“I had no idea she was a writer as well”: A Game of Thrones alum’s secret skill helped shape HBO’s Youth
Lena Headey’s writing impressed Sharon Horgan
While promoting Youth, creator Sharon Horgan revealed that Lena Headey, best known to fans as Cersei Lannister, played a surprising role behind the scenes of the series. Not only did Headey join the writers’ room, she also co-wrote one of the show’s episodes, showcasing a talent many fans may not even know she had.
Sharon Horgan discovered Lena Headey’s hidden talent
Speaking to Entertainment Weekly, Horgan revealed that Headey contributed to episode 6, “Desperate Measures,” alongside Horgan and Ali Hadji-Heshmati.
The collaboration grew out of a long-standing friendship. Horgan and Headey first worked together on the 2005 romantic comedy Imagine Me & You. More recently, Headey created the audio drama Intimacy through Horgan’s production company, Merman.
What surprised Horgan was discovering how strong a writer Headey had become.
“I had no idea she was a writer as well.”
After reading some of Headey’s work, Horgan immediately saw potential.
“Just from talking to her and from the kind of thing that she was writing, I messaged her and said, ‘Would you like to come into the writers’ room and potentially write an episode of the show?’ And she did.”
Headey’s unique voice stood out in the writers’ room
Horgan went on to explain why she values Headey’s writing so highly.
“I hope we continue working together because she has that thing.”
The Youth creator said that while many writers are technically skilled, truly distinctive voices are much harder to find.
“You read a lot of scripts and you’re like, ‘That is very technically proficient and you clearly got skill,’ but you are always looking for someone who says things in a way that you’ve never heard before. And she does that.”
It’s a remarkable endorsement from one of television’s most acclaimed comedy-drama creators.
For Game of Thrones fans, Headey’s success as a writer may come as a surprise. But judging by Horgan’s comments, Cersei Lannister’s actress is proving just as impressive behind the keyboard as she was on the Iron Throne.
