Diving into the tumultuous waters of the opioid crisis that plagues the USA, Netflix’s Painkiller emerged as a thought-provoking cinematic exploration of this devastating epidemic. While drawing inspiration from exposés by Barry Meier and Patrick Radden Keefe, the true-crime series delved into the intricate web of factors that allowed the crisis to grip the nation tightly. At the center of it all is Purdue Pharma commandeered by the Sackler family. Another name that kept popping up during it was that of John Brownlee. 

Many know the truth behind the real Sackler family. Now, the real identity of Brownlee has been unveiled too. 

Is John Brownlee from Painkiller a real attorney?

While Painkiller employed some fictionalization and introduced composite characters, the majority of what it portrayed was undeniably grounded in harsh reality. As it turns out, the US attorney who took notice of these horrific events, John Brownlee, is a real person! In the show, Brownlee spent years of effort before finally bringing criminal charges against the pharmaceutical giant that had pioneered the epidemic.

Today, Brownlee works with the Holland & Knight firm as a lawyer who specializes in white-collar defense. His character was portrayed as having settled the criminal case after being pressured by superiors to do so. While he never confirmed this allegation, Brownlee stood by the settlement made with Purdue after the conglomerate agreed to enter a guilty plea. His current bio also speaks of this achievement in detail. 

Another character whose real-life existence viewers have questioned is Dr. Curtis Wright. Well, his real-life story is no less shocking than Brownlee’s. 

What happened to Dr. Curtis Wright from Painkiller?

In Painkiller, the focus is not only on the company that pushed OxyContin on unsuspecting individuals but also on the cogs in the government machinery that were supposed to prevent this from occurring. Among those was Dr. Wright, who entered the series as an FDA employee who was charged with analyzing the drug and became an employee of Purdue by the end of it. Apparently, this fact was accurately represented.

After being won over by Purdue reps, he joined the company two years after leaving the FDA. By staying true to such real-life elements, Netflix managed to spread awareness regarding the greed rampant in the pharma industry, it became a top true crime pick for audiences and even the renowned writer Stephen King through this authenticity. Particularly due to the way it highlighted the systemic failures that allowed these events to occur. 

What did you think of the representation of John Brownlee in Painkiller? Share your thoughts in the comments.