Sharon Horgan, the acclaimed London-born Irish actress and writer, has revealed that production on the second season of her hit series Bad Sisters had to be halted due to the profound impact of her father’s passing. The Bafta-winning star, best known for creating the shows Catastrophe and Bad Sisters, shared that the loss of her father, John Horgan, at Christmas 2023 deeply affected her, making it challenging to continue working.
Speaking on the How To Fail With Elizabeth Day podcast, Horgan, 54, discussed how grief influenced her performance and the show’s production process. “Mark, my younger brother, sent me a message about a scene filmed after dad died. He said he loved the episode, but I found it really difficult to watch,” Horgan explained. “Everything I was feeling went into those scenes, you know? In some ways, it’s cathartic—you can connect with your feelings and express them. But in other ways, it feels so weird, because you’re essentially using your emotions, and it feels strange and a bit wrong.”
Horgan spoke candidly about how her profession made the process even more complicated. Having portrayed characters experiencing intense emotions such as heartache and grief in the past, she noted a certain “weird muscle memory” that came into play when she returned to work. “You’re playing these extreme emotions, and your body is under such strain. It’s what I was feeling at my father’s funeral,” she said. “I’ve sat with an actor playing my dad’s dying before, and that really blew my mind. This job can be a bit unhealthy.”
Ultimately, Horgan revealed that the emotional toll led to a temporary halt in filming. “It was weird going back to work. In the end, we had to shut down production because I couldn’t continue,” she admitted, referring to her struggle to reconcile her grief with her role on the show.
In addition to discussing her grief, Horgan opened up about how her outlook on life and work has shifted in recent years. She explained that reaching her 50s has brought with it a newfound sense of confidence, despite the challenges of aging. “I think hormones are driving me, I’m on everything,” she joked, before admitting, “But I hate the visual representation of aging. It really bothers me because of natural vanity, but also because I don’t feel like that.” Horgan continued to describe her energy as being at “puppy dog levels,” contrasting her internal vitality with the external perception of aging.
Reflecting on the impact of losing a parent, she acknowledged a shift in how she approaches life and work. “There’s a weird connection with your mortality when you lose a parent,” she said. “You start thinking about things in a different way. That’s why I’m very particular about what I work on and who I work with.” Horgan added that only recently has she felt comfortable acknowledging her own expertise and sense of purpose in her career. “It’s very, very recent that I’ve allowed myself to feel like I know what I’m doing. There’s a confidence there that I really appreciate,” she explained. “It’s much better to feel like you should be in those rooms.”
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In a personal revelation, Horgan also confirmed that she is currently seeing someone, following her separation from her husband, businessman Jeremy Rainbird, in 2019.
Bad Sisters follows the story of five siblings who are united by their desire to protect their sister Grace (played by Anne-Marie Duff) from her controlling husband, played by Danish actor Claes Bang. The story takes a dark turn when the husband dies mysteriously, and the sisters, including Horgan’s character, are among the suspects. The show garnered widespread acclaim, winning Best Drama Series at the 2023 Bafta TV Awards, with Anne-Marie Duff also receiving the Supporting Actress award.
In addition to her work on Bad Sisters, Horgan is also known for creating Divorce for HBO, starring Sarah Jessica Parker, and the comedies Motherland and Pulling. Despite the difficult circumstances surrounding her father’s death, Horgan’s resilience and commitment to her craft continue to shine through, as she navigates both personal loss and professional success.
