Sharon Horgan
Sharon Horgan
Sharon Horganis an Irish actor, writer, director and producer. She is known for the comedy series Pulling and Catastrophe, both of which she starred in and co-wrote. Pulling was nominated for two British Academy Television Awards, and won two British Comedy Awards. In 2016, she was awarded the BAFTA TV Award for Best Writer: Comedy, along with Rob Delaney. In July 2016, she was nominated the Primetime Emmy Award for Oustanding Writing for a Comedy Series...
NationalityIrish
ProfessionTV Actress
Date of Birth13 July 1970
CountryIreland
Any big televised event that starts at the crack of dawn is worth getting up for. I've done it all my life: big boxing matches, royal weddings, even TV-A.M.'s inaugural episode was enjoyed in pyjamas in my house.
There are lots of actors, and you need a way to stand out. Writing comedy sketches was a way of doing that.
Things change when you get to 40. I'm embarrassed even that I'm going through it. In a very morbid way, at 40 you become aware of how long you've been on Earth and you start to question what you're going to use the remaining time doing.
The thing is, I love a celebrity interview. Doesn't matter how big or how small. It could be Hillary Clinton or the guy who made it to the third round of 'Popstars,' I'll read it.
At 27 or so I thought, you know, I actually do really want to make money and have a proper life, and I don't want to be a loser. I know! I'll go to university and get a proper degree and maybe get a job in media... I went and did an English degree.
Comedy and drama are less ageist media for women than stuff like light entertainment. But in TV or film, women have to be more pleasing on the eye than men.
I'm a sheep when it comes to opinions; I will change my mind and jump on the bandwagon.
I started writing sketches with Dennis Kelly, who I ended up writing 'Pulling' with. We entered a BBC competition and did quite well, then started writing bits for other people's shows. You wheedle your way in, write pilots and eventually you end up writing a sitcom.
I think the best comedy is tragicomic. Yeah, I suppose if you were to look at everything I've done, there is a bit of a black streak through all of it. It's not deliberate: it's what makes me laugh, and there's a fine tradition of it, especially in Ireland.
I'm a massive scaredy cat. I'm scared of being in a fast car, I'm scared of being on a rollercoaster, I would never go skiing, I would never do anything that had the possibility of endangering my life in any way. I should get some therapy, really.
I think that's important to women in comedy, that we get a lot of the good lines and you're not just the girlfriend or the sister.
I love Sutton House in Clapton, a beautiful example of Tudor architecture.