Comic actress award for Sharon Horgan
London-based producer and actress Sharon Horgan from Bellewstown was named the best comedy entertainment actress at the British Comedy Awards on Saturday night, for her BBC series, 'Pulling". Horgan, a sister of Leinster and Irish rugby player, Shane, is co-writer and producer of 'Pulling", and it was her second year to be nominated for the series. In 2007, she was nominated for writing and starring in 'Pulling", and the series was also nominated for a BAFTA award. Horgan wrote 'Pulling" with her writing partner Dennis Kelly. Her character, Donna, has an epiphany at her hen 'do", leaves her tedious-yet-reliable fiancé, moves in with her drunken miscreant friends Karen and Louise, and embarks upon what she hopes is a journey of self-discovery, but is in fact a binge-drinky, promiscuous, hapless and directionless flirtation with deepest, darkest confusion. 'Pulling" features some of the rudest, truest, cruellest and most unremittingly funny lines ever, and moved over to BBC 2 from BBC 3 last year. She is one of a family of five, and was born in London before her parents moved back to Ireland when she was six. After secondary school, she went to art college, taking a year out to go to London at the age of 19. 'Only I didn"t go back,' she says. It was during this time that she met Dennis Kelly, who was also struggling to launch an acting career. At 27, she decided to do an English degree, part of which was creative writing. She and Kelly knocked together some sketches, which Horgan sent to Jo Sergeant, a BBC producer. Sergeant liked it, and put them in touch with Shane Allen, who was head of the BBC"s new comedy department, and who shortlisted the sketches for a new comedy award, which, in 2001, they won. Cameos in 'Extras", and a regular gig on Rob Brydon"s 'Annually Retentive" led to the commissioning of 'Pulling". 'Angelo"s", a six-part sitcom written by and starring Horgan, was broadcast on Channel 5 in late 2007. 'It"s a very low concept thing, very character-driven, set in a greasy spoon,' she says. 'Angelo"s is the name of the cafe.' The lead role is that of a 19-year-old, the daughter of Angelo, who owns the cafe. Horgan"s role is that of a policewoman. Her latest project is 'Free Agents".