Sharon Horgan is currently starring in BBC One's harrowing new drama, Best Interests, in which she plays mum-of-two Nicci, whose daughter Marnie has a life-threatening condition.
After doctors tell Nicci and her husband Andrew that it's in Marnie's best interests to let her die, they fight to save her life in a lengthy legal battle.
In a new interview, Sharon revealed that she drew on her own experience while filming the drama and opened up about having post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) after her eldest daughter was diagnosed with meningitis as a baby.
"We were so unbelievably lucky and we know that," she told The Times. "But the aftershock – there's definitely PTSD and I dealt with any of my second daughter's illnesses with blind panic because you always think, 'If it can happen, why couldn't it happen again?'"
Sharon said she feared she might lose her daughter to the infection. "While we thought we might lose her – as I was watching them trying to find a vein and get some antibiotics into her – I remember thinking: 'I don't care what happens – like, take off her limbs, whatever you need to do – just keep her alive,'" she told The Guardian.
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Meningitis is an "infection of the protective membranes that surround the brain and spinal cord", according to the NHS website. It can cause "life-threatening blood poisoning (sepsis) and result in permanent damage to the brain or nerves".
Sharon shares two teenage daughters, Sadhbh and Amer, with her ex-husband, businessman Jeremy Rainbird. The former couple tied the knot in 2005 before deciding to go their separate ways 14 years later in 2019.
What is Best Interests about?
Best Interests tells the heartbreaking story of parents Nicci and Andrew, played by Sharon and Michael Sheen, who are faced with an unthinkable decision regarding their daughter, Marnie.
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"This a story of a family driven apart by having to make choices no parent would ever want to make," reads the synopsis. "Sharon Horgan and Michael Sheen play married couple Nicci and Andrew, they have two daughters: Katie played by Alison Oliver and Marnie played by Niamh Moriarty."
It continues: "Marnie has a life-threatening condition. The doctors believe it is in her best interests to be allowed to die, but her loving family disagree. And so begins a fight that will take them through every stage of a legal process, as they struggle to contemplate this huge decision. Who decides? And in whose best interests will it be?"
What are viewers saying about Best Interests?
The four-part drama series has been widely praised for its brilliant writing and impressive cast performances by viewers and critics alike.
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Taking to Twitter, one person hailed the drama as "brilliantly thought-provoking" while another wrote: "God that was harrowing, powerful and powerfully acted. Wow."
Many viewers applauded the performances of leads Sharon and Michael Sheen, with one person tweeting: "Sheen and Horgan terrific as always."
Another viewer added: "Sharon Horgan and Michael Sheen what a combination. Alison Oliver is fantastic too."
Best Interests continues on Tuesday 13 June at 9pm on BBC One and BBC iPlayer.