"Sharon Horgan"

SmartLess

The SmartLess podcast features comedian and creator Sharon Horgan in a lively conversation that blends humor, personal anecdotes, and heartfelt tributes. The episode opens with the hosts reflecting on the recent passing of legendary TV director

Key takeaways

• The hosts deeply honor Jim Burrows, a mentor and influential figure in television history, highlighting his groundbreaking work across iconic shows like 'Cheers' and 'Friends'.

Main topics

• Tribute to Jim Burrows
• Real-life confrontation at home

Notable quotes

"We're just trying to cure insomnia one p'cast ep at a time… on a proper mint SmartLess."

"You know what? It's not worth getting, you know, $12 of free bars."

Conclusion

The episode closes on a warm, humorous note with heartfelt tributes, p

Transcript preview

Speaker 4 (0:04) What are you eating? What are you eating, Jay? What are you chewing on for the cold open? Speaker 2 (0:07) Yeah. 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 Speaker 3 (0:17) I mean? That's true. Instead, I will just give a nice Hawaiian welcome to our audience and say hello. Speaker 2 (0:22) Oh, my God. Welcome to Smart List. Speaker 3 (0:42) Did we get a workout? We got a workout Speaker 2 (0:44) in Speaker 3 (0:44) already, JB? We got some cardio. We got some sauna. We got some pool. We got a shower. Speaker 4 (0:49) 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 Speaker 2 (1:02) guys got together? Yeah. What was your Speaker 4 (1:03) excuse? Not in town? Speaker 3 (1:05) Is Speaker 4 (1:05) that still valid? You can phone Speaker 3 (1:07) in. But you're Speaker 4 (1:08) in town now. I am. I'm back. We're going to see you later today. Speaker 3 (1:12) 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 to Speaker 2 (1:18) see each other tonight, this afternoon and tonight. Oh, that's right. 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 Burrows. who we had on the podcast and who sadly passed away a little while ago. A Speaker 3 (1:37) close, close friend of ours, a close mentor of ours, a father figure of ours. One of the all-time Speaker 2 (1:43) great, not just, you know, obviously he revolutionized multi-camera, like television directing for comedy, et cetera, but he also was just such an excellent guy. Yeah, the best. And so kind and generous and just funny, man. Speaker 3 (1:57) Was instrumental in... giving me really important roles in my life as an actor Speaker 4 (2:05) and Speaker 3 (2:05) also in mentoring me as a director and helping me find representation as a director. And to remind Speaker 4 (2:12) people, my sister Tracy, he directed every episode of Will & Grace and Cheers and he directed like the first year of Friends and Two and a Half Men and Big Bang Theory and Mary Tyler Moore and Taxi. Everything you've ever loved. And he Speaker 2 (2:22) co-created Cheers on top of that with the Charles brothers. It reminds me, I think I told him when he was on J.P. 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, and 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 leave, and I looked towards you, and you were just staring at me with that like, hey, dummy. Did you just say cheers to Jimmy Rose? Speaker 4 (2:52) Fucking Canadians. God damn it. So I told Jay this story, but I'll try to tell a shorter version. So speaking of Jimmy, his wife, Debbie Burrows, who we love, she invited Scotty Speaker 3 (3:07) and Speaker 4 (3:07) 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 Speaker 3 (3:19) my God, Speaker 4 (3:19) this story. And this guy, this is last week, this guy was sitting, this guy got out of his car across the street. I think Speaker 3 (3:25) Will, your guest, just clapped or snapped. She's like, I'm still here. Speaker 4 (3:30) Mike's still hot, still ready and willing to come on the podcast. Anyway, well, I can tell you later. But Speaker 3 (3:34) it's this Speaker 4 (3:35) crazy story about this guy got out of his car, came over and started like 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 house? In front of our house. Yeah. And then Debbie pulls up and then he starts kind of getting in her face and in 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 liked having like a mental break. What was the crux Speaker 2 (4:03) of his complaint? Speaker 3 (4:04) 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 him and says, hey, so what did he say? Something like, something out of total, out of left field. Yeah, like, hey, Speaker 4 (4:18) 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? Speaker 2 (4:25) Well, I mean, that part seems fine, to be honest. I'm still with him. I'm still on his side. Go ahead. Speaker 3 (4:34) But then, so Deb somehow 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 trying to ram them off the road. Speaker 4 (4:49) Yeah. What? And then pulls in front of the car and blocks the car so he can't drive on a busy street on Highland. So what they decide to do is drive Speaker 3 (4:57) directly to the Hollywood Bowl and talk to some of the local security there. Yeah, anyway, it was really weird. And say, hey. Speaker 4 (5:02) This is all just to say a shameless plug for our show at the Hollywood Bowl. Oh, Speaker 2 (5:07) my God. Wow. I did not see that coming, Speaker 4 (5:12) Sean. Speaker 3 (5:13) Come see us October 17th at the Hollywood Bowl. You never know what's going to happen. Speaker 4 (5:18) Yeah. Speaker 3 (5:19) Anyway, Michael, Speaker 4 (5:20) our producer, is like, hey, plug your show this morning at the Hollywood Bowl. So I'm like, oh, my God, I actually got a real story to tie Speaker 3 (5:26) it to. It Speaker 4 (5:26) is true, everybody. October 17th. Come Speaker 2 (5:30) on and enjoy. We Speaker 3 (5:30) don't know what we're doing, and we just need a little help out there. Yeah, we'd love to see you. Speaker 2 (5:34) 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 Speaker 3 (5:42) has a friend and Sean has a friend. I have no friend for this one. This is a Speaker 2 (5:46) two-guest night. Speaker 3 (5:50) Double your pleasure, double your fun. It's going to be a lot. For Speaker 2 (5:52) the Speaker 3 (5:52) single price of one ticket. Speaker 2 (5:54) Yeah. And 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. Speaker 4 (6:10) Wait, wait, wait. Speaking of good Speaker 2 (6:12) guests. Oh, speaking of fun. Talk about a segue. Hey, our guest. Now, JB, you and I— Wait, so you were Speaker 3 (6:21) just talking about the Hollywood Bowl guest. Speaker 2 (6:23) I was. Now I'm talking about our guest today. You seem less Speaker 3 (6:26) enthused about this one. Speaker 2 (6:28) No, Speaker 3 (6:28) no, no, no. I was about to get into—because we know, Speaker 2 (6:31) you and I both know and have worked with this person. Oh, boy. There's a— Portia Speaker 3 (6:37) de Rossi. Speaker 2 (6:38) 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. Okay. 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 awards for... Sean, Speaker 3 (7:00) you rented a Speaker 2 (7:00) video named Pulling. Pulling, I did. Speaker 3 (7:03) I Speaker 4 (7:03) haven't Speaker 2 (7:05) returned it. Jeez. Speaker 2 (7:09) She also got a lot of acclaim for her series Catastrophe. I got to know her 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 Horgan. Speaker 4 (7:22) Come Speaker 2 (7:22) on. Speaker 4 (7:23) Sharon Horgan. God, I just saw Speaker 1 (7:25) your face in the paper today. You did? Oh, yes. Oh, that's so funny. Do you know what that noise was, that click? Speaker 3 (7:33) Uh-oh. I Speaker 1 (7:34) 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. It was eye drops? Eye drops. I haven't got my glasses. It is eye drops. It's eye drops, yeah. Speaker 2 (7:45) Oh, Speaker 1 (7:45) okay, yeah. Speaker 2 (7:46) And you just squirted some on your hands? Speaker 1 (7:48) I think it would be okay to put... As long Speaker 2 (7:49) as you don't put hand sanitizer in your eye. Yeah. Speaker 1 (7:52) Exactly. Now, Speaker 3 (7:53) where is it? You said that's your office there? Speaker 1 (7:56) Yeah, well, it's my office, but it's also kind of... Slash. Slash dressing room. Well, not really winter wardrobe. It's kind of, you can see there's a mirror there. That's where, like, I might try on clothes for things. Not my regular clothes, like if I have to get dressed up for a thing. It's a weird Speaker 3 (8:14) room. It's Speaker 1 (8:15) a Speaker 3 (8:15) weird life. It's a weird life. Sharon, do you have a mirror face? Speaker 1 (8:19) Huh? What's that mean? Do you have a mirror Speaker 3 (8:21) 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 Speaker 2 (8:29) Richard Ehrlich. Give her, tell her. So we have a Speaker 3 (8:31) friend who, to trigger his mirror face, he kind of semi-whispers, hisses a line to himself, which is he pretends he just got directions from someone and he turns over his left shoulder and he says, it's where? Speaker 2 (8:48) Really? Speaker 3 (8:49) He didn't really hear it. So it kind of Speaker 2 (8:51) tightens up his eyes. Speaker 3 (8:53) It's where? It's Speaker 2 (8:54) like Speaker 3 (8:54) that. Now do it. Speaker 4 (8:56) Now try it. Say go. It's where? Speaker 2 (8:59) I Speaker 1 (8:59) don't think that would work for me. No, I mean, unfortunately, I pout in the mirror. I can't help it. You pout. Yeah. I Speaker 2 (9:09) think we all, my 16-year-old, he accuses 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 be like, hey, go fuck yourself. But it's Speaker 4 (9:19) my Speaker 2 (9:19) 16-year-old. Because I'll bet he nails it. Let me see it. It's kind of like that. Speaker 3 (9:27) It's the worst. Yeah, yeah. It's the worst. Sharon, welcome to the show. Welcome to the Speaker 2 (9:32) show. Sharon, I just have Speaker 4 (9:33) 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. Speaker 1 (9:40) I had paranoia about that for a while. No, no, it was wonderful. Speaker 4 (9:44) So thank you. Speaker 2 (9:45) This is about pulling? No. That was not a bit? This Speaker 1 (9:47) is about pulling. Speaker 4 (9:48) No. No, no, we don't have to talk about it. No, but it was great. Oh, Speaker 1 (9:54) good. I'm glad. I'm glad that worked out. Speaker 4 (9:57) 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. Thanks Speaker 1 (10:05) a Speaker 4 (10:05) million. I mean, it was just... Incredible. And then there was a season two, which I still have not seen. Speaker 1 (10:09) Oh, you've got to see that. Yeah, that's, if you like the first one. I love Speaker 4 (10:13) the first Speaker 1 (10:13) one. Speaker 2 (10:13) Yeah, Jesus, Speaker 4 (10:14) Sean. Speaker 1 (10:14) What's the second one? Speaker 3 (10:15) Sorry. Speaker 2 (10:15) See the second season. Speaker 3 (10:16) Sorry, sorry. What Speaker 1 (10:17) are you Speaker 2 (10:17) doing, dude? Speaker 3 (10:18) 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. Speaker 2 (10:30) Sharon, you consistently, not just as a performer, but it's so admirable. And the way, how much stuff you create, how much stuff 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? Speaker 1 (10:56) 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's 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, Speaker 2 (11:32) yeah. Speaker 1 (11:33) 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 kind of, you always think that's the, that's the last time you're going to come up with a good character. So it is scary, but... But it's really fun to start over. Isn't that? Speaker 2 (11:59) Yeah. I will say that I think now 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 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. because of the way that the formatting is done, you didn't have a lot of shows that did nine, 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 Speaker 1 (12:41) 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 ten, and, you know, so it's a little bit different. Well, we all Speaker 2 (13:02) have the same distributors now, right? Yeah, Speaker 1 (13:04) 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. Speaker 1 (13:22) You know, that was like two seasons and a special. And that's kind of it. You're done. And that's it. And Speaker 2 (13:29) also the budgets were sort of low enough that the risk, they allowed you to do stuff. I Speaker 1 (13:35) mean, Speaker 2 (13:35) 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. Speaker 1 (13:41) Will and I did this show called The Increasingly Poor Decisions of Todd Margaret. Did anyone see? Speaker 3 (13:47) No, but I remember Speaker 1 (13:47) it. Speaker 3 (13:47) I've seen a little piece of with David Cross, Spike Jonze. It Speaker 1 (13:51) was Speaker 3 (13:51) so funny. But it had no Speaker 1 (13:53) budget. None. Craft Services was a box of biscuits and some tea bags. It was. Speaker 2 (14:00) That Speaker 1 (14:01) was it. Speaker 2 (14:02) It was. And Speaker 1 (14:03) 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. Yeah. I love, by the way, Speaker 2 (14:20) can I just say, I'm one of the, I've seen Game Night three times minimum. I f***ed up. Fucking love that film. It is so underappreciated to both of you guys. It is such a funny, good, complete Speaker 1 (14:32) movie. Speaker 2 (14:32) It is a really great, funny movie. I urge anybody, please see Game Night. It's so good. Sorry. When Speaker 1 (14:38) I was filming Game Night, I was writing this series for UK TV called Motherland. So when we were in the trailer, I