Why Harrison Ford Deserves Emmy Recognition for ‘Shrinking’ Season 3

“Never tell me the odds!”

What more does Harrison Ford have left to prove before the Television Academy finally calls his name on Emmy night?

In “Shrinking,” the 83-year-old screen legend delivers some of his finest work as Dr. Paul Rhoades, a brilliant therapist grappling with the slow progression of Parkinson’s disease. Across three seasons, Ford has redefined what late-career acting can look like, even suggesting that despite iconic roles in “Indiana Jones” and “Star Wars,” Hollywood criminally misread what this man was fully capable of in the acting realm.

And even with the reviews, fanfare, and industry respect, an Emmy win still eludes him.

When the series created by Bill Lawrence, Jason Segel and Brett Goldstein first debuted in 2023, Ford found himself unceremoniously absent from the supporting comedy actor list, in what many had believed was a race tailor-made for a trip to the stage. The show itself only landed two bids at the 75th ceremony: Segel for lead actor and Jessica Williams for supporting actress.

Redemption was on the Season 2 agenda, with the correction coming two years later. Ford earned his first-ever Emmy nom, becoming the second-oldest nominee in the category’s history, after Alan Arkin, who was nominated at 86 for “The Kominsky Method.” The Apple TV show also broke into the top comedy series race that cycle, with additional acting nominations for Segel, Williams and Michael Urie to go along with its eight-nom total haul.

And once again, many pundits and awards enthusiasts were looking down the barrel of the 77th ceremony, asking ourselves: How can Ford lose? And yet, surprisingly, he did to longtime character performer Jeff Hiller from HBO Max’s “Somebody Somewhere,” which was in its final season.

Now, with “Shrinking’s” third season concluded, the Apple comedy has reached a new level of emotional precision, and Ford is, once again, at the center of it.

Season 3, currently at 91% on Rotten Tomatoes, continues to attract new audiences. If the first season was about grief, and the second about forgiveness, this latest chapter is about moving forward, and no character embodies that struggle more profoundly than Paul.

In the finale, “And That’s Our Time!,” Ford delivers a masterclass in restraint, vulnerability and timing. Paul, long resistant to emotional transparency, is forced to confront the damage his distance has caused, particularly in his relationship with Jimmy (Segel), who has come to see him as a surrogate father.

What makes Ford’s performance so remarkable is the calibration. He doesn’t abandon Paul’s prickliness or dry wit. Instead, he lets his cracks show gradually because Ford has spent three seasons earning the audience’s respect, and knows how to deliver a quiet devastation.

It’s a scene that distills everything “Shrinking” does best, balancing the humor with the dramatic moments. For decades, Ford’s persona was defined by iconic movie roles such as Indiana Jones and Han Solo. But in “Shrinking,” he’s working in a smaller, more intimate space, and he uncovers an acting ability I’m not sure he even knew he had.

His list of accolades already reflects a career most actors can only dream of: an Oscar nomination for Peter Weir’s crime thriller “Witness” (1985), the AFI Life Achievement Award, the Cecil B. DeMille Award and a recent SAG Life Achievement honor that brought the room to its feet (and tears to the audience watching at home).

What remains is for the Emmys to honor Harrison Ford, the actor, for real time this time.

With “Shrinking” Season 3, the case has never been clearer. Undoubtedly, he’ll face another string of strong competition, such as Paul W. Downs in the final season of “Hacks,” and his co-star, Michael Urie, who will likely receive another invitation to attend the ceremony.

This year, Apple will submit “Shrinking” in 19 Emmy categories: comedy series, lead actor (Segel), supporting actor (Ford, Urie, Luke Tennie and Ted McGinley), supporting actress (Williams, Lukita Maxwell, Christa Miller, Wendie Malick), guest comedy actor (Jeff Daniels, Brett Goldstein and Michael J. Fox), guest comedy actress (Cobie Smulders, Candice Bergen and Sherry Cola), directing, writing, production design, casting, cinematography, contempoary costumes, picture editing, hairstyling, makeup, music composition, music supervision, sound editing (half-hour) and sound mixing (half-hour).

But let’s be clear that rewarding Ford wouldn’t be merely a “legacy win.” It would be recognition of one of the most deeply felt performances on TV this year. At 83, Ford isn’t chasing the Emmy. The Emmys are just trying to catch up to him.

“Shrinking” is now streaming on Apple TV.