Bad Sisters actor, producer and writer Sharon Horgan is set to blow our minds once more with a new TV series, as part of a deal recently signed between her production company Merman and US TV network HBO.
The first series to come from the deal, it will follow a “50-year-old divorcée’s search for sex and love whilst juggling caring for her ailing parents and parenting her should-be grown up son.” To add to the plot, her character will also be trying to care for her ailing parents, as well as her son who is – shall we say – challenging in terms of his maturity.
This isn't Sharon's first project centred around divorce. After all, she penned HBO series Divorce, which starred Sarah Jessica Parker and followed the sadness and comedy that came from the dissolution of a middle-aged couple's separation.
She sat down with GLAMOUR to talk portraying abuse on screen, imperfect relationships and writing as therapy.
Plus, since then, she has gone through a divorce herself, and has been very open about how this life experience has informed her work and perspective on life. One of the best things about Sharon's work – including legendary TV series such as Catastrophe and Pulling – is that she brings both truth and comedy from her own life into the stories, bringing maximum relatability and allowing audiences to feel seen.
But it hasn't always been easy sailing for Sharon when it comes to getting her projects off the ground. She recently opened up to GLAMOUR about how long it took for her to gain the “white man confidence” needed to push her own ideas and stories for TV shows in the entertainment world.
“I've been doing it a while now,” she said. “It took a while to gain the kind of confidence that you need, you know… white man confidence. I feel comfortable in rooms now, and it's weird that it's taken me to 54 [years old] to get to that. But you know, it takes a long time to turn around such a huge machine from being so male-driven and male-focussed to now being, well, certainly more of a level playing field.”
She also stressed the importance of the fact that Merman was “a company that is predominantly female and supports young female writers and filmmakers”. Sharon added that it has also been important to her to "not be afraid to be strong, not being afraid to be pushy when I need to be pushy, and having faith in myself and my abilities".
Sharon has already spoken out about her excitement for the upcoming series. “I’m so happy to once again be working with the team at HBO, and really excited that Merman get to continue to tell stories for a company that’s been home to some of the most iconic television shows ever created,” she said in a statement.
“We’re thrilled to be reunited with Sharon,” Amy Gravitt, executive VP, HBO & Max comedy programming, has added. “Her willingness to offer up her own experiences through the characters she creates makes us all feel a little less lonely, that is what sets her comedy apart so brilliantly. She also has such a sharp eye for material and a strong desire to shepherd other people’s stories, we’re looking forward to the new talent she will bring into the fold.”
Sharon Horgan's upcoming projects are making us super excited – she's also producing Netflix's adaptation of Julia May Jonas' novel Vladimir, starring Rachel Weisz. According to a synopsis, it will depict how a “woman's life unravels, [as] she becomes obsessed with her captivating new colleague”.
Dare we ask for a Bad Sisters season 3, on top of all these exciting developments?
