“Shrinking”'s Ted McGinley Thought He'd 'Die' Before Playing Role Like Derek, Gets 'Teary-Eyed' by the Recognition (Exclusive)

Ted McGinley is stunned by the reception and admiration for his character portrayal in Shrinking.

The 66-year-old actor, who has over 90 acting credits, revealed to PEOPLE that his role as Derek has moved him to tears as he reflected on garnering critical recognition for his efforts.

At the Dec. 12 "An Evening with Shrinking at PaleyLive" event, McGinley explained that it has been one of the highlights of his career to portray the steady, easygoing husband of Christa Miller’s Liz and next-door neighbor to Jason Segel’s Jimmy. “I get teary-eyed every single time. I'm so used to people saying not kind things in my regards,” the Happy Days alum explained. “So it's really nice to have something else to be said.”

“I have had great jobs,” he continued, noting that he’s worked with “great people,” but his current project is “the sweetest spot [he’s] ever been.” He credits that to the writers, who created a character that “people respond to.”

“Derek represents light at the end of the tunnel and a warm blanket when you're on a raft in the middle of a cold,” he said. “And I think that's beautiful. That's how I see it.”

McGinely’s portrayal of the calm and collected husband has garnered him critical and audience acclaim, which he said he was “shocked by.”

“For me, I'm completely shocked. And it brings me to tears constantly when I think about it,” he shared. “I thought I would die without ever having gotten to this place.

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As for how he landed the role, he explained to PEOPLE that he’s tested with show co-creator Bill Lawrence “on many occasions.”

“I'm a guy who doesn't do well in that room. I keep getting jobs by having done jobs,” the Married... with Children actor said. “Work begets work, always in my case. And so I show up and then next thing I say, 'Hey, are you interested in…,' 'Would you...?' That's how I've gotten every job.”

Eventually, one day, Lawrence told him, “‘One of these days we're going to do something epic.’”

“He was a man of his word, and he called me one day and said, ‘I've got something,’” he said, adding, “So anyway, all of a sudden the phone rings. It goes to show you that if you're patient, that life, just let it come around, and trust and believe and stay in the game.”

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Once McGinley scored the role, details about his character and the show were “almost top secret,” but Lawrence told him Derek is someone who “says things that maybe don't sound that nice, but everything is nice.”

“Then I began to understand him in the surroundings of this show where we're dealing with so much hurt and pain and dark and that you need to have a place where people can lean,” he said. “You've got to have a safe spot."

Shrinking stars Jimmy Laird (Segel) as a single dad grieving the sudden loss of his wife as he navigates his friendships with Liz, Derek, Gaby (Jessica Williams), Brian (Michael Urie) and Paul (Harrison Ford).

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Shrinking airs every Wednesday on AppleTV+.

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