It seems that every time I encounter an artist and we have time enough to talk about what we’ve both been up to, I will sooner or later hear the same exclamation, always with reverence and love – “OH! I know Winsome!” That’s what happens when the name Winsome Brown inevitably comes up in my conversations. She is the unforgettable voice who narrates the audiobook of my novel SARAH and reads “Baby Doll” for the audiobook of The Heart Is Deceitful Above All Things (both released by Blackstone Publishing). Having Winsome Brown bring out the drama and humanity in my fiction is a singular honor.
An Obie-award-winning stage actor, she has captivated theater audiences in North America and Europe. Viewers in their homes have seen Winsome appearing everywhere, with roles in Supergirl, Elementary, Heights, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, and A Master Builder with director Jonathan Demme. The Paul Greengrass film News of the World with Tom Hanks was her most recent credit – until this month and the premiere of the new dramatic mini-series Dopesick on Hulu.
The desperate truth is that everyone seems to know someone who is struggling with opioid addiction, and Dopesick takes a harrowing look at the devastation caused by the drug OxyContin, an opiate introduced by Purdue Pharma, owned by the Sackler family. Winsome Brown portrays Theresa Sackler, and she and I got together to unpack her role and the horrific machinations of the Sackler family, along with other manifestations of addiction – including social media, which she compares to OxyContin, being engineered to “make you want that next hit.”
Created by Danny Strong, Dopesick airs on HULU featuring a powerhouse ensemble cast, including Rosario Dawson, Michael Keaton, Kaitlyn Dever, Peter Sarsgaard, Will Poulter, Phillipa Soo, Mare Winningham and Ray McKinnon.
Watch the interview HERE
