TV veteran Tolan in theaters with directing debut

LOS ANGELES (Hollywood Reporter) - Peter Tolan has applied his sardonic touch to "The Job" and "Rescue Me," the darkly comic TV shows he co-created with Denis Leary.

Now, Tolan has a trio of new projects brewing: the ABC pilot "The Unusuals," which he is executive producing; the Showtime pilot "The End of Steve," which he is co-writing with Matthew Perry; and his semi-autobiographical directorial debut, "Finding Amanda," starring Matthew Broderick as a troubled TV writer, which hit theaters last Friday.

THE HOLLYWOOD REPORTER: "FINDING AMANDA" IS A MOVIE ABOUT A

FORMER ALCOHOLIC AND DRUG DABBLER WHO BURNS MUCH OF THE MONEY

HE EARNS AS A TELEVISION WRITER-PRODUCER ON THE RACES -- WOULD

IT BE MISLEADING IF THEY RE-TITLED IT "THE PETER TOLAN STORY?"

Peter Tolan: (laughs) The original character name was Taylor Peters, and I ended up changing it to Taylor Mendon because I thought, 'I'm being a little obvious here.' I have been known to gamble in my day. I'm not a drinker, and I've never really taken drugs, but I wanted to make myself appear a little sexier.

THE HOLLYWOOD REPORTER: WHAT ABOUT THE NATURE OF THE NIECE

CHARACTER, AMANDA (BRITTANY SNOW), WHO IS MAKING A LIVING IN  Continued...