Ever feel like you're faking it, even when you're succeeding? That's the unsettling reality for many, including the brilliant mind behind the hit HBO series Succession, Jesse Armstrong. Despite crafting a show that has captivated audiences and critics alike, Armstrong admits to battling impostor syndrome throughout his illustrious career.
Armstrong, the mastermind behind the critically acclaimed drama Succession, starring Brian Cox, recently shared his experiences on Radio 4’s Desert Island Discs. He described the writers' room as a place of creative magic when it clicks, like "walking on the moon." Ideas flow freely, and collaboration sparks moments of brilliance. He's also an Oscar nominee for co-writing In The Loop, the spin-off film from The Thick of It, alongside Simon Blackwell, Armando Iannucci, and Tony Roche, and has earned TV Baftas for his work on Peep Show.
He vividly paints a picture of a writer's room in sync: "You’re suddenly released from the thing that could take you a week to figure out at your desk on your own. You’re suddenly bounding around and picking up rocks and everything’s veined with gold and it’s like you can have these golden moments of the ideas coming from everyone and you’re all on the same wavelength and it can feel quite magical.”
But here's where it gets controversial... Armstrong also confessed to the flip side of the creative coin: the crushing self-doubt that can creep in. He explained that when the writing isn't flowing, and the pressure mounts to match past successes, the feeling of inadequacy becomes overwhelming. The very achievements that should offer reassurance can, ironically, become a source of anxiety. He confessed that the idea of relying on past success can become "another rod for your back." He states, "You don’t know how possible it is for me to be a really bad writer because you don’t see all these drafts where it’s really bad.”
Succession, which wrapped up its fourth series in 2023 and earned a staggering 19 Emmys and 9 Golden Globes, is a testament to Armstrong's talent. Yet, the writer revealed that even with such accolades, the feeling of being an impostor persists.
He revealed a common thread among talented writers: self-doubt. "All the good writers I know that I’ve ever met are riddled with self-doubt and lack of certainty about whether what they’ve just done is good." He described the internal struggle as a battle between doubt and hope. It's a mix of believing something could be great and fearing exposure as a fraud. He said, “I think you go in maybe with this 70% feeling that it’s like: ‘Oh, this is going to be a disaster and I’m going to be exposed as the fraud I always thought I was all along’. You need that 10 to 20% – if you’re lucky, 30% – feeling of: ‘If I could do the version of this which I think it should be, it could be really great’."
Armstrong's words offer a glimpse into the minds of creatives, reminding us that even those who appear to have it all together often grapple with self-doubt. He suggests that with experience, the confidence to overcome those negative feelings can grow. The full Desert Island Discs interview is available on BBC Sounds and BBC Radio 4.
What are your thoughts? Do you find it surprising that someone so successful experiences impostor syndrome? Share your experiences and opinions in the comments below!
