Dopesick Star Kaitlyn Dever: ‘I Realized I Can Make a Difference Through the Roles I Choose’

Book Shop, released to great acclaim in 2019, featured Dever in the greatest coming-of-age story of recent times as a teenage outsider dealing with the end of his high school life. Warm, inclusive, encouraging and extremely funny, this is a portrayal of teenage female friendship to enjoy.

And in the Netflix series IncredibleIn the same year’s release, Dever plays Marie Adler, a rape victim who the police refuse to believe, is pressured into recanting her story, and is accused of lying. Dever’s performance is astounding, and the fact-based drama is devastating to watch.

“I really saw the impact Incredible impacted people,” Dever says.

“Since then, I’ve realized that I can do what I love—working with characters, being part of projects that have actors that inspire me—but can also create change through the roles I choose. I know how to be strategic and find stories that deserve to be told.

“When I did Incredible people came up to me feeling moved enough by the story to feel comfortable sharing their own experiences. I’m so grateful to be a part of something that does this for one person, let alone millions. These stories are very important.”

Her performance at Dopesick also made an impact in helping marginalized and maligned people feel seen. “I read it and was shocked by the injustice of the Purdue story,” she said.

“It’s amazing – and it’s true. I could not believe it. Since my knowledge of the opioid epidemic was limited to its literal existence, I knew little beyond that. I was born in 1996, that’s when it all started. And the truth is buried.”

Not anymore. V intoxicatingBased on Beth Macy’s expose on the opioid crisis, we see scandal from all sides. We sit in on Purdue’s board meetings where they cynically target their so-called miracle drug OxyContin at cities that are centers of the mining, farming and logging industries. “These people are suffering. They have a hard life, and we have a cure,” one Purdue representative told sales staff.

We follow the DEA (Drug Enforcement Administration) investigation into OxyContin, including the discovery of one doctor who later thanked them for arresting him by selling pills in the back seat of his car to an 11-year-old girl.

Most importantly, we see the devastation that OxyContin has brought to communities. Drug addiction, crime, social dysfunction, broken lives. And here we meet Betsy Mullum, the first woman coal miner in her small Virginia town.

“She’s an incredible character,” Dever said. “It’s a heartbreaking, tragic journey, but at the same time it’s a story of resilience and strength. And I love strong female roles.

“So for me it’s a dream job. She represents so much. I felt a really big responsibility.

“What she has to go through is unthinkable. Truly unimaginable. She is a person who had big plans for her life. She had dreams. “She had hopes.”

Betsy’s relationship with Dr. Samuel Finnix (played by bird man star Michael Keaton) is close to it. And this is reflected behind the scenes. “I love him,” Dever chuckles when talking about Keaton. “He truly is a legend.”

A doctor is the backbone of the local community, its eyes and ears, a confident and conscientious medical worker. And like many others, he was persuaded by Purdue salespeople and became convinced—against his better judgment—that the opioid, unlike other equally powerful painkillers on the market, was not addictive. So, like thousands of doctors across the country, Finnix prescribed it. Repeatedly. And like millions of people across the country, Betsy became addicted as drug use spread through her community like wildfire.

“She was just going to see a doctor about her back pain so the pain would go away so she could continue working,” Dever said. “It’s just heartbreaking. I really felt a desperate need to really dive into it all and make sure I was giving it everything I had. Because she deserved it.

“What’s so great about intoxicating

is that we see cause and effect. We see where it all started and how it affected people with addiction, how it affected their families.

“It really changes your brain chemistry. It changes the way you interact with people. And it completely changes your life. This completely ruined Betsy’s life.

“The number one goal was for people to learn more about this epidemic and hopefully have more empathy. Everyone knows someone who suffers from addiction or has lost loved ones to this drug. I definitely know a couple of people who have had this. “A lot of people will feel noticed.”

intoxicating now airs on iPlayer and BBC2 on Sunday evenings from 28 April 2024. It originally aired in the UK on Disney+

This article is taken from The Big Issue. If you can’t get in touch with your local supplier, you can still click HERE to subscribe to The Big Issue today or gift a subscription to a friend or family member. You can also purchase one-off issues from The Big Issue Shop or from The Big Issue app, available now on the App Store or Google Play.