Sharon Horgan

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• Sharon Horgan's strong, confrontational personality, which she inherited from her tough publican father, manifests in her professional life and parenting style.  Copied to clipboard!
• Horgan's early career involved a long period of feeling directionless, including dropping out of art college and working in an admin job for six years before finding focus in writing and acting after meeting Dennis Kelly.  Copied to clipboard!
• The success of *Bad Sisters* and winning a Peabody Award stemmed from successfully navigating the difficult tonal balance between dark thriller elements and comedy, and achieving 'chemistry lottery' with the ensemble cast.  Copied to clipboard!
• Sharon Horgan initially felt scared to take on the role in *The Twisted Tale of Amanda Knox* until hearing Amanda Knox discuss her mother's emotional experience, which provided the necessary emotional connection for the performance.  Copied to clipboard!
• Dax Shepard expressed concern over Sharon Horgan's heavy workload, citing the cautionary tale of DJ Avicii, who died from overwork after achieving massive success.  Copied to clipboard!
• Dax Shepard detailed a recent, painful, and humiliating experience involving a urinary catheter, which ironically mirrored themes from his own writing and previous podcast discussions.  Copied to clipboard!
• The obligation of an artist is to write about their current reality and struggles, even if it involves perceived 'punching down' or mistakes, rather than writing for who they hope to be in the future.  Copied to clipboard!
• For highly successful artists, achieving stability (happy marriage, financial security, goal accomplishment) can present a challenge to creating art that resonates broadly, as much popular art is fueled by turmoil like relationship struggles.  Copied to clipboard!
• Feuds and conflict, particularly in music genres like rap, can be highly beneficial for the industry and business, suggesting that public conflict might sometimes be a calculated part of the product.  Copied to clipboard!

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Post-Emmy Recovery and Exhaustion

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(00:03:27)

• Key Takeaway: Sharon Horgan attended an after-party hosted by ’these brothers’ following the Emmys and subsequently struggled with exhaustion and jet lag.
• Summary: Horgan was still recovering from the Emmy events, having attended a late-night party and then foolishly deciding to walk home. She experienced significant tiredness, waking up at (4:30) a.m. and struggling to recover the following days.

Family Structure and Irish Roots

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(00:07:08)

• Key Takeaway: Horgan is one of five children, identifying as one of three middle children, and her father was a New Zealander who met her Irish mother in London.
• Summary: Her father moved from New Zealand to London, met her mother (who traveled from Ireland), and they initially ran a pub called The Whitethorn in the East End. Horgan has fragmented memories of living above the pub, which had a ‘dodgy vibe’ due to local gangsters.

Father’s Tough Publican Persona

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(00:09:05)

• Key Takeaway: Horgan’s father possessed a tough, uncompromising presence, often calling out poor service and displaying a lack of concern for others’ opinions, traits Horgan now recognizes in herself.
• Summary: Her father was tough, admired and occasionally feared, which was necessary for owning a pub. He would walk off mid-sentence if bored and confront service staff, leading Horgan to realize she exhibits similar behavior with her own children.

Transition to Turkey Farming

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(00:12:33)

• Key Takeaway: Horgan’s father transitioned from publican to turkey farmer in Ireland because the pub business was not financially great and he needed to be the boss of his own venture.
• Summary: The family moved to Ireland, where the father secured land and convinced the local council to invest in infrastructure by promising to create many local jobs. The farm primarily employed the family, and Horgan became a vegetarian at a young age due to her work plucking the birds.

Early Life and Education Path

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(00:15:58)

• Key Takeaway: Horgan was a class clown who dropped out of Dublin art college after realizing her limitations, later working an administrative job in London for six years before pursuing a degree.
• Summary: She was not good enough at painting to stand out in art college, leading her to drop out and move to London around age 19. She later returned to college to earn a degree in English and American Studies, though she notes her brain has poor retention for non-scripted information.

Early Career and Jim Sheridan Encounter

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(00:17:14)

• Key Takeaway: Horgan was motivated to pursue acting seriously after failing an audition for famous director Jim Sheridan, who approached her in a café.
• Summary: Sheridan unexpectedly asked her to audition for his film, which she failed badly but which spurred her desire to succeed in acting. She moved to London aiming for fringe theater but lacked the confidence to push forward, resulting in six years working at a job center.

Writing Focus and Early Success

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(00:19:16)

• Key Takeaway: Horgan was inspired to write sketch comedy and sitcoms after meeting Dennis Kelly, leading to her first major success, Pulling, which won her a ‘Best Female Newcomer’ award at age 37.
• Summary: After meeting Kelly, Horgan focused on writing, leading to the show Pulling which was commissioned without a pilot. She found the experience of taking her writing to screen a huge buzz, even though the short-run UK sitcom format meant they did not make much money.

UK vs. US TV Production Differences

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(00:21:51)

• Key Takeaway: British television rarely allows shows to run past three seasons, contrasting sharply with the US model where successful shows continue until actors become too expensive.
• Summary: Horgan noted that many UK shows, like Pulling, end prematurely, which is frustrating when the creative experience is positive. She also observed that in the US, writers can make a living getting pilot scripts commissioned even if the shows are never produced.

Creating Catastrophe with Rob Delaney

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(00:27:33)

• Key Takeaway: Horgan and Rob Delaney collaborated on Catastrophe after meeting on Twitter, with Delaney being commissioned by the BBC based on his online fame.
• Summary: Delaney, whom Horgan considers the funniest person on Twitter, was commissioned to write a sitcom and asked Horgan to co-write it. They found immediate relief and success in how well they bounced off each other as both writers and performers.

Writing for Others and Divorce

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(00:29:11)

• Key Takeaway: Horgan enjoyed the creative distance of writing Divorce for Sarah Jessica Parker, drawing inspiration from a friend’s recent experience with the mechanics of divorce.
• Summary: She pitched an idea to HBO which led to the opportunity to write for Parker. While she was still married at the time, she used details from a friend’s recent divorce to inform the writing, finding it exciting to create something she wouldn’t star in.

On-Set Isolation and Family Guilt

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(00:37:42)

• Key Takeaway: Working professionals in the industry often experience guilt, feeling they are not present enough for their children while working, and then feeling disconnected from their passion when they return home.
• Summary: The isolated, compartmentalized nature of production work can lead creators to believe the project is the most important thing in the world because of how they are treated on set. This contrasts sharply with the ‘pegs taken down’ by family life upon returning home.

Bad Sisters’ Mass Appeal and Casting

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(00:44:08)

• Key Takeaway: The widespread appeal of Bad Sisters was attributed to audiences needing catharsis by hating an awful white religious bigot, alongside the show’s core focus on family dynamics.
• Summary: Horgan noted that the show’s success was partly due to the timing, allowing audiences to collectively despise the antagonist character. The ensemble cast, including Eve Hewson, was instantly watchable, and Horgan found it challenging balancing her creative oversight with wanting to simply socialize with the actors.

Amanda Knox Role Anxiety

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(00:51:06)

• Key Takeaway: Hearing Amanda Knox discuss her mother’s emotional trauma was the turning point that made Sharon Horgan feel capable of playing the role.
• Summary: Sharon Horgan conducted two Zooms for the role, the second being with Amanda Knox herself. She was initially scared of the role because it was a divisive subject and she did not write it. Realizing the depth of emotion related to the mother’s experience allowed Horgan to accept the acting challenge.

Public Reaction to Knox Project

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(00:52:46)

• Key Takeaway: The public response to The Twisted Tale of Amanda Knox was generally good, despite some online backlash focused on defending Meredith Kercher.
• Summary: People who complained often had strong opinions without having actually watched the story, leading to comments that demonstrated they hadn’t listened to the episode. Horgan notes that the show reflects a sinister world, causing defensiveness in viewers uncomfortable with the reality presented. The overall reception, however, was positive, as viewers learned much they didn’t previously know about the story.

Producing Jeanette McCurdy Adaptation

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(01:14:14)

• Key Takeaway: Sharon Horgan is producing an adaptation of Jeanette McCurdy’s memoir, I’m Glad My Mom Died, which she finds inspiring because McCurdy was not destroyed by her trauma.
• Summary: Horgan is producing the project, not starring in it, and was obsessed with the book after talking with McCurdy. She admires how McCurdy tells a difficult story in a way that is simultaneously funny, entertaining, and traumatic. The defining attribute that makes the story great is that the subject was not destroyed by the experience, but grew stronger.

Writing Projects and Workload

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(01:55:27)

• Key Takeaway: Sharon Horgan is writing an HBO show for herself while also developing a separate project with Amazon that is not intended for her to star in.
• Summary: Horgan expressed embarrassment about writing a show specifically for herself, feeling it might seem indulgent, though she noted there was no one else in mind for the role. She is currently working on a Netflix show called Vladimir shooting in Toronto, which involves difficult hours due to the time zone difference. When writing, she typically works a schedule from 10 AM to 5 PM, or starting at 8 AM if her daughter is at school.

Dax’s Catheter Ordeal

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(01:12:02)

• Key Takeaway: Dax Shepard required a catheter after developing a severe infection (E. coli UTI and MRSA), leading to three days of physical misery and unexpected comedic moments.
• Summary: Dax developed a fever and was hospitalized where he received IV antibiotics and an ultrasound confirmed a full bladder, necessitating a catheter insertion, which was extremely painful due to a loud ‘pop’ upon insertion of the lidocaine syringe. He spent three days with the catheter, which was strapped to his leg, leading to fears about accidental removal or erections, and his daughter Delta hilariously mistook his complaints about the ’tube in my penis’ as metaphorical.

Post-Catheter Recovery and Silver Linings

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(01:33:39)

• Key Takeaway: Despite the relief of having the catheter removed, Dax Shepard did not immediately feel better due to lingering infection and heavy antibiotics, but he did enjoy watching House of Guinness while recovering.
• Summary: Dax was disappointed that he did not instantly feel like a million dollars after the catheter removal, as he still felt unwell from the infection and medication. A silver lining was having three days alone in the guest house to watch television guilt-free, leading him to order Guinness N/A to sip while his ‘piss tube’ was still attached.

Artist Responsibility and Authenticity

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(01:42:23)

• Key Takeaway: An artist’s primary obligation is to write authentically about their current emotional state, even if that content is flawed or reactionary.
• Summary: The argument is made that artists should write for exactly what they are going through, not for the person they hope to become later. Processing current annoyance or ‘venom’ through art is seen as a necessary part of the creative process. Releasing content is a choice that carries weight, especially for established figures who must consider their impact.

Conflict as Industry Fuel

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(01:46:20)

• Key Takeaway: Feuds and diss tracks have historically fueled the rap industry, suggesting conflict can be a strategic business product.
• Summary: The history of rap demonstrates that feuds significantly boost the industry, with some conflicts potentially being manufactured for business gain. Taylor Swift is recognized as a business genius who understands that conflict can generate product momentum, potentially leading to counter-songs from other artists.

Happiness vs. Artistic Fodder

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(01:47:20)

• Key Takeaway: Sustained happiness and stability can challenge an artist’s ability to produce widely appealing pop music, which often relies on themes of turmoil.
• Summary: The speaker notes that much of the audience for pop music in their 20s seeks material related to finding or losing love, which are topics the currently happy artist is no longer embroiled in. The challenge for successful artists is finding creative fuel when personal life is secure, though they may transition to writing about motherhood or existential identity loss.

Creative Value and Life Milestones

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(01:49:03)

• Key Takeaway: The most profound artistic challenges often arise when creators move past immediate turmoil into existential reflection on self-worth after achieving success.
• Summary: The speaker found it scary to realize they might not be able to replicate past success, suggesting that the turmoil of raising children was recent creative fodder. The ultimate challenge is letting go of hard-won achievements and still finding self-value, a message that may appeal to a smaller segment of the audience.

Turkey Poop Facts and Animal Waste

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(01:56:04)

• Key Takeaway: Turkeys excrete waste very frequently (every 20-30 minutes) due to a fast metabolism, though cows produce a greater total volume of manure daily.
• Summary: Turkeys have high-nitrogen waste and excrete frequently, but larger animals like cows produce over a hundred pounds of manure daily. Small, energy-intensive creatures like birds (40 times a day) and rabbits (200-300 times a day) are the most frequent defecators. Human aversion to feces likely increased with compact societies and complex diets, unlike animals who eat natural foods.

Podcast Production Facts

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(02:02:09)

• Key Takeaway: Aaron Spelling holds the Guinness World Record for the most prolific TV producer, creating over 4,500 hours of television programming by 2003.
• Summary: A fact about prolific television production was shared, noting Aaron Spelling’s record achievement. Another fact confirmed that the school mentioned has 45% of families qualifying for free or reduced lunch. The hotel where Dax Shepard and Sharon Horgan stayed in London was the Corinthia Hotel.