Sharon Horgan reveals how hilarious A-list cameo in the first episode of new comedy Youth came about

The first episode of Sharon Horgan's HBO Max comedy series Youth kicks off with a hilarious celebrity cameo, with Damian Lewis playing a version of himself who is pitching a book to the literary agency at which Horgan's character Alex works.

Lewis comes in for a meeting to pitch his fiction writing debut, a social satire about the Yulin Dog Meat Festival, which he has imaginatively titled Dog Meat. Alex suggests he writes a children's book instead, but he seems set on comparing himself with Stephen Fry.

Speaking exclusively with Radio Times, Horgan explained why she decided to make Alex a literary agent, explaining that "it felt like one of those jobs that women are really good at, and one of those jobs that doesn't really have a start point and an end point".

She continued: "You're always going to be thinking about that job, and I've got a lot of women in my life who are really great at their jobs, but don't really know when to switch off because they care too much. In that role of an agent, you're kind of mother to all your clients, really.

"So I wanted that kind of a job, but also the literary world, I found so fascinating, and I hadn't seen it on screen before. We've seen Call My Agent!, kind of TV and film, but the literary world just felt so interesting because there's so much about social media in the show and the new way we absorb content.

"And yet, that world, the books world, is such a different, slow-moving environment. But just also fun, really fun to think up authors and book titles, I really enjoyed that."

On Lewis's cameo, Horgan noted that that concept of the 'celebrity writer' is a big part of the industry, and revealed that it wasn't always going to the Band of Brothers star who appeared in that scene.

"We're just very lucky that he has a great sense of humour," Horgan said. "I'd met him a few times, and I sent it to him, and he was just game. Not everyone wants to play themselves on screen and to do it in such a fun send up kind of way. So we were so happy when he said yes."

Want to see this content?

This page contains content provided by Google reCAPTCHA. We ask for your permission before anything is loaded, as Google reCAPTCHA may use cookies and other technologies. To view this content, choose 'Accept and continue' to allow Google reCAPTCHA and its required purposes.

The series doesn't just focus on Alex's work life - it also looks at her attempts to get back into the dating world after her divorce, and her struggles with raising her son Ruari, played by Cillian Murphy's real life son Aran.

Youth releases new episodes on Mondays on HBO Max in the UK. Subscribe to HBO Max from £5.99 a month.

Add Youth to your watchlist on the Radio Times: What to Watch app – download now for daily TV recommendations, features and more.

Check out more of our Comedy coverage or visit our TV Guide and Streaming Guide to find out what's on. For more TV recommendations and reviews, listen to The Radio Times Podcast.

Authors

James Hibbs is a Drama Writer for Radio Times, covering programmes across both streaming platforms and linear channels. He previously worked in PR, first for a B2B agency and subsequently for international TV production company Fremantle. He possesses a BA in English and Theatre Studies and an NCTJ Level 5 Diploma in Journalism.