INTERVIEW: ‘Dying for Sex’ Director Shannon Murphy on Portraying Authentic Human Behavior by Blending Comedy & Drama

The Knockturnal sat down with acclaimed director Shannon Murphy to discuss her brand-new project Dying for Sex, an FX show that premieres on Friday, April 4th. 

Murphy’s directorial approach remains consistent across genres, from Killing Eve to Dave to Dope Girls, aiming to balance drama and comedy for the sake of showcasing authentic human stories in original and unexpected ways. “I think for me it’s always about the exquisite tension between raw emotion and brutal comedy,” says the Babyteeth director. “I feel like that plays into all the drama I focus on, or all the comedy. I’m always still trying to pull the opposing emotion.” 

This shines through in Dying for Sex, a new series based on Molly Kochan’s real-life experience of being diagnosed with stage IV cancer and leaving her husband of 15 years to freely explore her sexual desires. Both tragedy and comedy are baked into the premise, and Murphy recounts an on-set highlight of filming one of the most theatrical and chaotic scenes in the series: “Everyone had to hit their mark at the right time, hide behind curtains, jump out from under a bed, Esco was pulling a butt plug out of her mouth… just madness. It was hysterical and we had so much fun amongst an episode that’s so full of pain and sorrow. It was a joyful moment to be recording that.”

One of Murphy’s biggest takeaways while researching the project was to “really understand and appreciate other people’s kinks and intimacies, not just from a comedic perspective, but from the raw honesty of what that feels like and what that connection is.” This fascination with raw human behavior drives Murphy’s work in film and TV, and initially drew her to directing in the first place. “I think my mother would have always said that I have a real interest in the psychology of people and was always analyzing people’s behavior. She thought I was gonna become a therapist.” 

Murphy also references visual arts and dance as major sources of inspiration, and she naturally gravitates towards projects that challenge her previous experiences. The breadth of her work speaks for itself; elements of music and harmony are defining features of Murphy’s style, and she encourages aspiring directors to stay informed in creative industries outside of their own. “Don’t listen to what anyone tells you, really. I’ve always been a very out-of-the box thinker and not really interested in following the grain so much,” says Murphy. “I think the only way you can be ahead of the zeitgeist is to just be the most authentic thinker in your own unique way.”

In regards to Dope Girls, a new BBC period drama series in which Murphy directed 3 of the 6 episodes, Murphy discusses the frequently tired, muted visuals typical of historical cinema. “The canon of period drama is often a particular look – it’s usually quite sepia toned, or there’s a grittiness, and everyone’s covered in soot, and that doesn’t feel honest to me,” she tells The Knockturnal. Instead of depicting the past as something outdated and silenced in its antiquity, Murphy uses vibrant colors and spirited visuals in Dope Girls to create an authentic atmosphere as alive and buzzing as if it were the present moment. “They’re not old now, they were alive and present and then, so what does it feel like if we drop cameras into that period and it feels as electric and exciting as it does post-war to be partying and so excited that you hadn’t died in the war, and celebrating.”

 

This theme of embracing the present in the wake of devastation is key in Murphy’s recent work, and Dying for Sex powerfully shows Kochan’s character fearlessly taking charge of her own life while she can, as opposed to the typical narrative depiction of waiting for deathbed clarity and confession. “Wouldn’t it be amazing if we found a way to do it while we knew we were living and didn’t have the greatest existential crisis coming our way?,” says Murphy. The result is an unabashed and fearless depiction of life, death, and sexual exploration in Dying for Sex, which uses both outrageous comedy and devastating tragedy to the same effect: accepting and proudly exploring our deepest inner desires. 

“And I guess at the end of the day, for me it’s so much about who you really love and how you want to be loved when you’re allowed to stop lying to everyone.”