Mary Agnes Donoghue Biography

Fast Facts

• Her first writing credit was the romantic comedy "The Buddy System" in 1984
• Worked at a number of secretarial jobs before finding steady work as a screenwriter
• Quote: "The writer in me - and this is a terrible thing to say - was a bit sneering about directors․ I think the vision is the writer's․ There is no question about it․ Whoever put the stuff on the page had the vision․ Other people interpret it․"
• Quote: "(On "Deceived"): "I was fascinated by the idea of having a middle-class safe existence, predictable; and then certain events take place that let you know that you know nothing about your own life and the people in it․""
• Quote: "You don't waste your time on self-loathing and self-doubt․ I mean all that's there, it never goes away, but you know that it's a waste of time․ You start thinking, 'get on and do it․' When you're as old as I am, bravery gets easier․"
• Best known as a screenwriter and director who wrote "White Oleander" and "Deceived․"
• Wrote and directed the film "Paradise" in 1991, which was based on the French film "Le Grand Chemin․"