Dopesick, the brand new eight episode miniseries on Disney Plus Hotstar (or Hulu if you’re reading this in the United States), an adaptation of Beth Macy’s critically acclaimed Dopesick: Dealers, Doctors, and the Drug Company That Addicted America, is a deep dive into America’s struggle with opioids, the toll its taken on the country, and the legal battles against the pharmaceutical companies that have brought on this crisis.
Among the show’s many powerful threads and stories is that of Betsy Mallum – played by Kaitlyn Dever (Last Man Standing, Booksmart, Unbelievable) – a young miner who is overwhelmed by pain and addiction, as well as trying to hide her sexual orientation deep in conservative Appalachia.
In this Goggler exclusive, we speak to Kaitlyn Dever about getting into the mind of Betsy, what it was like working with Michael Keaton, and how the series changed her worldview.
Umapagan Ampikaipakan: Hey Kaitlyn, how are you?
Kaitlyn Dever: Hi. I’m doing really well.
UA: First of all, it’s an absolute pleasure to be speaking to you. Booksmart is one of those movies that we play in my house whenever we discover that our guests haven’t seen Booksmart. Yes, it gets in the way of conversation, but we love the movie so much.
KD: That means a lot to me. Thank you for saying that.
UA: Over here in Malaysia, there is an awareness of the crisis, but I don’t think we really know how bad things are in America beyond the headlines. This series is a real deep dive and it is phenomenal. So, to kick things off, I was wondering if you could tell me what drew you to Dopesick and how aware you were of the extent of the crisis before doing this?
KD: Thank you for saying all of that. I’m eager for the rest of the world to see the show, to hear their thoughts, and to see their reactions.
It was a story that I was aware of. I was aware of the crisis. But again, even in the States, where the crisis is going on, for many years it was still very much unknown how it all really began. Because it essentially started from the manipulation and lies by the Sackler family. And that element is something that was and is still pretty unknown. I didn’t know about it. And I can say that a lot of my friends and people that I spoke to when I was first reading the book didn’t know either.
And then there’s Betsy. She’s just such a powerful and courageous character, and I loved her journey in the in the show. I just loved how special she was and how heartbreaking her story is. It blew my mind what she has to go through in this story. And I felt like I wanted to just pour everything I had into this role. It just truly means the world to me that I got to play her.
UA:She goes through a lot. We were given the first three episodes to watch because it hasn’t officially dropped in Malaysia yet, and I was watching episode one, and your character’s got to deal with pain, she’s got to deal with being gay in a conservative society, she’s got to deal with addiction, and I’m thinking, “Oh my God, this is not going to go well for her.”
That right there is initially why I wanted to be a part of it. And in talking to Danny (Strong) about it, he too was just infuriated when he was first reading about it and diving into all of the facts. He just felt that this is an insane story that has to be told.
And I wanted to be a part of it because I think it’s always important when we can shed light on things that were buried, and stories that do deserve to be told.
UA: One of my favorite dynamics in Dopesick is the one between you and Dr. Finnix. I just I love that rapport. He felt like those old time doctors that we used to read about. You know, the ones that are genuinely invested in the lives of their patients. Could you talk to me about that relationship, because he feels like the one character that Betsy could really open up to? Also, is Batman everything I imagined him to be?
KD: Michael Keaton is everything you’d want him to be and more. He is truly the greatest ever. But yeah, I felt the same when I first read the first episode. I just loved the relationship between Dr. Finnix and Betsy. I just love that he sees her for who she is. He has always known who she is and has always accepted her and loved her for whatever she wanted whoever she wanted to be. I just love their connection. I think it’s just so special.
KD: And I really loved getting to play opposite Michael Keaton. He is just the most incredible actor. Watching him you just can’t help but believe everything he says and does. You can’t help but just literally believe every word that comes out of his mouth. And because he’s just that good, and he’s that honest with his work, that it was such a masterclass getting to act with him in those scenes. It was truly such an honor.
UA: Don’t sell yourself short. You were incredible as well. There is that moment in the second episode, when Betsy and Finnix are in his clinic together, and it’s just two lines where he goes, “call me,” and you immediately respond, “or you will call me.” And that was all we needed to know about how much he actually cares about his patients.
UA: You know, there is a power in shows like Dopesick. Headlines aside, fiction like this puts a human face on the problem, and it became apparent to me that a show like this will change the way people think about the world. Not just in America but all the way out here as well. How did making it touch you? Did it change your worldview in any way?
KD: I had already done a lot of research on addiction, specifically for another project I did called Beautiful Boy. But this required a deep dive. And you know, dealing with Oxy is a very different thing. And in my research, I learned that addiction is definitely not black and white.
I now have so much empathy towards people dealing with addiction. And opioid addiction specifically. And I hope that in releasing this show, like you said, we’re able to really humanize these characters. There is so much humanity in Dopesick that I think it allows the audience to really connect to it on a deeper level, to be able to better understand this issue, to have more empathy towards it, and learn from it.
That was the thing for me. I hope for the whole world to essentially develop more empathy. That was the main thing was thinking about when I was bringing Betsy to life.
UA: Thank you so much for your time Kaitlyn. Congratulations on Dopesick. It’s fantastic.
KD: Thank you so much. That means a lot to me.
Follow Us