Raised in a mixed-faith household, with a Jewish father and Christian mother, Jason attended a Christian school during the day and Hebrew school in the evenings.

Segel attributes his entry into acting to his parents, who enrolled him in classes as a child to help him overcome shyness and make friends.

Struggle with alcohol

In the early stages of Segel's career, he appeared in Freaks and Geeks, Slackers, Undeclared, Forgetting Sarah Marshall, The Five Year Engagement and, notably, How I Met Your Mother as Marshall Eriksen.

Reports had surfaced that the actor battled with alcoholism, but it was his split from actress Michelle Williams in 2013 that reportedly prompted him to seek sobriety and join Alcoholics Anonymous (AA).

His journey to recovery helped him channel the late author David Foster Wallace in the film "The End Of The Tour."

Speaking to NPR, the star expressed relief in finding common ground with others: "I felt like, 'Oh, thank God, here's somebody else who's willing to talk about these things.'

"I was very hopeful my experience wasn't unique. I think most people [feel that] when they're going through a hard time."

Career crisis

After the finale of How I Met Your Mother in 2014, Segel faced a career crossroads.

In an interview with Vanity Fair, he reflected on his existential crisis post-show: "I had a big existential crisis when How I Met Your Mother ended, about my relationship to work because at some point I was like, really winning work.

"I had this little period where I could do anything I wanted. And I was very unhappy, and I couldn't figure out why.

"So when How I Met Your Mother ended, I spent a long time, like five years, trying to figure out my relationship to work in a way that would be sustainable for me and interesting for me."

"So in that period when I was trying to figure it out, I only took projects where I could be around people I really admired, so I could ask them a lot of questions."

Eventually, a surprise call from producer Bill Lawrence led to the concept of Shrinking.

Segel explained: "He and Brett [Goldstein] pitched me this idea about a shrink who was grieving himself and basically going through a nervous breakdown while he continued to practice therapy.

"There would be this kind of even mix of big comedy and set comedy pieces, but also real pathos and we were gonna handle the grieving as honestly as possible.

"That seemed like this really tasty mix of everything I was looking for."

Romantic Endeavours

In the realm of romance, Segel is happily involved with accomplished dancer Kayla Radomski.

Sparks began flying between the couple when they were spotted hand-in-hand at Universal Studios Hollywood's Halloween Horror Nights in October 2023, with their relationship later confirmed during a glamorous appearance at this year's Golden Globe Awards.

Radomski, at 33 years old, brings a lively dynamic, being 11 years younger than Segel. She earned her claim to fame when competing on So You Think You Can Dance, where she impressively finished fourth at the tender age of 18.

Notably, Radomski has graced stages worldwide, especially remembered for joining Taylor Swift as a backup dancer during her thrilling rendition of Me! with Brendon Urie at the 2019 Billboard Music Awards.

Expressing her affection on Instagram, Radomski has praised Segel, proclaiming her gratitude to him for "being the best man this lady could dream up."

Shrinking is available to watch on Apple TV+.