Painkiller is a new fictionalized retelling of the opioid epidemic that ravaged America—but which characters are real people and which were created for dramatic effect?
All six episodes of the new limited series are available to watch on Netflix now. The show stars the likes of Matthew Broderick, Uzo Aduba, Sam Anderson, Taylor Kitsch and Clark Gregg.
Created by Micah Fitzerman-Blue and Noah Harpster, Painkiller tells the story of the creation of OxyContin by Purdue Pharma, and how it contributed to the opioid epidemic in the United States. The show gives the perspectives of multiple characters, some of whom existed in real life, while others are fictional composites created to help tell an expansive story.
Characters Based on Real People in Painkiller
Richard Sackler played by Matthew Broderick
Matthew Broderick plays former Purdue Pharma Chairman and President Richard Sackler. He's best known for being one of the key men in developing OxyContin, which has strong connections to the opioid epidemic in the United States.
The billionaire Sackler family are synonymous with Purdue Pharma, having acquired the company in 1952. In Hulu's 2021 limited series also exploring the opioid crisis, Dopesick, Richard Sackler was played by Michael Stuhlbarg.
Raymond Sackler played by Sam Anderson
Raymond Sackler was Arthur Sackler's father, another American physician and businessman, who acquired Purdue Pharma alongside his two brothers. He died in 2017 at the age of 97.
Mortimer Sackler played by John Rothman
Mortimer Sackler, Raymond's brother, was another co-owner of Purdue Pharma. He died in 2010 at the age of 93.
John Brownlee played by Tyler Ritter
John Leslie Brownlee is an American lawyer best known for his case against Purdue Pharma. Between 2001 and 2008 he was the United States Attorney for the Western District of Virginia.
Howard Udell played by Brian Markinson
Howard Udell was Purdue Pharma's chief legal officer.
Arthur Sackler Sr. played by Clark Gregg
One of the three brothers who acquired Purdue Pharma, Arthur Sackler Sr. is played by Clark Gregg.
Rudy Giuliani played by Ned Van Zandt
Former New York City mayor and Donald Trump's ex lawyer Rudy Giuliani also represented Purdue Pharma.
Fictional Characters in Painkiller
A core contingent of the cast are fictional characters (or "composite" characters) created to illustrate how people's lives were affected by the opioid crisis in varying ways.
Here's how Netflix describes each character:
Edie Flowers played by Uzo Aduba
Edie Flowers is "a lawyer working for the U.S. Attorney's office who is investigating OxyContin." Aduba previously starred in Netflix's Orange Is the New Black as Suzanne 'Crazy Eyes' Warren, the breakout role that won her two Emmys, and has recently appeared in Mrs. America, In Treatment, and Lightyear.
Glen Kryger played by Taylor Kitsch
Glen Kryger is described as "a hardworking family man and business owner whose life is upended after an injury." Kitsch previously collaborated with Painkiller director Pete Berg for his breakout role as Tim Riggins in the TV series version of Friday Night Lights, as well as roles in Battleship and Lone Survivor. He was most recently seen in Amazon's The Terminal List alongside Chris Pratt.
Shannon Schaeffer played by West Duchovny
Netflix describes Shannon Schaeffer as "an ex-college athlete and new recruit to the Purdue sales team." West Duchovny is the daughter of David Duchovny and Téa Leoni. Duchovny's first major TV role prior to Painkiller was in Hulu's Saint X which premiered in April 2023, following guest roles in The Magicians and The X-Files revival.
Britt Hufford played by Dina Shihabi
Britt Hufford is "a veteran sales rep for Purdue who mentors Shannon." Shihabi has previously appeared in Netflix series Daredevil and Archive 81, along with Amazon's Tom Clancy's Jack Ryan, and Showtime's Ghosts of Beirut.
All six episodes of Painkiller are available to watch on Netflix now.
Uncommon Knowledge
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Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
About the writer
Jamie Burton is a Newsweek Senior TV and Film Reporter (Interviews) based in London, U.K. His focus is reporting on ... Read more
