Irish actress Victoria Smurfit has co-written a TV pilot with ‘Make It or Break It’ creator Holly Sorenson which is currently in development with ABC in America.
Smurfit and Sorenson, who are old friends, decided to team up for the series which is being billed as a ‘soap’ in America. The show, with the working title ‘Vein’ (and ABC’s working title ‘Vain’), follows five young women who manage to break into the cosmetic industry in America, thanks to a dark secret they are keeping.
Speaking to IFTN from her current base in LA, Smurfit told how the original idea switched from a book she was initially writing into a screenplay. “It’s been kind of amazing. I wrote up half a book before we moved over here and I showed it to a friend of mine who is a writer here (Sorenson) and she liked it and said ‘You’re a writer, keep going, keep going’, so I did.
“Over here a soap is considered something that’s not hardcore drama, it’s got a light touch to it,” said Smurfit.
The script is currently in development for a pilot with ABC, the broadcaster behind Emmy-winning sitcom ‘Modern Family’, new hit drama series ‘Revenge’ and fantasy show ‘Once Upon a Time’, which stars Irish duo Colin O’Donoghue (The Rite) and Sarah Bolger (The Tudors).
Super producer Mark Gordon, who has worked on everything from ‘Criminal Minds’, ‘Private Practice’, ‘Saving Private Ryan’ and ‘Broken Arrow’, is also on board to produce ‘Vein’ with ABC’s head of drama TV, Nick Pepper.
ABC has given Smurfit and Sorenson a deadline of pilot season in January to decide whether it will bring the pilot forward for production. While Smurfit says no cast has been chosen yet, ABC is likely to cast American actresses for the roles.
She says: “Part of the pitch process is putting together a cast board so that you can get an idea of the characters that you’re talking about. Mark Gordon is one of the biggest producers in the land, I’m a firm believer in listening to the professionals, I’m grateful to be listening and learning at this stage.”
Smurfit has had a successful acting career to date, with roles in ITV series ‘Trial & Retribution’, RTÉ series ‘The Clinic’ as well as a number of Hollywood movies, including ‘The Beach’ which starred Leonardo DiCaprio and Tilda Swinton, and ‘About A Boy’ with Hugh Grant. Smurfit, who also hosted the 2010 IFTA Awards Ceremony, currently lives in LA where she works as an actress and writer.
“There is an amazing satisfaction for once being in a creative capacity from the beginning here, it’s amazingly gratifying rather than at the other end, which I love. I love acting and I love turning up and fulfilling somebody else’s concept of the character and telling the story that way, but to be able to tell the story from the roots of it and be in charge of it is really interesting,” said Smurfit.
Until pilot season comes knocking in January, Smurfit says she is “really honoured and touched and delighted that we managed to get ours [script] in the door”.
