Ted McGinley calls 'Shrinking' highlight of his career

NEW YORK, Oct. 15 (UPI) -- Ted McGinley may have starred in classics like Revenge of the Nerds, Happy Days, Love Boat, Dynasty and Married with Children, but he says playing scene-stealing neighbor Derek on Shrinking has been his favorite job so far.

"I'm just forever thankful because it's been the highlight of my career. Honestly, Derek is such a great character," McGinley, 66, told UPI in a recent Zoom interview.

"He seems completely unruffled. He loves his wife, he loves his family, but he's complicated, too. He just finds a way into other people's lives in a decent way. And he's a great listener."

Season 2 of the comedy series premieres Wednesday on Apple TV+

Created by Ted Lasso collaborators Bill Lawrence and Brett Goldstein, the show follows Jimmy (Jason Segel), a self-destructive therapist and single dad trying to put his life back together after the unexpected death of his wife.

Derek and his wife Liz (Christa Miller, Lawrence's real-life wife) are the wealthy empty-nesters who live next door.

Outspoken and bossy Liz spends most of Season 1 helping Jimmy take care of his teen daughter Alice (Lukita Maxwell) and ultimately befriending colleagues Paul (Harrison Ford) and Gaby (Jessica Williams) and best pal Brian (Michael Urie).

Meanwhile, Derek monitors everything from the sidelines, frequently offering sage and hilarious advice to the group.

By the end of Season 1, however, Derek has earned everyone's affection and become a full-fledged member of the found family.

"Derek was kind of the neighbor and a very periphery character, but because the writing was so brilliant, Derek started to shine a little bit and people noticed him," McGinley said.

"He was literally just a guy walking through a scene, but Derek always scored when he came in. That just never happens to someone like me. You don't get that opportunity."

Derek plays a much bigger role in Season 2.

"You see his special traits and talents. You learn a lot more about Liz and Derek's relationship. I'm very proud of Season 2, and I'm just so thankful that they dragged me in," McGinley said.

Upcoming episodes will see Derek hanging out with Gaby and Brian, while Liz goes into the food-truck business with Sean (Luke Tennie), Jimmy's therapy patient and lodger.

"Gaby and Derek have always had this amazing relationship," McGinley said.

"I like to say that if he hadn't been married to Liz, he would have married Gaby. He loves her. He's crazy about her. They get each other."

Derek is getting closer to Brian, as well.

"We're a fun couple, also," McGinley quipped.

One of the reasons Derek's marriage to Liz is so strong is because they always share what they are thinking and feeling.

When stay-at-home Liz told the soon-to-retire Derek last season that he needs to find hobbies because she liked her space and freedom at the house too much, Derek cheerfully tells her off.

"He stood up and said, 'No, you can go out if you want to, but it's my turn to be home.' And I think that resonated with a lot of people," McGinley said.

"But the thing that also resonates is that they are so honest with each other, sometimes brutally honest or uncomfortably honest," he added. "But it works and so many people relate to that relationship."

In fact, there is a lot for viewers to connect to in the new episodes, the actor said.

"People will see themselves because people are dealing with grief. They're dealing with guilt. They're dealing with hurt. They're dealing with loss. They're dealing with love. They're dealing with joy," he said.

"And you see how they need each other, how we rely upon each other, this family that we've created and that we are creating, and how we get through it."

McGinley said he loves the central message that people from different backgrounds can find common ground if they give each other a chance.

"You don't have to be perfect," he said. "You just kind of have to be present and open the change."