Carol Doyle

An Irish-born potential triple threat, Carol Doyle moved to the USA in the late 1980s to pursue a career as an actress. After working in theater and TV commercials, she augmented her creativity by writing scripts. Doyle landed deals with production companies in her native land to script "Dance With the Divil," an Irish political story, and "Comfort Zone," which would mark her directorial debut. Her first produced script, however, was for the elegant adaptation of the Henry James novella "Washington Square" (1997). While the material had served as the basis of a hit play and film ("The Heiress"), Doyle's version, directed with meticulous care by Agniezka Holland, was more faithful to the original novel. The 1997 feature developed the relationship between Catherine Sloper, the ungainly and insecure heiress, and her demanding and domineering father. While critics praised the finished product, the film failed to reach a wide audience. Nevertheless, Doyle attracted admirers and was tapped to pen the biopic of slain Irish journalist Veronica Guerin.