SmartLess - "Sharon Horgan"

Episode Date: September 14, 2026

Where’s the fan? This week: the certified legend Sharon Horgan. Real issues and hard truths— lobster crafty, mirror-faces, and 'a place in Birmingham.' We’re just trying to cure insomnia one p��cast ep at a time… on a proper mint SmartLess. Subscribe to SiriusXM Podcasts+ to listen to new episodes of SmartLess ad-free and a whole week early. Start a free trial now on Apple Podcasts or by visiting siriusxm.com/podcastsplus. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

What are you eating? What are you eating, Jay? What are you chewing on for the cold open? Yeah. I'm... I'm... You're back on your bars? Yeah, I'm on bars. Don't mention the brand. Because, you know what? It's not worth getting, you know, $12 of free bars. You know what I mean? That's true. Instead, I will just give a nice Hawaiian welcome to our audience and say hello.

Oh, my God. Welcome to Smartless. Do we get a workout? We got a workout in already, J.B.? We got some cardio. We got some sauna. We got some pool. We got a shower. What, have you gone to bed? I mean, that's a lot to accomplish. Guys, I'm still up. Oh, no, I'm still up. Willie, I told Jason, I saw Jason on Sunday, we missed you, sorry.

Oh, you guys got together? Yeah, what was your excuse? Not in town? Is that still? You can phone in. Valid? But you're in town now. I am. I'm back.

We're going to see you later today. Wait, but don't fall for it, Sean. You're back out again in a few days? No, a couple weeks. But let me just say this. We are going, we are, going to see each other tonight this afternoon and tonight. Oh, that's right.

And under circumstances that are not the best, but we're going to celebrate the life of somebody that we all worked with and we all love deeply. The great. The great Jim Burroughs. Yeah. Who we had on the podcast and who sadly passed away a little while ago. A close, close friend of ours, a close mentor of ours, a father figure of ours.

One of the all-time great, not just, you know, obviously he revolutionized multi-camera like television directing for comedy, etc. But he also was just such an excellent guy. Yeah, the back. So kind and generous and just... Funny, man. So it was instrumental in

giving me really important roles in my life as an actor and also in mentoring me as a director and helping me find representation as a director. And to remind people, my sister, Tracy, he directed every episode of Will and Grace and Cheers, and he directed like the first year of friends

and two and a half men and Big Bank, Larry Tyler Moore and everything you've ever loved. And he co-created Cheers on top of that with the Charles Brothers. It reminds me, I think I told him when he was on JP. I don't know if you remember this. But one time we ran into Jimmy in Midtown

in New York, and we talked to him for a second, then he said, all right, I'll see you guys later. And I go, all right, cheers. And then I sort of like watched him late, and I looked towards you, And you were just staring at me with that, like, hey, dummy. Did you just say cheers to Jimmy Burroughs?

Fucking Canadians. God damn it. So I told Jay this story, but I'll try to tell a story of version. So speaking of Jimmy, his wife, Debbie Burroughs, who we love, which is the best. She invited Scotty and I for her first outing since her husband passed away to the Hollywood Bowl. And so we go and sit outside on our front stoop and wait for the Hollywood Bowl. and Jay, please move me along if this is taking too long.

Oh my God, this story. This guy, this is last week, this guy was sitting, this guy got out of his car across the street. Will, your guest just clapped or snapped. I know, she's like, I'm still here. Mike's still hot, still ready and ready and willing to come on the podcast. Anyway, well, I can tell you later.

But it's this crazy story, but this guy got out of his car, came over and started berating me and Scotty out of nowhere and put his phone up. He started videotaping us, and we were just sitting there. Where were you sitting in front of your? In front of our house?

Yeah. And then Debbie pulls up and then he starts kind of getting in her face and my face. And then it was weird. And then we got in the car to go to the Hollywood Bowl and he just stands in front of the car and says, nope, you're not going anywhere. And wouldn't let us leave. This guy like having like a mental break. What was the crux of his complaint with you? There wasn't anything.

He was just parked across the street. And when they were sitting out on their stoop waiting for their ride to pick them up, Debbie, this guy just gets out of his car, walks towards them and says, hey, so what did he say? Something out of total, out of left. Yeah, like, hey, people have been talking about you guys and not good things. And I was like, well, take a number, you know, but what else is new?

Well, I mean, that part seems funny, to be honest. I'm still with him. I'm still on his side. Go ahead. But then, so, so, Deb somehow, like, maneuvers her car around this guy who's trying to stop them from leaving for some weird reason.

He gets in his car and pursues and starts chasing them down the street in his car and like trying to ram them off the road. Yeah. And then pulls in front of the car and blocks the car so we can't drive on a busy street on island. So what they decide to do is drive directly to the Hollywood Bowl and talk to some of the local security there.

Yeah, anyway, it was really weird. And say, hey. This is all just to say a shameless plug for our show at the Hollywood Bowl. Oh, my God. Wow. I did not see that covered, Sean. Come see us, October 17th of the Hollywood Bowl.

You never know what's going to happen. Yeah. Anyway, Michael, our producer is like, hey, plug your show this morning at the Hollywood Bowl. So I'm like, oh, God, I actually got a real story. It is true, everybody. October 17th, come on and enjoy. We don't know what we're doing,

and we just need a little help out there. Yeah, we'd love to see you. Empty seats would be terrible. We'd love to see you. So come on and come say hi and shout at us. I think Will has a friend, and Sean has a friend. I have no friend for this one.

This is a two-guessed night. Double your pleasure, double your fun. It's going to be a lot of fun. It's going to be a lot of fun ticket. And I wanted to give it. I wanted to give a hint about my guest, but I'm not going to. Leave it in there.

Yeah, it's just somebody we know who hasn't been on the podcast. Let's hear one more snap. Maybe I'll get it. Wait, wait, speaking of good guests. Oh, so you're going to find... Talk about a segue. Hey, our guest. Now, J.B., you and I...

Wait, so you were just talking about the Hollywood Bowl guest. I was. Now I'm talking about our guest today. You seem less enthused about this one. No, no, no, no. I was about to get into... Because we know, you and I both know, and have worked with this person. Oh, boy.

There's a... And I don't... Orsia de Rossi. No. And I think that, no, on different projects. But, Sean, I don't know. if you know this person, but you definitely know her work. Super, super, super funny. I first saw her, I think

was in her acclaimed series Pulling on BBC, which made me laugh super, super hard. She's won all sorts of rewards for... Sean, you ran to a video named Pulling. I did. I haven't returned it. She was also, got a lot of acclaim for her series, Catastrophe. I got to know

on the increasingly important decisions of Todd Margaret with David Cross. Jason, you knew her from Game Night. You guys, it's the always hilarious writer-producer performer, Sharon Hogan. Sharon Hogan. Come on. Come on. It's Sharon Hagen.

How'd I just show your face in the paper today? You did? Oh, yes. Oh, that's so funny. You know what I was doing? Do you know what that noise was, that click? Uh-oh. I was just sitting here and I've got loads of shit on my desk,

and I just picked up a thing, and I thought maybe it was hand sanitizer. There's eye drops? I haven't got my glass. It is eyedrops, yeah. Oh, okay, yeah. And you just squirted some on your hands? I think it would be okay to put... As long as you don't put a hand sanitizer

in your eye. Yeah. Exactly. Now, where is it? You said that's your office, sir? Yeah, well, it's my office, but it's also kind of slashed... The winter wardrobe.

Well, not really winter wardrobe. It's kind of... You can see there's a mirror there. Yeah, yeah. That's where, like, I might try on clothes for it, thing. Not my regular. clothes, like if I have to get dressed up for a thing. It's a weird room.

It's a weird life. It's a weird life. Sharon, do you have a mirror face? Huh? What's that mean? Do you have a mirror face? When you look in the mirror and you really want to see how you look, isn't there a face walk her through, give her the Richard Ehrlich, give her, tell her context. So we have a friend

who, to trigger his mirror face, he kind of semi-whispers his, is a line to himself which is he He just got directions from someone, and he turns over his left shoulder, and he says, it's where? Really?

He didn't really hear it. So it kind of tightens up his eyes, so it's where? It's like that. Yeah, now do it. Now try it, say, go. It's where? I don't think that would work for me. No, I mean, unfortunately, I am, I pout in the mirror.

I can't help it. You pout. Yeah. I think we all, my 16-year-old, excuses me of doing a certain face, like in photos and stuff, and now he does it to me, which is really tough. Because if it was one of these guys, I'd say, okay, go fuck yourself, but it's my 16-year-old.

Because I'll bet he nails it. Let me see it. It's kind of like that. Yeah. It's the worst. It's the worst. Sharon, welcome to the show. Sharon, I just have to say,

Will was like, I don't think you know this person, but I called you and you took the call, and you gave me wonderful advice for a project. I felt, I had paranoia about that for a while. No, no, it was wonderful, so thank you. Tell us about, this is about pulling? No. This is about pulling.

No, no, we don't have to talk about it. No, but it was great. Oh, good, I'm glad. I'm glad that worked out. But you know what? Speaking of a totally different topic, Bad Sisters, I still talk about Bad Sisters. It's one of the best shows I've ever seen in my whole life.

I mean, it was just incredible. And then there was a season two, which I still have not seen. Oh, you've got to see that. Yeah, that's, if you like the first one. I love the first one. Yeah, Jesus, Sean. Sorry. See the second one.

Sorry, sorry. Sorry, sorry. What are you doing, dude? Sorry. Sharon, it's been like nonstop. Just great, great work and great reception for you and everything that you're doing since the last time I saw you. I mean, congratulations. You were, Sharon, you consistently, not just, not just as a performer, but it's so admirable.

And the way, how much stuff you create, how much stuff you create, how much stuff you, you you write for yourself. Yeah, it's really impressive. And I wonder, like, does that engine still, is it just as strong in you now as it was 10 years ago? Or does it feel more like a mountain to climb as you go on? No, I still really like creating new stuff because I think that, I mean, I loved bad sisters.

And, you know, I kind of, it was hard to say goodbye to it in a way. but I also think when you're making something, you kind of get, you know, that show had a certain kind of feel to it. And so with that comes a certain kind of music that you choose for a soundtrack. And you kind of, you get into, you know, you kind of fall into a pattern.

And then when you make something new, you get to start all over again. Yeah, from scratch. You get to be, you get to just like put your playlist together and start over. And it's really scary because when you come up with characters, you always think that's the last time you're going to come up with a good character. So it is scary, but it's really fun to start over, isn't that?

Yeah, I will say that I think it occurs to me that the sort of the English model, which has always been, and we've sort of adopted it in this country now with, in this country, I think it was often people were known for a certain series. They'd do one, maybe two series in their life, and the audience would accept them in this new role, but they knew them from the first thing that they were known for. You guys have always done in the UK, because of the way that the formatting is done,

you didn't have a lot of shows that did 9, 12, 15 seasons. So people could go and do one or two seasons of a show, and then you could go and write a new show, and the audiences were totally willing to go, oh, she's doing this new show and I'll see her doing that. I mean, you could do a couple of shows in a year. Yeah, in a year. We would be doing six episodes.

Like, we would film a series in six weeks. I mean, it's a little bit different now because, you know, you're making shows that will air on Amazon at the same time as Channel 4, so you kind of have to make eight or 10, and you can't, you know, so it's a little bit different. Well, we all have the same distributors now, right? Yeah, yeah, exactly.

But back in the day, when we were just making stuff for, you know, a UK or an Irish audience, you know, you film it in six weeks and then you're kind of, yeah, you move on to the next thing. And also, you would get like a couple of seasons or like with pulling, you know, that was like two seasons and a special. And that's kind of, that's kind of it. You're done. And that's it. And also the budgets were sort of low enough that the risk, they allowed you to do stuff. I've done it before you show up and you're like, where's craft service?

And they're like, what'd you bring? There's nothing. Will and I did this show called The Increasingly Poor Decisions of Todd Margaret. Did anyone see? No, but I remember it. I've seen a little piece of with David Cross, Spike Jones. But it had no budget.

None. Craft services was a box of biscuits and some tea bags. It was. That was it. It was. And for us, that was completely normal. but for any Americans coming over, they were just aghast at not having constant food. Oh, a funny thing, can I just say a funny thing?

Because it just came into my head. When we were doing Game Night, I was... I love, by the way, can I just say, I'm one of the... I've seen Game Night three times minimum. I fucking love that film. It is so underappreciated to both of you guys. It is such a funny, good, complete movie. It is a really great funny, funny.

I urge anybody, please see Game Night. It's so good. Sorry. But I was, when I was filming Game Night, I was writing this series for UK TV called Motherland. So when we were in the trailer, I was writing that series. And I'm, my co-writer, like, when we would,

I don't think there was even, I don't think we were zooming. I can't remember anyway. I would be eating lobster. There was lobster in grass. services. So I'd be eating lobster in my giant trailer while she's like

sitting in her shit hole in London. So with all the massive amount of work it takes to fill up a blank page, you know, do what you do, it's just, it's so impressive, but it is an enormous amount of work, an enormous amount of concentration

and work and keep writing and writing. Yeah, what is your favorite part of it that fuels you through all of that, tough, tough work and discipline. What is the thing that most excites you and drives you to do what you do? I think it's the writing bit for sure, because although I do, I love an edit where you're putting it together and making it better, like, where you're just kind of incrementally

kind of making something actually good. But the writing bit, I think. But like what part? Like creating characters or coming up with stories or... Just sitting in a room with funny people. laughing, I think, is ridiculous joy. Yeah, do you ever, do it, but do you ever, you write solo by yourself in a room, right?

I write solo by myself as well, but like, even the things that I, oh, I don't know why I did that with my hair, sorry, even the stuff that I, I, I write mainly solo, I, like now, I, I love to have a writer's room, and, you know, someone writes, you know, a few episodes are written by a couple of the writers in the room, but that, like, I just came from, today and it was, you know, some of the people will end up writing a script, but a lot of them

are kind of there, you know, as consultants or, you know, just writing assistance. Yeah, just coming up with ideas. Yeah, there's nothing better. That field, there's nothing, some of the deepest laughs I've ever had of it, and stuff that, by the way, bits and jokes that never made it into anything. Oh, never. But some of the hardest laughs are in those rooms pitching a bit. And somebody comes up with a bit that catches you off guard.

And you're like, holy shit, I've never heard something like that. And also, like, at that stage, the possibilities are endless. I mean, you can go anywhere and no one's telling you that there isn't enough money. And no actor is churning it down. So, wait, so you just walk around with, like, tons of ideas all the time every day, every week? No, I wouldn't, no, I don't think so. I mean, I kind of, I have that slightly unfortunate thing of not always being in the moment, because I'm thinking, like, that could be...

Yeah, yeah, yeah. So it's not healthy, I don't think. No, I'm not saying. No, I think for the most part, I don't walk around thinking like that, but I guess when I need to start thinking like that, like if I'm thinking, I don't know, I'm going to not do this series beyond, you know,

this season, I kind of think, oh, should be thinking of something else. But then I also kind of go back. Like, I go back and, look for things that were germs of ideas and that have now become more relevant in your life because you're at a different stage in your life, you know, in your relationship or with your family or work

or sometimes things just suddenly become relevant and you're like, oh, it's an idea. How do you decide on what to take on? Will you primarily do what it is you think up? Or like what's the ratio as far as incoming calls with ideas? is like, hey, maybe think about it, maybe adapting this magazine article or this book or rewrite this script.

For the most part, for the most part, I don't do that. Like, although Bad Sisters was, that was an incoming call. That was brought to me because it was a Belgian series and, you know, would you like to adapt this? And so that was kind of sort of the first time I did that. But generally it's, you know, like, there's incoming calls with like IP to adapt and that kind of thing. but usually

I do that within the company or you know like you know connect something with a writer that I admire or you know the things that I do myself often are things that I just kind of think I should probably have

I could either have some therapy or I could write this thing about my ex but there is there must be a certain relief like when you're knowing that like when you're working on all these ideas and the sort of the various stages of development we all know that Sometimes that can be long.

It can be arduous. You're trying to put it together. All those different elements. And then all of a sudden you get a call from Hollywood and, you know, big Hollywood superstar Jason Bateman's doing a movie. Yeah, hey. That's a cakewalk with lobster. They're going to have lobster every day.

And all you've got to do is, sorry, do you mind taking a couple first-class flights to Atlanta? You know what I mean? And staying at the four seasons. Would you do that? I mean, that kind of feels like a vacation a little bit, doesn't it? Oh, my God. I love doing that. I mean, I really do.

I think that's a total buzz to drop in and do something. Where have those jobs gone? We'll be right back. And now back to the show. Now, Sharon, talk to me about how you write something that you know you're going to play this character. And you're writing that one. But you're also writing other characters. Yeah.

And you have to oversee or drive or approve the casting of those characters. And inevitably, they're going to. they're going to perform those lines differently than how they have lived in your head as you wrote it. And the reason those lines work is because you're kind of performing them in your head as you're writing them. And then they come in and they read it in a different way. And you might not be directing or something like that. How do you manage that? Because like when you're playing the character you wrote for you, you're doing it perfectly.

Right. I mean, you're like, no, but you're like reading the mind of the author. But with these other characters and it all sounds. sounds a little bit different. Do you have to bite your tongue? Do you kind of whisper to the director or the showrunner? Or oftentimes you are those people. Is it tough?

Yeah, I mean, yes, I think it is, but I think I've learned how to be better at it. Because I used to, it used to be a problem, you know, if people didn't do it the way that was in my head or like when Dennis... You'd scream your head off. Oh, I just... It just doesn't work as well, right? Yeah.

And you sort of end up, I remember with pulling, and Dennis Kelly, who wrote it with me, we never made anything before. I don't know how we were allowed to make it. We didn't even have to make a pilot. We just wrote a script and then something we wrote, it's because it cost 10p to make, so there was like, they didn't have much to lose. But I remember we wrote this line. And for Tracy, 10 p is $10 trillion dollars, US.

Very expensive over there. We wrote this line for one of the main actors in it, and it was just a stupid, line. It was a joke about a thing. Do you remember the cock lollies episode, Will? One of the girls has created this, come up with this thing called a cock lolly, and it's

a nice lolly in the shape of a cock and she's like, you can market it to you know, head parties. And order, send a cart. Go to cart. Someone must have done it. Paypal, express shipping. Express, pay extra for Express and check out.

Okay, on Shopify, okay. The guy that she's pitching the cock lollies to, she's doing it as a sort of like Dragon's Den style pitch and the guy she's pitching it to, he suggests like, or he goes, can you get, will there be a joke on the stick? It's a brilliant idea. You should have a joke on, a joke, you know, used to be able to, used to be able to,

like, write a joke on the stick, yeah, on the stick of the lolly. And she says, there's a place in Birmingham, it's all they do. And it was like, you know, it was just because she was so on it. She was like, she could search this thing. She'd practice for this pitch. She was just like, had to be off the cuff. There's a place in Birmingham, it's all they do. And like, she said it in a brilliant way, and it was Brewery 5.

And we just kept going in and going, you know, there's a place in Birmingham. It's all they do. So just throw it away. And then we walk off. and then she'd say it again. And it went on and on and on until she hated us. And then we made her come in and do it again in ADR.

Oh, my God. Oh, really? Yeah, yeah. So talk about a line reading. You were like saying, no, here it is. I'm going to say it, and you're going to repeat it. The way. Did you get all hot?

In the end, she wanted a line reading because she was like, I want to do it the way. So we were doing it, but even then, it was stupid. It didn't make it. Okay, so do it. Do it how she did it, and then do it how you wanted it. Oh, God.

I'm not going to remember, really. I think she went... Well, we'll just have her name. What's her name? She was brilliant. By the way, it's my favorite thing. By the way, Sean, let's do... Let's do...

It's time we haven't done it. What happened to the fan? Where's the fan? Do you know this, Sharon? No. Yeah, I mean, it's funnier in life, but... I've never heard of it. What is it?

Yeah, you did. Jay, you played it. We've done it. We've done it. So you have to do a line reading of Where's the Fan? Okay, so when I went to... No recollection of this at all. Obviously.

I went to San Francisco for a trip and we checked with a friend of my... Just the ones. It's so low-hanging fruit. It's so dumb. That's about the cheapest joke I think I've ever... It's ever slipped out of my mouth. It's just awful. Unbelievable.

So you're in Greece. You're in Greece. Wait, what are you saying? So I go to San Francisco with a friend and we check into a hotel and I can't sleep without a fan, right? So I called the front desk, I'm like, can you send up a fan?

And they said, sure. So they sent up a fan and on the fan is a note that says, please do not remove from the office, right? So then we were like, well, what happens what happens when the boss walks into the hotel that day

and then you have to give the line reading of where's the fan? But you have to give it like a preamble up to it. So then I would say, so like somebody would come in me like, oh, okay, boy, we got a lot of problems in the hotel that I've done.

Where's the fan? Right? Can I go? You have to notice, yeah. Okay, no. So we started when you do it at dinner and you make everybody. Everybody has to go around and do a different reading of noticing the fan and seeing that it's gone out of the office. Yeah, just a little bit.

Hey, listen, I'm sorry I'm late. The traffic was like, where's the fan? Yeah, okay. And now, Amy had one. Amy Polar had one. It's really funny. She comes in, she goes, guys, I am fed up with

Ha ha, where's the fan? Oh, that's great. By the way, this is the first one I've ever played this game. Yeah, nailed it. Nailed it. That is very good. So I wanted you to do what? It's written, it's Birmingham. What are they doing, Birmingham? There's a place in Birmingham. What is it?

There's a place in Birmingham. That's all they do. There's a place in Birmingham. That's all they do. You wanted the pause. You wanted the pause. Yeah, yeah, exactly. Yeah, there's a place in Birmingham. It's all they do. That's all they do. Yeah.

That's all they do. Maybe with a bit more like satisfaction in the fact that she's already thought of the man. There's a place in Birmingham. It's all they do. Oh, we'll tighten that up later. That's good. But you can pull out this. Sure can.

We can just cut away from it. Pull out the whole performance. But you know what? You know what? The thing is that I was continuing to, be a bit prescriptive with, you know, with actors and how they do things. Because, because, like, the thing is, is, there's not, I had to learn that there's not just one way of doing things.

Yeah, right. You know what I mean? Like, and I remember speaking to Donald Gleason about it and him just sort of going, what, what's the point in hiring actors if you're just going to tell them how they should do, like, what, what are we there for if we can't sort of, you know. Right, but what you were, what you were trying to make. was also the assumed expectation from the hiring hands that brought on Sharon Horgan to deliver something

that you stand by, that you stamp, that is your aesthetic, that is your humor, it is your script. And then if all these actors come in and they start freestyling, it starts to drift away from something that you can stand by and manage and say that, right, I would assume that that was going through your calculation of like how much do I let these people contribute. Yeah, were you worried, were you, Were you worried about the people at the BBC getting the cut of this

and they're going through and they're all watching in a conference room and then they hear her go, their place in Birmingham, it's all they do, and then they just pause. Pause it right there. Because that's the thing. Because Sharon Horgan lost her fucking mind. That's the thing. What have we done?

No one gives a shit. That's the thing. That's the other thing you forget. Nobody gives a shit. I genuinely feel that there is an cumulative effect thing, though, And if you let all those little things that you stand by go, then over the course of it, it's just not as good. You do, you do lots of takes, and then you sort of, you know, create it in the edit, I guess.

Well, you know what they're saying, what's coming is like the stage you got to, by having her come in for ADR and for Tracy, that is, I think it's automated dialogue replacement. I think it's what it's called. Anyway. Probably. I think it's additional. Or something. So you go in and you just record your line that you read

and then they kind of put it in your mouth to picture but sometimes you can change the way the line sounds. And what they're saying is coming with AI is that not only can you unilaterally, Sharon, as the showrunner, change the reading of that line but you can also manipulate the face. And this is the stuff that thank God. You don't even need AI for that. Like I've shut someone's mouth this week.

Really? You just put the mouth? Right. Right, so it doesn't look like, yeah. Because you cut the line. Jason, they can make you look happy. They can lift my eyebrow? They can lift your brow, yeah.

Wow. You can cancel your appointment with the Beverly Hills doctor that I know you have. Dr. Lyft? Yeah. Wait, wait, Sharon, you shot somebody's mouth? No, listen, it was such a small thing. It was actually, It was actually a, what you call it,

an extra, a supporting artist. He was mouting, like, he looked really funny. And facially he was doing something funny, but he was, he was mowing. Something whilst the actor was speaking. So we didn't want to cut him out, so we just shut his mouth. Right, yeah, and made it look like he wasn't talking.

It looked like, exactly, like he wasn't talking, yeah. Someone told me that I should work in animation, because if you work in animation, you can just make the people do whatever you want. By the way, talk about it's like the running process, so it's why Simpsons is not why it's so funny, they're brilliant people, but you can do anything, you can go anywhere, there's no budget,

you can pitch anything, you can pitch anything. But that's what they're saying is coming in AI, and it's not going to be some cartoon character, it's going to be something that looks exactly like a person. And I don't. I mean, that's a whole different episode, we talk about how we all feel about that, but it's just like, it's freaking remarkable.

But isn't it interesting? In animation, what I was saying yesterday was, human behavior has become so cliche that animators can now animate, you know, the way people behave, because we've seen a billion movies and TV shows. We know how they're going to react, basically. And so I don't know what I'm saying,

other than it's just like there's no surprises. It feels like there's no surprises with, Like, if you're shocked, you're shocked, this is what you get with you're shocked. For this actor and that actor and that actor, there's certain, you just get a different look of it. Show me shocked. Show me shocked. Go ahead, Sean. Show me shocked.

Good. Oh, my God, that guy is shocked. I like you at an eight. I'd love you to five. Still rolling? I could do less. I could try less. I could try less.

Slightly shocked. Slightly shocked. I have like 10 faces that I shuttle through. That's about it. Yeah, right. Anyway. Sharon, I, I'm just remembered. Sharon.

Sharon. I remember, you know, some of, I saw it on a talk show or read it or something about, you know, probably read it. I live for, I live for medical stories, you know. Oh, yeah. Yeah, and I read something. Or I remember, maybe you said it about a catheter or something. What?

Yeah, just take your time and sort of figure out what you're going to say. Wait, it was. You want to take a second? No, no, no. We'll allow a question. Not only do you not know the source, you don't know what she said. Jesus. I don't remember.

but it was a really 20-2. You're making this up. Do you want, we can use AI and we can have her say it if you want. Losing color. Keep your hands above.

Remember, I don't know if you remember. I thought it was so, I don't know. I don't love medical stuff. Do you remember your position on catheters, Sharon? Well, I think so that I had a catheter.

Yes. I don't remember having one of those. You did? A catheter just sort of drains, could be draining anything, really, couldn't it? No. Sure, yeah.

I think it's just urine. I think I had, I think, is it just, I think it's up your pee-hole, yeah? Oh, it's where the urine comes out. No, I've never had that. Okay. Oh, sorry.

I'm sorry. Tell me your name again. Wait a second. Hang on a second. I had one inserted in my leg to drain blood. Oh, maybe that's what it was. But I'm sure maybe, I don't ever remember.

For what? What happened to your leg? I dislocated my hip. But I did it when I was little and and the, you know, the doctor I was seeing didn't realize that it was disillated, and it was growing pains and it got more and more disillated.

So then they had to open it up and put pins in. And so I remember that thing hanging out of my leg, but I don't believe I ever told anyone. How old were you? I was 13. Wow. Was this in Ireland? Yes.

Because you were born in England, but you moved to Ireland? Is that right? Because your mom is Irish? Is that right? Yeah, my mom is Irish. Irish and well my mum met my dad in London and they had the first of their

two kids in London before they moved to Ireland to raise us property. And then you guys moved to Ireland because of their medical techniques of blood blood well they moved to Ireland because my my mom and dad worked in a pub my dad was a landlord

of a pub and it was in the east end of London when it was really you know like really dodgy kind of area and he was I he was asked to give an alibi for a local gangster and he was right, right, I'm getting my family out of here and so he moved us all over to Ireland. My grandpa's from Dingle. Oh, really?

That's beautiful. Yeah, it's really perfect. Do you go? Do you go to Ireland? I went twice once with my family in 2001 and then I did one of those, you know. Audience with? No, they family. They follow your family tree.

Who do you think you are? Yeah, that's what I did. That's the one. What do you think of, Johnny? You're not scared to do it? Everybody was drunk and wound it up in jail and, yeah. Oh. Yeah, that's it.

Have you done that, Sharon? I haven't actually. Willie, have you done that? No, but a lot of people ask me who do you think you are? I get that mainly at restaurants. All right, well, so Sharon, so you're born in England, you moved to Ireland. At what point does sort of the, idea of making people laugh

and writing and performing. When does that all start? They were running a pub and then they moved into poultry. Sure, sure. Natural progression. And how did it happen? The funny thing, well, I guess I'm in a family of five kids and, you know, I guess, right? Where are you? You kind of second eldest.

Okay. And it's, you know, how you get attention, I suppose, is making your... Parents laugh. When did you think I might be able to make a living at this? Oh, fuck, not for years. I mean, I didn't start making a living at it until I was about, you know, in my early 30s, I did other things.

I didn't do this job. Like what? I worked as an administrative officer in the Employment Service for six and a half years. Oh. That sounds like a desk and an office building. Oh, yeah, yeah. I was like signing people on for, you know, employment benefits and helping them get jobs.

Signing on at the labor exchange. Yeah. What happens when you get laid off from the employment office? All of a sudden you're on the other side on the desk. I didn't get laid off. I would have been there for a life. I just had to just like. It must be a tough job, actually.

I just had to leave. This was a job you took for practical reasons. It was an opportunity. and you wanted to make a check, right? Yeah, I think I just... My dad just kind of instilled a work ethic in us. And if you weren't working, you were just kind of, what the fuck are you doing kind of thing?

So, like, I wasn't getting... I kind of went to London to find my fortune kind of thing, but I didn't know how to do it, and I was kind of too scared to do it as well. Did you know anybody who was performing or doing comedy or... No, nothing, no one. I just knew people like me

who kind of didn't know what they were doing with their lives. Did you study something in college that you went to London to pursue? I was studying art in Dublin and then I tried to get into drama school in Dublin, didn't get in. And then I came to London

to try and get into drama school and didn't get in anywhere. So then I was just like... Oh my God. Really? Yeah. But then I did go back to... When I left the employment service, it was to do...

I went and did a degree. because I thought, shit, I better get some kind of... Degree in what? In English. So that's when I started doing creative writing, and that's when I kind of thought, oh, because I wanted to be an actor. Like, I had no...

Weirdly, I had no interest in writing or... Well, so tell me about that, about them not letting you into freaking drama school twice. I know. I mean, who's laughing now? I went to so many places to apply. That's wild. And we will be really.

right back. And now back to the show. When you look back, was there something that you were doing wrong or different than, because you're clearly very talented and very capable and have a definite control over your, your acting tool? Were they looking for like more grand sort of classical Shakespearean type of performance that you weren't interested in doing? Because you're so natural. I don't know. Because for all drama schools, all drama schools, you have to do a modern piece and a experience piece. I think, I don't know about you guys, but like, auditioning used to terrify me. Like, I used to lose all my skills. You know, I took me a long time to learn how to do a good audition. I mean, I was probably, I didn't get it because I was terrible. I'm terrible at it. Yeah.

No, how is that? First of all, both of you, that's not possible. You guys are both. I was terrible. Auditioning is one of the more terrifying. things that has been in my life forever and for always. Really? I remember going for an audition for extras. Do you remember the Ricky? Do you remember? I went for an audition for extras.

We had the same agent which is I think why I got the audition because it was kind of early in my career and I got a phone call this day and Deng said they want you to come back in. I was like oh that's great and Ricky said I wanted to come back in because she can't be that bad.

Like because my agent had obviously big me up, you know, and I'd done a few bits, but not much so. But I bet you got worse on the second time because now it's, oh shit, I got to go back in there. All I want to do is get the hell out of there as soon as I get in there. And if they give me notes and they want me to do it again, now I'm like in a total flop sweat.

And I'm starting to have a panic attack and I can't get out. Jason, you used to have, what was your parting line that used to say is great? No, I just don't say. Good luck with it. Yeah. Oh my God. How much, because I used to sweat so much in auditions. I'd have to wear layers.

Sweat. Yeah, I'd have to wear layers. I remember doing an audition with Matt LeBlanc for that... Joey? No. No, no, no. I know the one you mean. Episodes.

Episodes. And so I got quite far down the line and I was called back and called back. And then I was doing the scene with Matt. And when I got up to leave, I'd left. my, I'd been wearing this little cardigan and sort of took it off and it was sort of sitting on the seat and when I was leaving I forgot my cardigan

and he picked it up and he sort of like held like like up like this like it like it was a sweaty smelly thing that it was like I'd sweated so much into it and sort of pick it up like it was a snot rag and hand it over to me

it was horrifying but I think I found a way to sort of What is it? What's the secret? I don't know. Look, I had to just start doing a breathing thing. I had to just sort of start, you know, another thing was like I would eat a banana. Eat a banana and just sort of learning to kind of control my breathing. Like the banana thing is probably completely psychosomatic, but I thought that it would give me a slow release of energy. And if I had this banana, I wouldn't convince myself that, you know, it helped me with the shakes or. Wow.

I mean, now I use beta blockers, but like. Yeah, there you go. It took me ages. Yeah, you just take Xanax, you're done. You're fine. Fixes it all. That destroys your brain cells, though, doesn't it? I don't understand.

You hear these, like, super famous stories of very famous actors, movie actors and stuff who later, later, like, 20, 30, 40 years later after you finally hear that, like, oh, yeah, they were high on this or drunk on that when they filmed that scene or they didn't. I'm like, how can you know, how can you say your lines? I don't get any way. I'm not, like the Charlie Sheen documentary. And, you know, I'm not. It's out there for everybody to see,

so I'm not commenting on anything other than he admitted like, oh, yeah, I was high then, I was drunk. How do you remember your lines? Remember we had Seth on here, Seth Rogen, and I said, Seth, do you ever work Stone? And he goes, I've never not. I don't know how that's possible. Me neither.

Yeah. Will, do you remember when we were doing the increasing poor decisions of Todd Margaret? It's such a long name to say. But I was doing a series. seen with you and Spike Jones and David. Yeah. I think it was just the three of you. And I was jet-lacked.

I'd just arrived over from London night before. And every single line in my head just went, like everything. And the more I tried to think of the lines, the more panicked I got until there was nothing. It was just like a blank nothing. And I was just standing in front of it. I hadn't met you before, like, Spike Jones. Like, the whole thing was...

Right. It was the worst experience. No. And in the end, they had to just... Because David was directing it as well, wasn't it? In the end, he had to just, like, go... You know, we haven't got it, basically. Goodbye, we haven't got it.

And they had to do an extra days filming, an extra half days filming, whatever it was, to get the scene, because I effed it all up so badly. Because of my... You know what? Sharon, I don't remember that, because my recollection is always how impressed and sort of I was, I had such a talent crush on you. I was always like, Sharon's so good.

So I never, in fact, in fact, if you remember, the only person I remember going up in their lines all the time was Spike Jones had to, he got to a point. And we were like, I remember we were sort of investigating. I forget what the story was. But he ended up, he had a notepad with him. So eventually he just wrote down. down all this dialogue on the no pen. Right? And so we're doing a scene.

We're doing a scene, you know, Spike, and he has his laugh. It's so funny. And he's like, okay, so bumble-and he's literally pretending to go through the thing, but he's actually just reading his dialogue of the paper. And at one point he goes, and he goes, so anyway, so I, damn it. And then he goes, and then he goes up, and I just look at him, and I go, you're reading. How are you going up on your dialogue? But he's the greatest actor.

I wish he would do it more. Oh, he's so good. He's so, so good. My other recollection of that is, do you remember Simon, the sound mixer, who was super funny? Yeah, I do actually. Yeah. He was one of the funniest.

Right? I kind of had a bit of a crush on him, I think. He was so funny. He was handsome. Yeah, he was handsome. He's the funniest sound mixer, and I remember one time we were shooting a scene. Maybe we were in it,

and we were shooting on a stage somewhere in London, and we're going through, and there's some sort of thing in the story and David's like, hang on a second. I don't think that that's right because the timeline doesn't, so he sort of stops shooting for a second. He's like, I don't think we have to change that

because the timeline doesn't work on a David Cross is going through it in his mind. And I think that people will notice the timeline and then you can't even see someone because he's just offset and the sound mixing. You just hear him go. He goes, Dear Channel 4, imagine my disgust when I realized

the timeline didn't work out of it. And it fucking, that, he brought me to my knees. I was laughing so hard. God, that guy. Simon, if you're out there, we love you. Oh, well done, Simon. Now, Sharon, when are we going to get you to the States to do a little bit of work? Is it happening?

What kind of work? How do you do? How much you got? What's on the menu? Lobster? Is it a lobster-based lunch? I mean, I'm, what's going on right now? Is there something going on right now?

Sharon's got a new show that premieres September 20th, we're in the year 2026, called Youth. Yes. I'm surprised I'm not part of considering my youth. Right, exactly. But Sharon, talk to us about youth a little bit, if you would. Well, it's on HBO. Yeah, great.

Classy organization. Right. and it's eight episodes, half hour. So it's kind of going back to, it's more sort of along the pulling catastrophe kind of lines because it's kind of documenting, I suppose, a certain period in your life. And like 30s was sort of misspent 20s

and catastrophe is like having young kids and, you know, trying to stay in love with your partner and youth is about kind of someone slightly similar to me who's in their 50s and their kid is leaving for college and their parents are kind of getting older and it's kind of about the sandwich generation and how you kind of hit a point in your life when it should be about you.

Like you should be out there, you know, living it up and sort of... You get overwhelmed with some of these other elements. Yeah, and it all comes kind of crushing down on her and I kind of, I sort of wanted to, I came up with the idea and the characters ages ago, but I'm kind of glad, and then Bad Sisters came along and I ended up doing that, but I'm kind of glad that I'm doing it now, because I feel like I've got so much more to say about that period in a woman's life.

Did you shoot that here, or did you shoot it in England or here? Here, sorry, where we are in the States. Sorry, I shot it here. in the in the in the in the UK gotcha got you yeah and and and in and in Germany and in Spain so it was shot in a few in a few sounds nice Jesus I'd like a nice arc on that I'm useful you know what it's the first time I've ever you know when you shoot something and you're you're filming and it's like disgusting weather and everyone goes next series we should like set it in Spain yeah so I kind of did a slight version of that even though it's just one episode like

got to do that thing of like, you and Sandler have it all figured out. Yeah, maybe, maybe after, did you get a taste for it? And now are you like, hey, maybe my next character, she just, boy, she loves Italy. Yeah, I should have actually, because it kind of, we're kind of figuring out some ideas at the moment for where it could possibly go

if we got to do it again. But if you did that, that would mean not living where you live now. What would you miss most about living where you live now and the way in which you're sort of your, your whole personal life is set up there. What would you miss most about your creature comforts? Well, I don't know about creature comfort. Like I admit, my brothers and sisters kind of live nearby.

The ones who aren't in London are in Ireland, which is also very nearby. It's like just over there. And so I think it's that. She's pointing to her right just to Patricia. But my, you know, my kids are grown up now, so it's kind of weird. So all those things that kept me in the,

London, which, you know, it was mainly that, it was family, but it's also, I'm just not great a change. Like, I'm not great at, yeah. No way. I mean, that's so funny, considering you've had so much change in your professional life, and it's all about change. Yeah, I know. I just kind of don't, I mean, I've had the same agent for like 25 years. I've, you know, lived in the same house. I just kind of, once I kind of settle into something, I'm like, this feels like a good place. When you come to the States, where do you go? Where is your favorite place to stay?

Where do you prefer? I actually have a house in Beachwood. Do you know? Yeah. Do you need me to go take care of that? It's very close to me. Let's just tell the street. Well, I mean, I get over when I can.

I used to be there a lot more. But you know, you know, after COVID and everything kind of changed? Like, it used to be that you used to have to fly. It used to be you used to have to fly to pitch. Do you remember? You would have to just be in the room. And so I used to be there a bunch for that. But now it's all zoomy zooms.

You ever walk down to Larchmont? You know Larchmont? Careful here, Sharon. Yeah. All right, that's all I wanted to know. Near his house. Yeah. Then Sean's going to be the guy outside of your house.

A lot of people are talking about you. When you come to Los Angeles and then you leave and you're back in England, What are some of the things you're not missing about Los Angeles? Not missing? Yeah, it's like, oh, you know, I don't miss such and such. I don't miss hearing industry talk everywhere. I find it very disconcerting and destabilizing.

It's not like that here at all. Like you'd have to sort of seek it out or just spend all your days in a sow-house or something. Right. It's just for the most part, it doesn't sort of, touch you. So you get to just like... New York's the same way.

There's so many different industries in that city. Yeah. What are the main industries in L.A. outside of like tech and entertainment? Carpets? Art? Carpets. Carjackings.

Pretty big these days. Carjacking. Yeah, that's really... That's a very funny. Home invasion. Yeah, they're super popular too. Homeopathy. Dog grooming, obviously.

Dog grooming, yeah. Huge. Posing. Posing at a coffee shop, that's pretty big. High-speed car chases. Personal training. I like L.A., though. I like it as a place to sort of...

I think I'm like... I'm fitter in L.A. You know, like, I do more kind of wellness things. Like, I look... It's easier to be fit. You're right. I think you kind of end up just drinking a lot of green things. Well, what are you drinking today?

You're drinking something orange. What is that? Electrolites. It's actually my... Someone gave it to me. Okay. So you're not sure what it is. Careful, careful, careful, don't drink it.

It's a Zuki. It's called a Zuki. Is that product placement? I needed something to give me a bit of energy because I was worried that I was going to be low energy for you. Because of us. Thank you. Because of me.

Because I've done a full day at work and I didn't really sleep last night. Oh. You're going to sleep so well. Wait, wait, wait, wait, wait, wait, wait, let's take into this. Just a little bit. What happened with your sleep? Ew, Will. I don't know.

I go, I'm really up and down. I mean, I think it could be hormonal. Sure. But yeah, at the moment, I'm not sleeping. I think maybe I'm worrying about what the show's about to come out potentially. Your mind is spinning. Your mind is spinning. I keep waking up at like 4.15 and just like lying there.

And I keep putting on a podcast that, you know. Put this one on. You'll go right back. Yeah, I have been listening to you guys over the last. We got an award from the Insomnia Association for the cure with our bucket. Wait, do you... It sucks, though, I hate not sleeping it.

I think this is... But it's our age. I, you know, Sean has arguably the worst to sleep hygiene of all time. Oh, that's... That's horrible. And it's just going to get worse. Thank you.

But do you... Now, how do you try to, like, do you go to bed early to try to compensate for that? I try, like, last night, I was lying down at 10.30 p.m. And I thought that that would be good. And I actually took a cams last night. Do you know, cams?

No. Homeopathic sleep thing. Kind of like melatonin or whatever. Yeah, kind of like that. And it still didn't. I was like, you know, it took me ages to even get to sleep. And then when I got asleep, I woke up before. See, this is the thing.

I am a massive coffee drinker. And you know when you're in a writer's room, Everyone is disgusting the amount of coffee you drink. So I'm definitely taking in more caffeine. And you just need to shut it off earlier. You know, like stuff drinking at like two or three. You can't have any after that. Yeah, but that's why I'm doing that.

I'm stopping at like two. How about green tea? Try green tea instead of coffee. It's a much better high. Is it? Oh yeah. It's not such a spike. It's just a nice, steady.

She just comes on really easy. I like the jittery thing though. You like a little punchy. I like that morning. I love that morning. Just blast off. Yeah, but in the afternoon. I talked to Sean this morning to give him shit about his internet

before we did the P-CAS, as we call it. And I, uh, and Sean said, how much coffee we had this morning? Yeah, yeah. It was on. But I love it. I love it. But I love it crash. But it's so, it's intense, isn't it?

It's like, it's a proper drug. It is a proper drug. Do you, do you do, do you ever do any sort of like a sleep? No, no, no, like, like, um, those like, I listen. like rain sounds. Yeah, I've tried all that nice. You know what I do? But Sharon, try this.

This is what I do sometimes. Sometimes I'll Google facials. Well, I mean, that's my... Wait, wait, narrow it down. Narrow it down on the facials. Yeah, I'll Google somebody having... When you say facials. I'll Google somebody giving somebody a facial.

Okay, again, I mean, we're really having a tough time here. You don't need to enunciate it more. It's begging it worse. And watching it, watching it, like, falling asleep makes me fall asleep. Like, because I'll imagine my face. Oh, okay. You know what I mean? Yeah, because of the relaxing thing.

Yes, it really relaxes me. Try it, and check it out. Jumee. Okay, well, I've written it down. I thought you were going to, yeah. Oh, you want me to send you a link, sir? Well, no, I thought you were going to give me, like, a specific kind of website. Well, I do, like, the Japanese, like, well, no, like Japanese facials, because they really, they really,

get in there and the person falls asleep immediately getting it and then makes me fall asleep. Are we listening to on this podcast? Fucking Sean's looking at people getting their faces rub so he can fall asleep. We're going to lose everybody. She's got gonna. Oh, I love it.

We try it, Sharon. Get back to us if it works. In the meantime, thank you for being here. Sharon, you're the best. Sharon, you are the best. God, you're so good. You're so funny. You're such a talent.

HBO is premiering youth on September 20th with the incredible Sharon Horgan, whom we adore. Sharon, thank you for taking the time. We hope that you get some rest. It's really nice to see you all. Great to see you. Thank you so much. We're going out on Beachwood.

Come on back. Give a shout. Yeah, I'll do it. Well, yeah, I think in October is something. All right. Game night two. Game night two. Let's pray.

Game night two, I wish. That would be great. I'd be first in line. You'd be first in line for Game Night 2. The great Sharon Horgan. Bye, sweet. Love to you. Bye, bye, bye, bye, bye, bye, bye, bye, bye, bye, bye.

That's a great Sharon Horgan. I know. One of Britain's great exports. Oh, yeah. She's, she, what was the name of the, I watched the show many, many years ago? What was it, starts with the C? Catastrophe? Yeah, catastrophe.

It's so good. Yeah, so good. She's super talented and, um. And you never see her acting. Very, very real. Right, exactly. Always so, she's so funny. And it was one of those.

when I knew she was coming on and I was thinking like, what else is this? And then I was like, I remembered game night that she was in that. And I was like, oh, and I relived. I don't want to go back into the game. God, I love that movie. I want to watch that again. I tried to watch it with the girls, I don't know, a year or so ago.

And we only got through the first five or ten minutes, and they just started looking at. How did you turn it off? Because they were looking at me like, Dad, why do we have to watch your shit? Like, we want to watch something else. Or at least that's what I thought they were thinking. And I just started to just get all sort of, like, cringed out.

And I was like, you know what, let's turn this off. Sorry, guys, you know, like. Well, they'll watch it. By the way, I've done that before with the boys, too. What am I doing, you know? But trying to fall asleep with the facials is a good trick. Yeah, but how did you discover that hack, Sean? Yeah.

I don't know, because I always fall asleep if I get a facial. I'm going to get like a few a year, but, you know, you know. So you thought if you watched somebody getting a facial that, like, literally that was your... What if Sharon calls you? you and goes, you changed my life. That's right. I'm waiting for the fault. I'm, it's going to happen.

Huh. She's going to call me. Right. Anyway. J.B., do you have trouble falling asleep? No. He's to sleep now. You know what?

For me, the best thing for following your sleep, honestly, works like virtually every time is I just, I listen to a really cute little lullab. Bye! Oh, that was a beautiful, beautiful in there. I didn't even see it coming. Bye. Bye.

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