In a new interview ahead of his new project 'Dopesick' release, the 'Green Lantern' actor says that he refused to accept the drug, noting that there's no part of him that 'wants any of that stuff.'
- Oct 13, 2021
AceShowbiz - Peter Sarsgaard apparently wants to raise awareness about the drug problem in Hollywood. In a new interview, "The Looming Tower" star revealed that his fellow actor once offered him OxyContin, but he refused to accept it.
"I've actually been offered OxyContin before by a fellow actor and I saw what it did to him," the 50-year-old actor said during the interview with Page Six published on Tuesday, October 12. He further stressed that he didn't take the offer as saying, "So there's no part of me that wants any of that stuff."
Peter further explained, "Because of history in my family with a number of people, I don't do any stuff." The "Orphan" actor then elaborated on the reason why he refused to take the drug, "Also, I come from an industry where I've seen people die from all kinds of drugs."
Elsewhere in the interview, Peter noted that he will not take any pills or undergo treatments unless his medical team approves it. "I don't say [a pharmaceutical drug] is okay just because the FDA approved it. There were lobbyists that got them to approve it," he stressed. "I don't trust that. I trust my doctor; I have a good doctor."
Peter shared his thoughts about the drug problem and pharmaceutical medications ahead of the release of his new dramatic miniseries, "Dopesick". The series is set to debut on October 13 on Hulu. It is about the pharmaceutical company, Purdue Pharma, which is led by the Sackler family, who aggressively sold the highly addictive OxyContin.
Peter plays Rick Mountcastle, the real-life assistant U.S. attorney who led the Justice Department investigation into the conglomerate. Like others in the cast, including Rosario Dawson, "The Magnificent Seven" actor said he was drawn to star on the miniseries because of its subject matter. "I have a personal connection in my life, several personal connections with people that have struggled with this exact thing in one way or another," he divulged.
The Sackler family has consistently publicly denied responsibility for the opioid crisis that has claimed thousands of lives across America. As a result, the family has been protected from future litigation, after a judge agreed last month to greenlight a bankruptcy reorganization plan for Purdue Pharma.
However, Peter thought the Sackler family might feel some guilt for their alleged hand in the case. "I mean, they -- theoretically, they're human. They must feel some sense of shame," so said "The Batman" star. "But sometimes when you're in this deep, cognitive dissonance takes over and you're not really capable of facing it because it would be too horrible."
Peter also added that starring in serious projects like "Dopesick" was satisfying for him. "I also like a bit of diversion," the actor added. "I'm totally a person who consumes things that aren't like this, but I don't really like things that are sort of in between. … I either want Batman or I want this."
