'Dopesick' tells the story of the epicenter of struggle with opioid addiction

Nov. 4—Ian Unterman has been on numerous sets over the course of his career.

Yet, the time he spent on the set of the Hulu series "Dopesick" are moments he is going to treasure forever.

"It's unreal," he says of the experience. "Being part of the cast was amazing. We are also diving into an epidemic that still rages in the country."

"Dopesick" examines how one company triggered the worst drug epidemic in American history.

The series takes viewers to the epicenter of America's struggle with opioid addiction, from the boardrooms of Big Pharma, to a distressed Virginia mining community, to the hallways of the Drug Enforcement Agency.

It tells the story from several angles: doctors and patients using the drug, prosecutors and law enforcement trying to hold OxyContin manufacturer Purdue Pharma accountable, and the drug maker itself. The series offers an authentic portrayal of the small, working-class, predominantly white communities ravaged by the opioid crisis.

The limited series is inspired by the New York Times bestselling book by Beth Macy.

The eight-episode series stars Michael Keaton, Peter Sarsgaard, Michael Stuhlbarg, Will Poulter, John Hoogenakker, Kaitlyn Dever and Rosario Dawson. Guest stars include Phillipa Soo and Jake McDorman.

It is written by Danny Strong and directed by Barry Levinson.

Unterman plays Jonathan Sackler, brother of Richard Sackler, played by Stuhlbarg, the president and CEO of Purdue Pharma. Their deceptive marketing became the driving force behind the stratospheric rise of OxyContin, which led to the explosion of the opioid epidemic.

When Unterman auditioned for the series, he wasn't familiar with the book.

Though the series is inspired by the book, he got to know the material and, when he found out that Strong and Stuhlbarg were involved, he wanted the role.

"I spent five summers at the Williamstown Theatre Festival (in Massachusetts) and I saw Michael in a show there. It was a performance that had a profound impact on me. Then, I get this role years later and have the opportunity to play his brother."

In preparing for the role, Unterman researched anything he could find on Jonathan Sackler.

"I was looking for any scraps that I could find," he says. "It appears that everything has been scrubbed from the internet. He actually passed away in July 2020. He was 68. The only thing I could find was two photographs and one bit of video where he's asking a question at a symposium and his back is to the camera."

This is where Unterman had a little more range for the character.

"In terms of trying to replicate his look, we did it," he says. "I even had to shave my head for the role."

Unterman describes his character as a touchstone for his brother, Richard.

"Jonathan does enable his brother, but he's there to be that sounding board," he says. "He's very intense from the sidelines and is there to offer advice to his brother."

As Unterman's profile continues to rise in the film industry, he often looks at the writing and who is involved in a production.

"What I've always looked for is collaborators that I'm excited to work with," he says. "I feel like working with people I like is the No. 1 thing. Then, I look at characters that I can start to get into and tip over the cart a little bit. I want to subvert the expectations of how it lives on the page."

Streaming now

"Dopesick" tells the story of the epicenter of America's struggle with opioid addiction, from the boardrooms of Big Pharma, to a distressed Virginia mining community, to the hallways of the Drug Enforcement Agency. It is streaming on Hulu.