Jessica Williams Discusses Her Emmy-Nominated Role in ‘Shrinking’

The Times is speaking with nominees for the 78th Emmy Awards, to be presented on Sept. 14 on NBC.

Recently, Jessica Williams was on location in a Pasadena backyard, shooting a scene for the upcoming fourth season of “Shrinking,” the Apple TV grief-com. Her character,
Gaby, was chatting with Jason Segel’s Jimmy while Ted McGinley’s Derek yelled down from the balcony.

“The crew was laughing and I was laughing, and I just felt really lucky.” she recalled. “I could not think of anything better than laughing at work and getting paid, being able to pay your mortgage from it.”

On “Shrinking,” Williams, who was hired onto “The Daily Show” at 22 and later cocreated the podcast and talk show “2 Dope Queens,” co-stars as a vibrant, empathetic therapist. As Williams plays her, Gaby is often a bright spot on the show. (Have you seen her jumpsuits? Her scrunchies?)

But particularly in this latest season, that brightness is shadowed by personal and professional problems, which Williams welcomed. She was nominated for an Emmy for each of the show’s first two seasons and has been nominated again for this one. That’s a perk, too.

Williams can’t think about winning. “No!” she said during a recent video call from her home in Los Angeles. “I can’t!” But she was outspoken in her praise for her castmates, her fellow supporting actress nominees and therapy in nearly all its modalities.

“That’s the nice thing about California,” she said. “There’s just so many different kinds of therapy. We’ve been at it for a long time.” These are edited excerpts from the conversation.

You’ve now been nominated three times. What do people love about you as Gaby?

Her positivity. She’s a brighter character, and people respond to that. Especially on a show that’s about grief, it’s a welcome relief. She’s going to be supportive, usually, but also say it like it is. And I think they like her clothes.

I love her clothes. Gaby isn’t only bright; she’s also messy. I wonder if female characters of color in an earlier era would have been allowed that complication.

Totally. That bothers me. That’s not the kind of art I ever want to make. In the ’90s and 2000s, there were a lot of really amazing Black female actors that had to do a different kind of work, because of the time. White characters get to be quirky. They get to be messy. But you didn’t get that too much with Black female characters.

So I do feel lucky to be able to play Gaby, who gets to push those limits. Because she is the kind of woman that I know, and it’s the kind of work that I want to do, because that’s what I was missing as a kid. I don’t want her to be perfect. We had a press day and this lady was interviewing me. She was like, “I need Gaby to get it together.” And I was like: “No, you don’t. You want Gaby to be a woman who’s always becoming, who’s trying and failing because that’s what life is.”

How are you like Gaby, and how are you very different?

I mean, I’m definitely acting. A lot of people are like, “Oh, you’re Gaby.” I’m like, “Well, no, not when I wrap.” She definitely dresses brighter than I do, and she meddles a lot more. I’m actually a really big homebody. If my friends want to find me, sometimes they have to text me two or three times to be like, “Hey, babe, are you alive?” I don’t want people to know what I’m doing ever. I like to be off the grid. Gaby’s always out.

Do you also have an enormous water bottle?

I don’t, I just have the standard. Water’s heavy.

You’ve spoken in the past about benefiting from talk therapy. Has playing a therapist made you think about therapy any differently?

I’ve always gone to therapy. I had to get a new therapist recently, which was a big deal. I had found a therapist, but she was being kind of mean to me. Maybe “Shrinking” did help me in the sense that I was like, Oh, I’ll just get another one. There’s so many kinds — I can actually choose what I want. I found another one who I love, who watches “Love Island.” And “Shrinking” inspired me to go in person, which I’ve been loving.

What do you think the show is saying about grief and pain?

It’s about living with pain, learning to live with grief. It’s about confronting your pain. Even our side characters are going through things. A lot of it is the community that you build around you, your found family, and the ways that we can show up for each other.

The series is also about growth. How have you grown while you’ve been making it?

I’m just a baby. You’re always someone in the process of growing, of becoming. And as far as “Shrinking” is concerned, you’re really never done! Even though it feels like, because you’re a certain age, you’re done, you’re very much not. You never are.

You’ve been nominated for each season. Was there anything different about Gaby’s material this past season?

I sat down with our showrunner and head writer. They both were telling me Gaby goes through a lot this season, and there was really no place for me to relax. For me, I like doing comedy and drama. That’s my dream scenario. So I was hoping for the opportunity to be able to flex those muscles. As a Black actor, you’re hungry. You just want the opportunity. It’s almost like standing on the sidelines, watching people play a game. It was like, Hell yeah, put me in the game, coach.

Are you on board for her happily-ever-after with Damon Wayans Jr.’s Derrick?

Always. People that judge their characters, they get in the way of the process. It’s not my job to judge what Gaby’s doing; it’s my job to play the scene, and I love Damon. He’s just the sweetest, loveliest dude. He seems like a good dad, a good husband, and I love playing with him. He’s so funny and silly and fast, you’re just like, Dude, let’s party.

The third season finale, which included an engagement, a character moving away and a new relationship for Jimmy, seemed to mark an end point. But you’re already shooting Season 4. Does “Shrinking” have more in the tank?

Well, we couldn’t do the same story about a man coming out of grief. We cut to a couple of years later. Because the characters are so strong, there’s plenty more in the tank. We’re all having fun doing it, we’re still feeling sharp.

What would you like to see for Gaby?

I want more mixes and matches with the other characters. I’m so happy when I get to work with Luke Tennie, with Michael Urie. And I want more high jinks — I like nonsense and silliness. That’s my favorite thing to play.

Not to jinx anything, but do you think this could be your year?

I can’t think about it. Everyone I’m obsessed with is in my category. All your favorite freaks and people that are just so specific to themselves, all of the complicated characters and the queer characters and the people of color, we’re all in that supporting category and guess what? It’s everyone’s favorite category.