Donald Paul Roos (born April 14, 1955) is an American

screenwriter A screenplay writer (also called screenwriter, scriptwriter, scribe or scenarist) is a writer who practices the craft of screenwriting, writing screenplays on which mass media, such as films, television programs and video games, are based. ...

and

film director A film director controls a film's artistic and dramatic aspects and visualizes the screenplay (or script) while guiding the film crew and actors in the fulfilment of that vision. The director has a key role in choosing the cast members, pr ...

Life and career

Roos was born in upstate New York into a conservative Roman Catholic family of mostly Irish descent. He attended the

University of Notre Dame The University of Notre Dame du Lac, known simply as Notre Dame ( ) or ND, is a private Catholic research university in Notre Dame, Indiana, outside the city of South Bend. French priest Edward Sorin founded the school in 1842. The main c ...

in Indiana. After graduating, Roos moved to Los Angeles, where he pursued a television screenwriting career. Roos supported himself by working as a word processor, and to this day jokes that he has that as a fall-back plan. Roos began his writing career when he had a friend of his impersonate an agent and represent him; a phone call led to a job with playwright Mart Crowley ('' The Boys in the Band''), who at the time was an executive producer of ''

Hart to Hart ''Hart to Hart'' is an American mystery television series that premiered on August 25, 1979, on ABC. The show stars Robert Wagner and Stefanie Powers as Jonathan and Jennifer Hart, respectively, a wealthy couple who lead a glamorous jetset life ...

''. Roos wrote for ''

The Colbys ''The Colbys'' (originally titled ''Dynasty II: The Colbys'') is an American prime time television soap opera that originally aired on ABC from November 20, 1985, to March 26, 1987. Created by Richard and Esther Shapiro and Eileen and Robert P ...

'', '' Nightingales'', and other TV shows, before his spec scripts led to feature film writing assignments. His first major film was 1992's

Academy Award The Academy Awards, better known as the Oscars, are awards for artistic and technical merit for the American and international film industry. The awards are regarded by many as the most prestigious, significant awards in the entertainment ind ...

-nominated '' Love Field'', an interracial drama starring

Michelle Pfeiffer Michelle Marie Pfeiffer (; born April 29, 1958) is an American actress and producer. A prolific performer whose screen work spans over four decades, she became one of Hollywood's most bankable stars and popular sex symbols during the 1980s ...

and

Dennis Haysbert Dennis Dexter Haysbert (born June 2, 1954) is an American actor. He is known for his roles as baseball player Pedro Cerrano in the '' Major League'' film trilogy, Secret Service agent Tim Collin in the political thriller film '' Absolute Power'' ...

. Roos's work as the writer of the film ''

Single White Female ''Single White Female'' is a 1992 American psychological erotic thriller film based on John Lutz's 1990 novel '' SWF Seeks Same''. It stars Bridget Fonda and Jennifer Jason Leigh and was directed by Barbet Schroeder. Plot New York City softwa ...

'' has earned him a permanent space in Hollywood movie trivia, since that title has entered the lexicon in reference to the film's psychopathic lead character who begins to take on her roommate's identity. Roos is well known for his work writing strong and engaging female characters, a skill that has also been useful in his film direction, leading to

Independent Spirit Award The Independent Spirit Awards (abbreviated Spirit Awards and originally known as the FINDIE or Friends of Independents Awards), founded in 1984, are awards dedicated to independent filmmakers. Winners were typically presented with acrylic glas ...

nominations for actors

Lisa Kudrow Lisa Valerie Kudrow ( ; born July 30, 1963) is an American actress, producer, and screenwriter. She rose to fame for her role as Phoebe Buffay in the sitcom ''Friends'' (1994–2004), which has since been named one of the greatest television cha ...

Christina Ricci Christina Ricci ( ; born February 12, 1980) is an American actress. Known for playing unusual characters with a dark edge, Ricci predominantly works in independent productions, but has also appeared in numerous box office hits. She has receive ...

and

Maggie Gyllenhaal Margalit Ruth "Maggie" Gyllenhaal (; born November 16, 1977) is an American actress and filmmaker. Part of the Gyllenhaal family, she is the daughter of filmmakers Stephen Gyllenhaal and Naomi Achs, and the older sister of actor Jake Gyllenh ...

. Roos himself has won a Best First Feature Independent Spirit Award, for ''

The Opposite of Sex ''The Opposite of Sex'' is a 1998 American romantic black comedy film written and directed by Don Roos, and starring Christina Ricci, Martin Donovan and Lisa Kudrow. A directorial debut for Roos, it marked the final film produced by Rysher En ...

''. Roos has polished or written the screenplay to many high-profile studio films, sometimes as uncredited script doctor. With his husband - actor, writer, and film producer

Dan Bucatinsky Daniel Bucatinsky (; born September 22, 1965) is an American actor, writer and producer, best known for his role as James Novak in the Shonda Rhimes drama series ''Scandal'', for which he won the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Guest Actor ...

- he has two children, Eliza and Jonah.

Films directed and written

* '' The Other Woman'' (2009) (also screenwriter) * '' Happy Endings'' (2005) (also writer) * '' Bounce'' (2000) (also writer) * ''

'' (1998) (also writer)

Films written

* ''

The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society ''The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society'' is a historical novel by Mary Ann Shaffer and Annie Barrows that was published in 2008. It was adapted into a film in 2018 featuring Lily James as Juliet Ashton and Matthew Goode as Sidney ...

'' (2018) (screenwriter) * ''

Marley & Me ''Marley & Me: Life and Love with the World's Worst Dog'' is an autobiographical book by journalist John Grogan, published in 2005, about the 13 years he and his family spent with their yellow Labrador Retriever, Marley. The dog is poorly be ...

'' (2008) (screenwriter) * '' Diabolique'' (1996) (writer) * ''

Boys on the Side '' Boys on the Side '' is a 1995 American comedy-drama film directed by Herbert Ross (in his final film as a director). It stars Whoopi Goldberg, Drew Barrymore, and Mary-Louise Parker as three friends on a cross-country road trip. The screenp ...

'' (1995) (writer) * '' Love Field'' (1992) (writer) * ''

'' (1992) (screenwriter)

References

External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Roos, Don 1955 births Living people 20th-century American male writers 20th-century American screenwriters 20th-century LGBT people 21st-century American male writers 21st-century American screenwriters 21st-century LGBT people American male screenwriters American male television writers American soap opera writers American television writers Film directors from New York City LGBT film directors LGBT screenwriters LGBT people from New York (state) Screenwriters from New York (state) Showrunners University of Notre Dame alumni Writers from New York City