Sharon Horgan
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Sharon Lorencia Horgan (born ) is an Irish actress, writer, director, producer, and comedian. She is best known for creating and starring in the comedy series '' Pulling'' (2006–2009), '' Catastrophe'' (2015–2019), and '' Bad Sisters'' (2022–present). She also created the comedy series ''
Divorce Divorce (also known as dissolution of marriage) is the process of terminating a marriage or marital union. Divorce usually entails the canceling or reorganising of the legal duties and responsibilities of marriage, thus dissolving the M ...
'' (2016–2019), ''
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'' (2016–2022), and '' Shining Vale'' (2022–2023). Horgan has appeared in films, such as '' Valiant'' (2005), '' Imagine Me & You'' (2005), '' Death of a Superhero'' (2011), '' Man Up'' (2015), '' Game Night'' (2018), '' Military Wives'' (2019), '' Dating Amber'' (2020), ''
Together ''ToGetHer'' (, aka Superstar Express) is a 2009 Taiwanese drama starring Jiro Wang of Fahrenheit, Rainie Yang and George Hu. It was produced by Comic International Productions ( 可米國際影視事業股份有限公司) and directed by Linzi ...
'' (2021), '' Everybody's Talking About Jamie'' (2021), and '' The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent'' (2022). Horgan won the 2008 British Comedy Award for Best TV Actress for ''Pulling'', while the show's 2009 hour-long final episode won the British Comedy Award for Best Comedy Drama. A seven-time
BAFTA TV Award The BAFTA TV Awards, or British Academy Television Awards, are presented in an annual award show hosted by the British Academy of Film and Television Arts. They have been awarded annually since 1955. Background The first-ever Awards, given in ...
nominee, she won the 2016 BAFTA TV Award for Best Comedy Writer for ''Catastrophe'' (with Rob Delaney). ''Catastrophe'' was also nominated for Scripted Comedy in the 2020 BAFTA TV Awards and for the 2016
Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Writing for a Comedy Series The Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Writing for a Comedy Series is an annual award presented as part of the Primetime Emmy Awards. It recognizes writing excellence in regular comedic series, most of which can generally be described as situat ...
. She has also won five
Irish Film and Television Awards The Irish Film & Television Academy (IFTA) is an all-Ireland organisation focused on film and television. It has about 1000 members, and is based in Dublin, with branches in London and Los Angeles. The IFTA now holds separate ceremonies for the ...
in both acting and writing for her work on ''Catastrophe''. For her performance in ''Dating Amber'', Horgan won an Irish Film and Television Award for Best Supporting Actress. In 2023, Horgan earned two
Primetime Emmy Award The Primetime Emmy Awards, or Primetime Emmys, are part of the extensive range of Emmy Awards for artistic and technical merit for the American television industry. Owned and operated by the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences (ATAS), the P ...
nominations for ''Bad Sisters'', including Outstanding Writing for a Drama Series and Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series. The series also won her the BAFTA TV Award for Best Drama Series that year.


Early life

Sharon Lorencia Horgan was born in in
Hackney, London Hackney is a district in East London, England, forming around two-thirds of the area of the modern London Borough of Hackney, to which it gives its name. It is 4 miles (6.4 km) northeast of Charing Cross and includes part of the Queen ...
. Her mother is Irish and her father is from New Zealand and of Irish descent. Her maternal grandparents were from Midfield, County Mayo. She has two brothers and two sisters. When she was four years old, her parents moved the family to Bellewstown,
County Meath County Meath ( ; or simply , ) is a Counties of Ireland, county in the Eastern and Midland Region of Republic of Ireland, Ireland, within the Provinces of Ireland, province of Leinster. It is bordered by County Dublin to the southeast, County ...
, Ireland, to run a turkey farm. In November 2024 Sharon appeared on Today 3rd Hour. She said, "We were brought up on a turkey farm so... anything but that as what we wanted to do" Her second-youngest brother, Shane, is a sports pundit and retired professional rugby player, and the other children in the family work in the arts. Her brother (Shane) said, "We can not end up orking in the same career as our father.." Sharon added, "He didn't want to be in the turkey business. It really ruined the Dad. That's why we have a lot of deep-seated trauma n our family I thank the Lord all the time for that very thing that we don't have both a
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and
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Day with turkey dinners." Sharon Horgan later used her childhood experiences for the semi-autobiographical short film ''The Week Before Christmas'' for Sky Arts 1. Horgan went to the Sacred Heart convent school in
Drogheda Drogheda ( , ; , meaning "bridge at the ford") is an industrial and port town in County Louth on the east coast of Ireland, north of Dublin. It is located on the Dublin–Belfast corridor on the east coast of Ireland, mostly in County Louth ...
.


Career


Early career

As a young actress struggling to make ends meet she took a series of odd-jobs. At the age of 27, Horgan started a degree in English and American Studies at
Brunel University Brunel University of London (BUL) is a public research university located in the Uxbridge area of London, England. It is named after Isambard Kingdom Brunel, a Victorian engineer and pioneer of the Industrial Revolution. It became a university ...
in west London, graduating in 2000. Around that time, Horgan met British writer Dennis Kelly, while they were both working in youth theatre, and they started writing together, producing material they then sent to the BBC, for which they won the BBC New Comedy Award in 2001 for Sketch Writing and Performance.


Acting

Horgan has appeared on stage, television and screen. Her first credited appearances on television were in ''The State We're In'' (2002) and '' Monkey Dust'' (2003), two sketch shows based on news and current affairs. She also contributed material to ''Monkey Dust''. Her first named acting role on television was as Theresa O'Leary in '' Absolute Power'' (2003), a comedy set in the world of public relations and starring
Stephen Fry Sir Stephen John Fry (born 24 August 1957) is an English actor, broadcaster, comedian, director, narrator and writer. He came to prominence as a member of the comic act Fry and Laurie alongside Hugh Laurie, with the two starring in ''A Bit of ...
. In 2005 she made her big-screen debut as Beth in '' Imagine Me & You'', a British-American romantic comedy with
Lena Headey Lena Kathren Headey ( ; born 3 October 1973) is an English actress. She gained international recognition and acclaim for her portrayal of Cersei Lannister on the HBO fantasy drama series ''Game of Thrones'' (2011–2019), for which she received ...
directed by
Ol Parker Oliver Parker is an English director, producer and screenwriter. He wrote and directed the 2018 musical film ''Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again''. Early life Parker was born in London, England, and brought up in the village of Radwinter, near the m ...
. She starred in two series of ''Pulling'', which she also co-wrote with Dennis Kelly. Horgan appeared as a guest booker in two series of ''
Rob Brydon's Annually Retentive ''Rob Brydon's Annually Retentive'' is a British television show, first aired on BBC Three in July 2006. Devised by Paul Duddridge, it concerns the making of a comedy panel game show called ''Annually Retentive'', themed around historical events, ...
'' (2006–07), also on the BBC, a spoof comedy set behind the scenes of a chat show presented by
Rob Brydon Robert Brydon Jones (; born 3 May 1965) is a Welsh actor, comedian, impressionist, presenter, singer and writer. He gained prominence for his roles in film, television and radio. He was appointed Order of the British Empire, Member of the Order ...
. She won a
British Comedy Award The National Comedy Awards (known as the British Comedy Awards from 1990 to 2014) is an annual awards ceremony in the United Kingdom, celebrating notable comedians and entertainment performances of the previous year. The British Comedy Awards (1 ...
in 2007 for Best Female Newcomer for her performance. In 2010 Horgan appeared in '' The Increasingly Poor Decisions of Todd Margaret''. The US/UK comedy series was written by David Cross, who also appeared as the title anti-hero, an incompetent American who takes a job leading the London sales team for an energy drink. She played Alice Bell, the café owner on whom he developed a
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. In September 2011 she appeared in the world premiere of Saul Rubinek's play ''Terrible Advice'' at the Menier Chocolate Factory in London. The play was set in
Los Angeles Los Angeles, often referred to by its initials L.A., is the List of municipalities in California, most populous city in the U.S. state of California, and the commercial, Financial District, Los Angeles, financial, and Culture of Los Angeles, ...
and she played Delila, one half of its two warring couples. In June 2012 Horgan was part of the ensemble cast for the pilot episode of ''
Psychobitches ''Psychobitches'' is a Sky Arts British sketch comedy show directed by Jeremy Dyson, in which famous women from history and fiction seek help from a psychologist (played by Rebecca Front). Broadcast history ''Psychobitches'' was originally air ...
'', shown as part of Sky Arts 1's ''Playhouse Presents'' strand. In the sketch show, famous women from history are psychoanalysed by
Rebecca Front Rebecca Louise Front (born 16 May 1964) is an English actress, writer and comedian. She won the 2010 BAFTA TV Award for Best Female Comedy Performance for '' The Thick of It'' (2009–2012).Jennifer Lipma"Bafta for Jewish actress Rebecca Front" ...
's therapist; she played the novelist
Jane Austen Jane Austen ( ; 16 December 1775 – 18 July 1817) was an English novelist known primarily for #List of works, her six novels, which implicitly interpret, critique, and comment on the English landed gentry at the end of the 18th century ...
in the pilot, and later characters included Eva Peron,
Cleopatra Cleopatra VII Thea Philopator (; The name Cleopatra is pronounced , or sometimes in both British and American English, see and respectively. Her name was pronounced in the Greek dialect of Egypt (see Koine Greek phonology). She was ...
,
Boudicca Boudica or Boudicca (, from Brythonic * 'victory, win' + * 'having' suffix, i.e. 'Victorious Woman', known in Latin chronicles as Boadicea or Boudicea, and in Welsh as , ) was a queen of the ancient British Iceni tribe, who led a failed up ...
and
Carmen Miranda Maria do Carmo Miranda da Cunha (9 February 1909 – 5 August 1955), known professionally as Carmen Miranda (), was a Portuguese-born Brazilian singer, dancer, and actress. Nicknamed "The Brazilian Bombshell", she was known for her signature ...
. Two series of ''Psychobitches'' followed; the first was shown in May 2013, and the second in November 2014. She is well known for her role in ''Catastrophe'', alongside Rob Delaney, a show which they co-created for Channel 4 and Amazon. Horgan also appeared in 2020’s second series of '' Criminal UK'', BBC’s '' The Borrowers'' (2011), '' Dead Boss'' (2012) and Channel 4’s '' Free Agents'' (2009) and '' Bad Sugar'' (2012). She stars in and executive produces Channel 4 comedy-drama series ''This Way Up'' (2019–2021). Horgan played a supporting role in the 2018 dark comedy film '' Game Night'' as Sarah, a newcomer to the group of friends unwittingly roped into the game. She also appeared in films '' Death of a Superhero'' (2011), ''Run and Jump'' (2013), ''Man Up'' (2015), with
Simon Pegg Simon John Pegg (; born 14 February 1970) is an English actor, comedian and screenwriter. He came to prominence in the UK as the co-creator of the Channel 4 sitcom ''Spaced'' (1999–2001), directed by Edgar Wright. He and Wright co-wrote the ...
, '' Military Wives'' (2019) with Kristen Scott Thomas, '' Dating Amber'' (2020), and BBC Two film ''
Together ''ToGetHer'' (, aka Superstar Express) is a 2009 Taiwanese drama starring Jiro Wang of Fahrenheit, Rainie Yang and George Hu. It was produced by Comic International Productions ( 可米國際影視事業股份有限公司) and directed by Linzi ...
'' (2021) alongside
James McAvoy James McAvoy (; born 21 April 1979) is a Scottish actor and director. He made his acting debut as a teen in '' The Near Room'' (1995) and appeared mostly on television until 2003, when his film career began. His notable television work inclu ...
. She has voiced characters in the films ''Valiant'' (2005) and the short film ''Miss Remarkable & Her Career'' (2010). In 2017, she provided the voices of Minerva Campbell (the long-lost mother of the protagonist, Finn the Human) in the
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animated series ''
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'', and Courtney Portnoy in the animated series ''
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''. She voices Queen Dagmar in Matt Groening’s animated series ''Disenchantment'', and Kathleen in the animated series ''
Bob's Burgers ''Bob's Burgers'' is an American animated sitcom created by Loren Bouchard for the Fox Broadcasting Company. It is centered on the Belcher family—parents Bob Belcher, Bob and Linda Belcher, Linda and their three children, Tina Belcher, Tina, G ...
''. She voices a Russian ex show cat Tabitha in 2021’s '' Housebroken'' which she executive produced. Horgan also appeared in the feature film adaptation of the West End musical ''Everybody’s Talking About Jamie'' as Miss Hedge, which was released in September 2021. She has a supporting role in '' The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent'' opposite
Nicolas Cage Nicolas Kim Coppola (born January 7, 1964), known professionally as Nicolas Cage, is an American actor and film producer. He is the recipient of List of awards and nominations received by Nicolas Cage, various accolades, including an Academy A ...
which was released in March 2022.


Writer

Horgan's career breakthrough was '' Pulling'', which she co-wrote with Dennis Kelly and starred in. She played Donna, an irresponsible marketing manager who calls off her wedding at the last minute, and one of three women sharing a flat in Penge, south London. It was noted for its broad humour about sex and the consumption of alcohol. ''Pulling'' was first shown on BBC Three in 2006, then repeated on BBC Two in 2008. The six-episode series became a ‘sleeper hit’, which gained iconic status with fans and was lauded by critics. A second series of six episodes ran March–April 2008 on BBC Three. Despite good ratings and critical plaudits, ''Pulling'' was cancelled after two series, although an hour-long final episode was broadcast in May 2009. In 2007, the show was nominated for a
British Academy Television Award The BAFTA TV Awards, or British Academy Television Awards, are presented in an annual award show hosted by the British Academy of Film and Television Arts. They have been awarded annually since 1955. Background The first-ever Awards, given in 1 ...
and Horgan was nominated for a
British Comedy Award The National Comedy Awards (known as the British Comedy Awards from 1990 to 2014) is an annual awards ceremony in the United Kingdom, celebrating notable comedians and entertainment performances of the previous year. The British Comedy Awards (1 ...
. In 2008 she won a British Comedy Award for ''Pulling''. In 2009 she was nominated for a British Academy Television Award and the show won a British Comedy Award. In 2007 Horgan wrote ''
Angelo's Angelo's is a British sitcom that aired on Five in 2007. One series of six episodes was produced. It was written by Sharon Horgan who was also a member of ensemble cast. Steve Brody starred in the title role as the proprietor of London cafe An ...
'' directed by Chloe Thomas and in June 2012 Horgan starred in '' Dead Boss'', a sitcom set in a prison, which she wrote with comic Holly Walsh. From 2015–2019, Horgan co-starred and co-wrote the sitcom '' Catastrophe'' with American comic Rob Delaney. The two first met on
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, and because they made each other laugh decided to work together. They have both said ''Catastrophe'' was broadly based on their own personal experiences. In it she played Sharon, an Irishwoman living in London who becomes pregnant by Rob, an American she meets while he is on a business trip to London.
Carrie Fisher Carrie Frances Fisher (October 21, 1956 – December 27, 2016) was an American actress and writer. She played Princess Leia in the Star Wars original trilogy, original ''Star Wars'' films (1977–1983) and reprised the role in'' Star Wars: The F ...
played his mother. It was an instant critical success and after the second episode of the six-part series was aired
Channel 4 Channel 4 is a British free-to-air public broadcast television channel owned and operated by Channel Four Television Corporation. It is state-owned enterprise, publicly owned but, unlike the BBC, it receives no public funding and is funded en ...
announced it had commissioned a second series. Horgan was twice nominated for a Best Female Comedy Performance BAFTA for her role. in 2016, Channel 4, ordered a third and fourth season. Horgan wrote ''
Divorce Divorce (also known as dissolution of marriage) is the process of terminating a marriage or marital union. Divorce usually entails the canceling or reorganising of the legal duties and responsibilities of marriage, thus dissolving the M ...
'' (2016–2019), a US comedy series starring
Sarah Jessica Parker Sarah Jessica Parker (born March 25, 1965) is an American actress and television producer. In a career spanning over five decades, she has performed across several productions of both Sarah Jessica Parker filmography, screen and stage. List o ...
, who plays a New York woman going through a lengthy divorce. In April 2015,
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announced it had picked up the series after the pilot episode, and the show is Parker's first major acting commitment since ''
Sex and the City ''Sex and the City'' is an American romantic comedy, romantic comedy-drama television series created by Darren Star for HBO, based on Sex and the City (newspaper column), the newspaper column and 1996 book by Candace Bushnell. It premiered in th ...
''. She was also an executive producer. Horgan wrote the short ''Dreamland'', which won the 2018
BAFTA TV Award The BAFTA TV Awards, or British Academy Television Awards, are presented in an annual award show hosted by the British Academy of Film and Television Arts. They have been awarded annually since 1955. Background The first-ever Awards, given in ...
for Best Short Form Programme and an episode of '' Modern Love'' titled “Rallying to Keep the Game Alive” (2019), which she also directed. She also co-created and co-writes ''
Motherland A homeland is a place where a national or ethnic identity has formed. The definition can also mean simply one's country of birth. When used as a proper noun, the Homeland, as well as its equivalents in other languages, often has ethnic natio ...
'' (2017–present) for BBC Two, a programme about navigating the trials and traumas of middle-class motherhood, looking at the competitive side and unromantic take on parenting – not the cute and acceptable public face of motherhood, which is now in its third series. Horgan co-created and executive produced '' Shining Vale'', alongside Jeff Astrof: a horror-comedy series for
Starz Starz (stylized in all caps as STARZ; pronounced "stars") is an American pay television network owned by Starz Entertainment, and is the flagship property of Starz Inc. Launched in 1994 as a multiplex service of what is now Starz Encore, ...
. Courteney Cox has been cast as the lead. She is also writing alongside Kate Folk on a half-hour dramedy in development with
20th Television 20th Television, Inc. (formerly known as TCF Television Productions, Inc., 20th Century-Fox Television and 20th Century Fox Television) is the television studio arm of 20th Century Studios, owned by Disney Television Studios, a division of the Di ...
for
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, which will be set in the world of technology and dating and is based on The New Yorker Magazine short story ‘Out There’ by Folk. All three of these projects are co-produced via Horgan and Clelia Mountford’s production company Merman.


Director

In December 2012 Horgan made her directorial debut with the semi-autobiographical film ''The Week Before Christmas'', which was broadcast as part of the '' Little Crackers'' series of short films on Sky 1. It was set on a turkey farm in Ireland, and in it she played her own mother, while her father was played by actor
Conleth Hill Conleth Seamus Eoin Croiston Hill (born 24 November 1964) is a Northern Irish actor. He has performed on stage in productions in the UK, Ireland, Canada and the US. He has won two Laurence Olivier Awards and received two Tony Award nominations. ...
. She later directed an episode of Amazon’s anthology series '' Modern Love'' titled “Rallying to Keep the Game Alive” which starred
Tina Fey Elizabeth Stamatina "Tina" Fey (; born May 18, 1970) is an American actress, comedian, writer, and producer. Known for her comedic roles in sketch comedy, television and film, Fey has received List of awards and nominations received by Tina Fe ...
and
John Slattery John M. Slattery Jr. (born August 13, 1962) is an American actor and director. He is known for his role as Roger Sterling in the AMC drama series ''Mad Men'' (2007–15), for which he was nominated 4 times for a Primetime Emmy Award for Outsta ...
.


Presenter

In February 2005 Horgan co-presented the first series of ''The Friday Night Project'' (later '' The Sunday Night Project''), a comedy variety show on
Channel 4 Channel 4 is a British free-to-air public broadcast television channel owned and operated by Channel Four Television Corporation. It is state-owned enterprise, publicly owned but, unlike the BBC, it receives no public funding and is funded en ...
. On 3 June 2011, Horgan was the guest host of '' Have I Got News for You'' on BBC1. She has presented a series of documentaries for
Channel 4 Channel 4 is a British free-to-air public broadcast television channel owned and operated by Channel Four Television Corporation. It is state-owned enterprise, publicly owned but, unlike the BBC, it receives no public funding and is funded en ...
. In January 2012, in ''How to Be a Good Mother'' she talked to several families about their approach to child-rearing. In January 2013 in ''Secrets of a Good Marriage'' she discovered how various couples make their relationships work; and in ''On the Verge of a Midlife Crisis'', she spoke to six women who had coped with the experience. Horgan appeared on the
BBC Radio 4 BBC Radio 4 is a British national radio station owned and operated by the BBC. The station replaced the BBC Home Service on 30 September 1967 and broadcasts a wide variety of spoken-word programmes from the BBC's headquarters at Broadcasti ...
show ''
Chain Reaction A chain reaction is a sequence of reactions where a reactive product or by-product causes additional reactions to take place. In a chain reaction, positive feedback leads to a self-amplifying chain of events. Chain reactions are one way that sys ...
'' in March and April 2015. One week she was interviewed by
Olivia Colman Sarah Caroline Sinclair ( Colman; born 30 January 1974), known professionally as Olivia Colman, is an English actress. She has received various accolades, including an Academy Award, four BAFTA Awards, two Emmy Awards, three Golden Globe Award ...
and the following week she interviewed Dennis Kelly.


Production company

In 2014, Horgan established Merman, an independent production company, with Clelia Mountford, who produced '' A Young Doctor's Notebook'', '' Mr. Sloane'', and ''Cockroaches''. The two women met while working on ''The Week Before Christmas''. The company now has offices in London,
New York City New York, often called New York City (NYC), is the most populous city in the United States, located at the southern tip of New York State on one of the world's largest natural harbors. The city comprises five boroughs, each coextensive w ...
, and Los Angeles. Merman has co-produced many shows including ''
Divorce Divorce (also known as dissolution of marriage) is the process of terminating a marriage or marital union. Divorce usually entails the canceling or reorganising of the legal duties and responsibilities of marriage, thus dissolving the M ...
'' (2016–2019), an American comedy series starring
Sarah Jessica Parker Sarah Jessica Parker (born March 25, 1965) is an American actress and television producer. In a career spanning over five decades, she has performed across several productions of both Sarah Jessica Parker filmography, screen and stage. List o ...
, who plays a New York woman going through a lengthy divorce, Horgan also created the series. Merman produced the third series of '' The Increasingly Poor Decisions of Todd Margaret'', which aired in early 2016. Merman also co-produced the critically acclaimed '' Catastrophe'' (2015–2019), BBC comedy ''
Motherland A homeland is a place where a national or ethnic identity has formed. The definition can also mean simply one's country of birth. When used as a proper noun, the Homeland, as well as its equivalents in other languages, often has ethnic natio ...
, and'' W / RTÉ2's ''Women on the Verge.'' Merman also makes
Sky The sky is an unobstructed view upward from the planetary surface, surface of the Earth. It includes the atmosphere of Earth, atmosphere and outer space. It may also be considered a place between the ground and outer space, thus distinct from ...
and ABC's '' Frayed'' (2019–present) created by comedian Sarah Kendall, which tells the story of wealthy London housewife is forced to return to her hometown in Australia, where she's forced to confront her past and the reasons that caused her to leave years ago. It is a co-production with Guesswork Television. Merman has created
BBC The British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) is a British public service broadcaster headquartered at Broadcasting House in London, England. Originally established in 1922 as the British Broadcasting Company, it evolved into its current sta ...
and Britbox’s '' There She Goes'' (2018–present) which centres around Rosie, a severely learning-disabled girl and her family. For
Channel 4 Channel 4 is a British free-to-air public broadcast television channel owned and operated by Channel Four Television Corporation. It is state-owned enterprise, publicly owned but, unlike the BBC, it receives no public funding and is funded en ...
and
Hulu Hulu (, ) is an American Subscription business model, subscription streaming media service owned by Disney Streaming, a subsidiary of the Disney Entertainment segment of the Walt Disney Company. It was launched on October 29, 2007, initially as ...
, Merman produces the
BAFTA The British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA, ) is an independent trade association and charity that supports, develops, and promotes the arts of film, television and video games in the United Kingdom. In addition to its annual awa ...
winning '' This Way Up'' (2019–present), a comedy about moving on, moving forward and trying to find happiness. Áine, played by writer Aisling Bea, is a whip smart English-as-a-foreign-language teacher trying to pull her life back together after a "teeny little nervous breakdown". Her sister Shona, is played by Horgan. Merman produces Channel 4 and
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's '' Frank of Ireland'' (2021–present), created by
Domhnall Donald is a Scottish masculine given name. It is derived from the Gaelic name ''Dòmhnall''.. This comes from the Proto-Celtic Proto-Celtic, or Common Celtic, is the hypothetical ancestral proto-language of all known Celtic languages, and a ...
and Brian Gleeson, the hilarious story of a man's hapless search for respect. Merman has co-produced its first feature, '' Herself'' (2021) alongside
Element Pictures Element Pictures is an Irish film studio, cinema and television production company with production and distribution credits in more than 30 films. as well as a number of television series. Element Pictures also had a film and television distrib ...
, a female-fronted film that follows a broken family's journey to find a home set during the Irish housing crisis. ''Herself'' had its debut at Sundance in January 2020, was selected for the
London Film Festival The BFI London Film Festival is an annual film festival held in London, England, in collaboration with the British Film Institute. Founded in 1957, the festival runs for two weeks every October. In 2016, the British Film Institute, BFI estim ...
in October 2020, and was released in Irish and UK cinemas on 10 September 2021. Merman co-produces 2021's animated comedy ''Housebroken'' for Fox co-created with
Clea Duvall Clea Helen D'Etienne DuVall (born September 25, 1977) is an American actress, director and screenwriter. Her film appearances include ''The Faculty'' (1998); ''But I'm a Cheerleader''; ''Girl, Interrupted (film), Girl, Interrupted'' (both ...
,
Jennifer Crittenden Jennifer Crittenden (born ) is an American screenwriter and producer. She started her writing career on the animated television series ''The Simpsons'', and has since written for several other television sitcoms including '' Everybody Loves Raym ...
, and Gabrielle Allan. Merman has recently announced their
Starz Starz (stylized in all caps as STARZ; pronounced "stars") is an American pay television network owned by Starz Entertainment, and is the flagship property of Starz Inc. Launched in 1994 as a multiplex service of what is now Starz Encore, ...
horror-comedy series '' Shining Vale'', starring Courteney Cox,
Greg Kinnear Gregory Buck Kinnear (born June 17, 1963) is an American actor and former talk show host. He was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for his role in '' As Good as It Gets'' (1997). Kinnear has appeared in many popular films, ...
, and
Mira Sorvino Mira Katherine Sorvino (; born ) is an American actress. She rose to stardom with her performance as a prostitute in the comedy film ''Mighty Aphrodite'' (1995), which won her both an Academy Award and a Golden Globe for Academy Award for Best S ...
. The company has won and been nominated for a whole host of awards, including film ''Herself'' longlisted for Outstanding British Film at the 2021
BAFTA Film Awards The British Academy Film Awards, more commonly known as the BAFTAs or BAFTA Awards, is an annual film award show hosted by the British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA) to honour the best Cinema of the United Kingdom, British and Worl ...
, ''There She Goes'' winning Best Returning Comedy-Drama Series at the 2020 C21 International Drama Awards and a Female Performance in a Comedy award at the 2019 BAFTA TV Awards. ''Frayed'' was nominated for five 2019 Australian Academy of Cinema and Television Arts Awards. Merman was nominated for Multichannel Production Company of the Year at the 2020 Broadcast Digital Awards and Production Company of the Year at the 2019 Edinburgh TV Awards.


Personal life

Horgan married businessman Jeremy Rainbird on 16 October 2005. The couple lived in London, with their two daughters. They divorced in 2019. One of her younger brothers, Shane, is a former international
rugby union Rugby union football, commonly known simply as rugby union in English-speaking countries and rugby 15/XV in non-English-speaking world, Anglophone Europe, or often just rugby, is a Contact sport#Terminology, close-contact team sport that orig ...
player who played
wing A wing is a type of fin that produces both Lift (force), lift and drag while moving through air. Wings are defined by two shape characteristics, an airfoil section and a planform (aeronautics), planform. Wing efficiency is expressed as lift-to-d ...
or centre for Leinster Rugby, Leinster and Ireland national rugby union team, Ireland, and is now a rugby analyst for RTÉ Sports. Her youngest brother is Mark Horgan of Second Captains and creator of acclaimed podcast ''Where is George Gibney?''


Filmography


Film


Television


Radio


Theatre


Awards and nominations


References


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{{DEFAULTSORT:Horgan, Sharon 1970 births 21st-century Irish actresses 21st-century Irish comedians 21st-century Irish screenwriters 21st-century Irish women writers Actors from County Meath Actors from the London Borough of Hackney Actresses from London Alumni of Brunel University London Comedians from the London Borough of Hackney Irish comedy writers Irish expatriates in England Irish film actresses Irish people of New Zealand descent Irish sketch comedians Irish television actresses Irish television producers Irish television writers Irish voice actresses Irish women television writers Irish women comedians Irish women television producers Living people Mass media people from County Meath Television producers from London Irish television show creators Writers from County Meath Writers from the London Borough of Hackney