With The Shrink Next Door now streaming on AppleTV+, I recently got to speak with director Michael Showalter about making the limited series. If you haven’t seen the trailer or heard the wild true story it’s based on, the eight-episode series explores the bizarre relationship between Martin “Marty” Markowitz (Will Ferrell) and his psychiatrist Dr. Isaac “Ike” Herschkopf (Paul Rudd). Over the course of their series, we see how a seemingly normal doctor-patient dynamic morphs into something far more sinister when Herschkopf inserts himself into every part of Marty’s life. The series also stars Kathryn Hahn as Phyllis, Marty’s younger sister, and Casey Wilson as Bonnie, the wife of Dr. Herschkopf. The series was created by Georgia Pritchett and is also directed by Jesse Peretz.

During the interview, Michael Showalter talked about the way Dr. Herschkopf uses small moments to gradually take over Marty’s life, what he was shocked to learn about the real story, why he wanted to tell this story, the way he balances humor with heartbreak, and what someone should watch if they’ve never seen his previous work.

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Watch what Michael Showalter had to say in the player above and below is a list of exactly what we talked about.

Michael Showalter

• If someone has never seen anything he’s done what is the first thing he wants them watching and why?
• What was it about this story that got him excited to make it?
• How he knew the world depicted in The Shrink Next Door.
• The way Paul Rudd’s character uses small moments to gradually take over Will Ferrell’s life.
• What was he shocked to learn about the real story?
• How he balances the humor with heartbreak.