Sharon Horgan brings new meaning to the word ‘prolific’. The powerhouse producer-writer-actor is Emmy-nominated for her leading role in Apple TV+ drama series Bad Sisters Season 2, following two nominations last year for the first season of the show she created. She’s also currently in production on Netflix limited series Vladimir, based on the novel by Julia May Jonas, starring Rachel Weisz and Leo Woodall. And, among other things, she’s executive-producing an Apple TV+ series starring Jennifer Aniston and based on Jennette McCurdy’s memoir I’m Glad My Mom Died, she’s writing both an untitled HBO Max series and an Amazon series in which she plays the lead roles, and she’s overseeing her Motherland spin-off BBC creation Amandaland. To top all that off, she’s starring as Amanda Knox’s mother Edda Mellas in new Hulu show The Twisted Tale of Amanda Knox, created by K.J. Steinberg. In 2014, Horgan co-founded production company Merman with Clelia Mountford, and is also known for Divorce, Catastrophe and Shining Vale.

In Bad Sisters, Horgan stars as Eva Garvey, one of five Dublin-based sisters whose interwoven lives and intermittent crises land them in trouble with the law. While Season 1 was based on the Belgian series Clan, Horgan wrote a fresh trajectory for the siblings in Season 2, leading them through a new set of challenges, including, but not limited to, a con-man, a decomposing body and falling off a cliff. Here, she discusses her thoughts on a third season and reveals details of the many juicy projects she has coming up.

DEADLINE: You’re in LA right now?

SHARON HORGAN: Yes. I was here for the premiere of The Twisted Tale of Amanda Knox.

DEADLINE: How was that experience for you?

HORGAN: It’s very weird for me, because when I go in and just do an acting job, on the one hand I’m like, “This is great. I don’t have to think about anything.” And on the other hand, I’m like, “But.” We had loads of conversations throughout, and K.J. just had such a strong vision, but I didn’t want to watch anything [before the premiere] and I wanted to just watch it on the big screen. I thought it was quite something actually. I was with my daughters, and there was quite a young contingent as well. People bringing their sons and daughters along who were in their teens and 20s, who didn’t know the story at all. So, it was extraordinary watching it from their perspective. And I mean, it’s a very panicky that first episode, isn’t it? The anxiety that it creates.

DEADLINE: I found it actually hard to see her at the beginning because I know what happens to her. Amanda is an executive producer on the series, so how did she talk to you about playing her mother and what spoke to you about the role?

HORGAN: I partly really wanted to do it because I just think I’ve never done anything like that before. And I’m finding that as you get older it’s really easy to just be in a groove, isn’t it? Just to sort of go, “Well, this is what I’m comfortable doing.” Whereas I’m now like, “No, you’ve got to push yourself to try things that scare you.” But anyway, I needed a follow-up call [with the producers] because I just wasn’t sure whether I was the right person for them. Amanda was on that Zoom and it was her that really made me want to say yes, actually, because of the way she talked about her mum. I mean, she described her time in prison and what she went through. But she said, “Even with all that, I felt my mom had it worse.” I’ve got a 17-year-old and a 21-year-old, and I was so moved by what she was saying. So, that connection made me think, “I think I can do this.” And then, on set, she was around quite a bit, and Edda came down a few times as well. And so, there was a certain kind of pressure in that you’ve got their story, and you feel very responsible, and that never left me throughout, but everyone involved really truthfully was so careful. You always felt like you were in safe hands and the story was in safe hands.

DEADLINE: How was working with Grace Van Patten, who plays Amanda?

HORGAN: She was special and brilliant and had this incredible work ethic. And also, just the nicest girl. Lovely to everyone, so accommodating and so normal, and all the kind of things you’d hope for in a person that you’ve got to spend that amount of months with. And the thing is, as you watch more, the first episode is so like, “F–k.” Because her playing Amanda’s reaction, is very no-holds-barred in that way, isn’t it? It’s not trying to sugarcoat things about her that you might call quirky, or her very personal way of dealing with things. And so, that really comes across in that first episode. And then later, as it goes on, it gets so upsetting, so emotional. But she played a blinder. I feel she’s so in control of what she’s doing in the series. And yeah, I was so impressed by how she captured her naivety, but also what it is to be that age and have that freedom. And then to have it slowly dawning on you that something terrible and terribly wrong is going to happen.

DEADLINE: Having your own daughters around the age Amanda was back then must have added a huge significance to the role of playing her mother?

HORGAN: Yeah, I was in bits all the time. I definitely wasn’t in control. I was finding it very hard to not put myself in that position.

DEADLINE: Has making the Amanda Knox series influenced the kinds of projects that you’re looking at now and what speaks to you?

HORGAN: Well, it’s such a boring answer, but it’s just the people. I know what [EP] Warren Littlefield and his company make. I know that it’s going to be quality, and that’s just a huge draw. I knew the team he put together would be quality. And I knew that K.J.’s writing was exceptional. And so, I suppose I do think when things work out, if they pay off, it makes you want to take a big swing again. I, for the most part, always want to make something that’s saying something. And I think maybe back in the day I was like, “Well, that would be entertaining. That would be funny.” I mean, I hope that even the early stuff had a strong point of view, and had my particular lens on the world of what it is to be in your 30s in London, or in a marriage that isn’t working out, or being a mother and finding all that difficult. I feel like I hope they always have something to say, but as I’ve gotten older and realized, I’m not wanting to be morbid, but, what am I going to spend my time doing and what am I going to commit to? I feel a bit more precious about choosing things, or even writing projects that I feel have got something to say.

DEADLINE: I’m hanging onto the prospect of a third season of Bad Sisters. Could it happen?

HORGAN: Well, I spent some time thinking about ideas, because it’s hard not to. When I talked to Apple about it, I mean, obviously I’m doing my HBO show, and so that’s what I’m concentrating on now. But when I spoke to Apple about it, it was kind of like, if I did it again, I’d want time to have passed. And I want it to feel so real that whatever story lands on them, again, I’d want it to feel very believable and very truthful that these women could find themselves in another situation that deserves a narrative. So, whatever happens, I’d want to wait for a while and then pick up the story again. But it is about finding the right story. There’s literally no point in doing it for me or for the cast or for the fans of the show if it isn’t a great story. That goes without saying. So, it’s always like there’s something percolating in my head, and then I’ll have to see if it becomes a thing.

DEADLINE: I feel like I know those girls, and I’m sure you feel like they’re all family at this point?

HORGAN: I totally feel the same. I genuinely miss them. And as much as I enjoy the WhatsApp groups and the meetups, it’s like I miss the Garvey girls. I miss being in that family. And I know them too, so I want to know what they’ll be doing in five years. I’m genuinely interested in the stories. And the fact that I can have some fun there, it’s hard to deny. But yeah, it just has to be the right thing.

DEADLINE: For Season 2, I thought it was super interesting how you have these two female characters that at first are these adversaries. With Fiona Shaw,s character of Angelica, initially we’re like, “Oh my god, she’s the devil,” before we figure it out. And then the police officer Houlihan (Thaddea Graham) — I hated her so much. At least, at first.

HORGAN: It’s so funny, isn’t it? I’ve had this a few times now this week, and I kind of love it, because she’s such a good person. It just shows how loved those sisters are, because she’s literally just doing her job.

DEADLINE: I know. But we’re like, “Get away from our sisters.”

HORGAN: Get away from them. Yeah, I know. And also, I loved how they, Houlihan and Angelica, created conversation. I also loved knowing that in our back pocket was they were both going to be heroes in the end. They were going to come good in such a beautiful way, Houlihan especially. And that Angelica was going to endear herself to the audience. Because once they figured out that she was this decoy villain in a way, and a lot of what was happening was because she’s a damaged person and a person who’s hurting, but also the sisters were looking so hard for answers that they ended up focusing on the wrong person really. And then this opportunity to reveal who the true enemy is… And that’s unfortunately the people who you’re encouraged to trust the most, the people who should be the ones protecting you. I found that really scary. I found that scary at the time when we were shooting the first season, just becoming more and more aware of these stories of women who had done everything right. Who’d done nothing wrong, who were as safe and as careful as you could be, and yet put their trust in the police, in a cop. And I just found that so terrifying. I really wanted to write about that. At least through [detective inspector] Loftus [Barry Ward], I was able to have his flaws and bad decisions on display. So, I got to use that character whilst the other was hiding in plain sight. But it was a bit of a gamble, because you’re asking people to invest in a character to hate on, to potentially get behind a love story that for many, many reasons you shouldn’t root for. And so, it was a bit of a gamble. It’s not straightforward storytelling, and that I think is a bit scary. You take a leap and hope that the audience takes a leap as well.

DEADLINE: For the adaptation of Jennette McCurdy’s memoir I’m Glad My Mom Died that you’re producing, starring Jennifer Aniston as the mom, I read the book a while ago, and I was like an evangelist just telling everyone to read it.

HORGAN: Yeah, me too. We’re still at script stage really. It’s 10 episodes. And I mean, it’s only Jennette and Ari [Katcher], her husband, scripting. And she’s never written, scripted before, scripted a half-hour, but you’d never know. She’s an extraordinary writer. But obviously, it’s an adaptation of the book, but it’s also very much doing its own thing. So it’s just at the script stage and I’m providing support and my experience on that where I can. That is for Apple, and it’s wonderful just getting to read her work and her approach and how she wants to tell the story. I guess it’s like K.J.’s approach to the Knox story, it’s very specific to her. She’s got a very strong vision. So, just being there as a creative sounding board is my main job.

DEADLINE: How is Vladimir going right now?

HORGAN: With Vladimir we’re mid-shooting, so I’m back and forth to Toronto. It’s Rachel Weisz and John Slattery and Leo Woodall, so we’ve got this insane cast. Julia May Jonas, who wrote the original novel, is the most extraordinary writer and showrunner. She’s a one-man band. I think it’s going to be really special. I think her voice is so special, and I think she’s doing something very, very different. It feels very, very much its own thing. And again, it’s a swing, and that’s really exciting. It’s really exciting to feel like you’re making something that’s very singular.

DEADLINE: And the untitled HBO project?

HORGAN: I’m just mid-writing that

DEADLINE: The line I’ve got here is that it follows 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.

HORGAN: It’s a really good description. I just found that so many of my friends were going through the same thing as me, having grown-up children that haven’t really left home. And parents are getting older, and that sandwich generation thing, I felt I hadn’t necessarily seen it portrayed in the way that I was experiencing it. And I also, having done two seasons of Bad Sisters, of doing huge hour-long drama, I found myself wanting to go back to the Catastrophe style of half-hour storytelling.And I am really enjoying it. It was how I felt at the beginning of Bad Sisters, is that you have an opportunity to create something new and to do it your way. Creating a show from scratch is scary, but it’s really fun. It is very creatively fulfilling. You immediately start making your playlists and you immediately start thinking about how it’s going to look, and how it’s going to sound, and who you want to cast. But at the moment I’m just right slap bang in the middle of writing it. That’s what I should be doing now. Actually, it’s open on my laptop.

DEADLINE: And the Amazon project?

HORGAN: Yes. We have a show that we are in development with Amazon. It’s called People Who Knew Me, and we made a podcast — actually, it’s a couple of years ago now that it came out — with Rosamund Pike and Hugh Laurie. And it was really well-received. And so, we’re developing that into a series for Amazon.

DEADLINE: With Rosamund and Hugh?

HORGAN: With Rosamund.

DEADLINE: How do you even find time to sleep? That’s what I want to know.

HORGAN: Here’s the thing: I have this incredible company, Merman, and I work with people who are really passionate about it. And we have the U.S. side of things and the UK side of things and the Irish side of things. And so it’s not a big team, it’s a small team who work really hard. And I mean, a lot of the work, the majority I’m very involved in, but then there’s some that I just oversee and there’s some that are other people’s projects that they’re there, but I have less involvement. I mean, with Motherland it was different. It was big involvement. I was co-writing it. But with Amandaland, which is our spin-off show, I’m less involved. I helped create it. But we have a different team of writers. And so, it’s a lot, but it’s not as much as it sounds. Do you know what I mean? It’s a lot, but it’s not a psychopathic level of work. But also, I say this a lot, but I don’t have any hobbies. I don’t know what I’d do if I wasn’t doing this. I’m not very good at twiddling my thumbs. I’ve become a bit more hyperactive as I’ve gotten older. I don’t really know how to relax.

DEADLINE: That’s the beauty of doing a job you would be doing even if it wasn’t your job.

HORGAN: Absolutely. I mean, I love it. I’m such a TV and film fan fanatic. It’s what I love doing. I mean, of course, it’s work. And sometimes it’s very, very hard work and it piles up a bit, but for the most part it’s a glorious escape for me.

All episodes of Bad Sisters are streaming on Apple TV+.