Greg Davies has “destroyed” his apartment several times while trying to write comedy scenes.
The Inbetweeners star, who has written sitcoms such as Man Down and The Cleaner, sometimes finds it difficult to put his thoughts on paper and admits that he finds it particularly difficult to give structure to a script.
He said: “I have demolished my apartment several times – demolished things that are important to me.
“It’s important for young writers to hear that, because if you feel like you’re losing your mind, that’s normal. Writing is madness. I’ve never met anyone who enjoys writing.”
“A script has to have a certain order. You have to be incredibly disciplined, and in my mind it’s constantly going back and forth.”
Greg, who used to work as a teacher, now writes shows with writer and actor Stephen Morrison and admits it’s great to have someone he can “unplug” from.
He said: “I know now that I can’t be alone… it’s dangerous. I always need someone to vent to.”
“He’s brilliant too, but his presence in the room calms me down and stops me from breaking things.”
The star is still surprised when “real actors” like Helena Bonham Carter – who starred in “The Cleaner” – appear on his shows and recite his lines.
And although he admits he sometimes complains about being in comedy, he “loves it to the fullest” and is upset that he didn’t try to take the plunge earlier in his career.
Speaking at the BBC Comedy Festival in Newcastle, he added: “I was a teacher until I was 33 and I was terribly unhappy. Now I love everything.”
“Sometimes I’m a whining bastard about it, but deep down I can’t believe I get to do it and the only reason I get to do it is because I started it.
“Stop fooling around and do it. I’m angry with myself for not having the courage to do it or the nerve to ask how to do it sooner.”
