Even the brilliant mind behind the global phenomenon Succession feels like a fraud sometimes? Yes, you read that right. Jesse Armstrong, the award-winning creator of the hit HBO drama, has openly admitted to grappling with impostor syndrome, a feeling of inadequacy despite evident success. It's a surprisingly common experience, even among the most accomplished individuals.
Armstrong, known for crafting the ruthless world of the Roy family and their media empire, starring Brian Cox as the formidable Logan Roy, is no stranger to critical acclaim. Beyond Succession's staggering 19 Emmy wins (including Outstanding Drama Series) and 9 Golden Globes, he's also an Oscar nominee for co-writing In The Loop, a spin-off film from The Thick of It, alongside Simon Blackwell, Armando Iannucci, and Tony Roche. Plus, he's snagged TV Baftas for his work on the beloved comedy Peep Show.
But here's where it gets controversial... Can someone who has demonstrably created some of the most compelling and culturally relevant television of our time really feel like they're faking it?
In a recent interview on BBC Radio 4’s Desert Island Discs with Lauren Laverne, Armstrong, 55, described the exhilarating experience of a writers' room firing on all cylinders. "When a writers’ room is working well, it’s like you’re walking on the moon," he explained. "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.” It's a vivid analogy, illustrating the collaborative power of shared creativity. Think of it like a jazz band improvising a brilliant new melody together, each member contributing to a harmonious whole.
However, Armstrong also highlighted the darker side of the writing process. He acknowledged the struggle when inspiration wanes and the pressure to replicate past successes looms large. “You can get really good days and hours working writing alone, but when it’s not working and you feel you’re not going to equal the best version of the thing you’re trying to make, I would find that very, very difficult." And this is the part most people miss... The expectation created by previous triumphs can become a burden, not a comfort. "The theoretically consoling idea that ‘oh, it’ll be all right because you’ve done it before’, actually becomes another rod for your back," Armstrong confessed.
He further elaborated on the pervasive self-doubt that many writers, himself included, experience. "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.” It's a humbling reminder that even the most celebrated creators face moments of uncertainty and fear.
Despite the accolades and recognition, Armstrong maintains that impostor syndrome is a constant companion. “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 battle, saying, “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’.”
But there's a glimmer of hope, a counterbalancing force that keeps him going. “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’.” That sliver of belief, that potential for greatness, is what fuels the creative engine. As Armstrong wisely noted, “I think maybe that little bit of confidence that you know that that’s how it feels, maybe that grows in you. Also, knowing that the negative feelings are not necessarily true.”
So, what does this tell us? Perhaps that even the most successful individuals are still navigating the same insecurities and anxieties as the rest of us. Does knowing that Jesse Armstrong, the mind behind Succession, experiences impostor syndrome make you feel any differently about your own struggles? Does it normalize the feeling or diminish his accomplishments in your eyes? It's a complex issue with no easy answers, and we'd love to hear your thoughts in the comments below. You can listen to the full Desert Island Discs interview on BBC Sounds and BBC Radio 4 from Sunday at 10am.
