Dever stated that although Betsy is a fictional character, she represents the various ordinary people who were affected by the epidemic. Likewise, Dever also opened up about her character in an interview. Similarly, in a separate interview, Poulter said that his character was designed by keeping in mind employees who worked at Purdue. In an interview, creator Danny Strong said that he utilized composite characters to incorporate as many people’s stories as possible and give the narrative a sense of universal truth. Therefore, it is safe to say that the characters are a work of fiction and are inspired by the shared plight of various real people who have first-hand experience of the opioid crisis. The characters are an amalgamation of various real people the show’s makers interviewed to obtain material and craft a realistic story.

Neither Billy nor Betsy is based on any single real person. On the other hand, after a back injury, Betsy finds herself addicted to Ox圜ontin and fails to recover from her addiction, which, in turn, affects the lives of her family.īoth characters’ storylines are resonant and help the audience understand the multi-faceted problem triggered by the misbranding of Ox圜ontin. Thus, Billy finds himself in a moral conflict. However, the company is using lies and made-up facts to market their drug as non-addictive through their sales reps. Both characters represent a section of people affected by the opioid crisis while simultaneously being a part of the problem.īilly markets Purdue Pharma’s drug Ox圜ontin to various doctors and asks them to prescribe it to their patients. Actress Kaitlyn Dever (‘ Unbelievable‘) plays the part of Betsy Mallum, a hardworking closeted lesbian young girl who works as a miner in a small Virginia town. In ‘Dopesick,’ actor Will Poulter (‘ Midsommar‘) essays the role of Billy Cutler, a pharmaceutical sales rep working for Purdue Pharma.

Here’s everything we learned about the inspiration behind Billy Cutler and Betsy Mallum!Īre Dopesick’s Billy Cutler and Betsy Mallum Based on Real People? We also got curious about the same and did a little research into the matter. Two of the show’s most relatable characters are Billy Cutler and Betsy Mallum, and given the show’s non-fiction source material, it is easy to wonder whether the two are based on actual persons.

Dopesick based book