He noted that, even though other executives and the company itself have pleaded guilty to crimes, the Sacklers individually haven't been charged with breaking any laws. Mann said as a journalist, he wasn't in a place where he knows what's in Sackler's heart. "It's challenging to figure out," Strong said. Macy and Strong dug through the books written about the Sacklers and interviewed former employees to understand what Richard Sackler was like.īut even Strong admits he's a bit of a mystery. In his reviewof Dopesick, NPR TV critic Eric Deggans wrote that Michael Stuhlbarg, who plays Purdue Pharma's former President Richard Sackler, has "the creepy intensity of a Bond villain." Stuhlbarg plays Sackler as a ruthless leader with few social skills intent on boosting Ox圜ontin sales regardless of the collateral damage. Hulu NPR TV critic Eric Deggans wrote that Michael Stuhlbarg, who plays Purdue Pharma's former President Richard Sackler, has "the creepy intensity of a Bond villain." I could achieve a more universal truth a higher truth." I could use as many anecdotes as I wanted. "By fictionalizing, I wouldn't be stuck to the truth of one person's life. "If I made these characters composite characters, I get way more of these anecdotes into these arcs with fewer characters and get more truthful stories into the show," Strong said. Keaton's character doesn't exist in the real world, but many doctors like him helped shape Finnix's story. As they grew addicted, Finnix developed his own dependence on the drug, beginning an odyssey through addiction and recovery that mirrored his patients' journey. Samuel Finnix, a dedicated doctor in a small Virginia mining town who was persuaded by a Purdue Pharma salesman to prescribe Ox圜ontin for his patients. ![]() Is Michael Keaton's character based on a real doctor? "I've been in West Virginia, Ohio, communities that have been devastated by this public health crisis and it seems unlikely that corporations or their leaders involved in the opioid business will be held accountable," Mann added. "I think that a storyline like Dopesick in the somewhat fictionalized narrative can bring a kind of moral throughline that often feels pretty satisfying," added Mann. ![]() Brian Mann, NPR's addiction correspondent, said the TV show streamlines the real-life story in ways that can make for more effective TV drama. The Sacklers, however, maintain they did nothing wrong. Hulu's Dopesick also portrays a law enforcement and regulatory system struggling to hold the Sacklers and Purdue Pharma accountable, overwhelmed by their financial, legal and lobbying resources. They're often shown as callous villains with little regard for patients who become addicted or communities devastated by the disease. When it comes to members of the Sackler family who own and control Ox圜ontin manufacturer Purdue Pharma, the series takes a strong position. Anything that didn't feel real wouldn't fly.īut Strong says several characters in Dopesick are fictionalized - their character arcs assembled from the stories of a few different people. "Because we were documenting the crimes of Purdue Pharma, the show needed to feel as real as possible," Macy said. They consulted a doctor who had been addicted to Ox圜ontin who revealed the horrors he suffered. ![]() They brought in people from small towns and with opioid abuse disorder. ![]() While developing the show, they did extensive research to give the series a feeling of authenticity. They had a fateful meeting in Chicago, and decided to work together to add authenticity to Strong's scripts. Hulu's limited series is based in part on material from the nonfiction book Dopesick: Dealers, Doctors and the Drug Company that Addicted America by journalist Beth Macy, who has written extensively about the opioid crisis in Appalachia.Īs Macy was considering offers around Hollywood, executive producer Danny Strong had already set up his own opioid addiction project at 20th Television. NPR TV critic Eric Deggans and NPR addiction correspondent Brian Mann spoke with Dopesick author Beth Macy and Dopesick series creator/showrunner Danny Strong to discuss the show and just how real it is. Hulu's Dopesick depicts the start of the opioid addiction crisis in the U.S. This story contains spoilers about events depicted in Hulu's limited series. Follow us on Twitter, and read more of NPR's addiction coverage here. Editor's note: This story contains quotes and information originally discussed during a Twitter Spaces event hosted by NPR TV critic Eric Deggans and featuring NPR addiction correspondent Brian Mann, Dopesick book author Beth Macy, Dopesick series creator/showrunner Danny Strong and more.
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