Pain Hustlers cast: All actors & characters in Netflix movie

❘ Published: 2023-10-27T11:52:33

Chris Evans as Brenner, Andy Garcia as Neel and Emily Blunt as Liza in Pain Hustlers

Netflix

There are some big names leading the cast of Pain Hustlers – so, with the dramedy movie on Netflix now, here’s your guide to the actors and the characters they play.

We’ve seen the opioid crisis story tackled in various ways, arguably the strongest being the Hulu drama series Dopesick, which saw Michael Keaton and Kaitlyn Dever in the roles of regular individuals whose lives were upended by Purdue’s forceful OxyContin marketing strategy.

This year, Netflix had a go with its series Painkiller – telling the same story but in a very different way, with Matthew Broderick taking on the role of the dastardly Purdue head Richard Sackler. Both shows have something to offer, shining a new light on what is undoubtedly a significant American tragedy.

Now it’s the turn of Pain Hustlers. Helmed by Harry Potter director David Yates, the movie focuses on a single mother as she takes a job at a pharmaceutical company, only to become embroiled in an opioid scam.

Contents

Liza Drake: Emily Blunt
Pete Brenner: Chris Evans
Dr Jack Neel: Andy Garcia
Jackie Drake: Catherine O’Hara
Brent Larkin: Jay Duplass
Dr Nathan Lydell: Brian d’Arcy James
Phoebe Drake: Chloe Coleman
Eric Paley: Amit Shah

Pain Hustlers cast and characters

Below, you’ll find a list of all the actors and characters you should know in the cast of Pain Hustlers.

The synopsis reads: “Written by acclaimed short-fiction writer Wells Tower, Pain Hustlers is the story of a struggling single mom who loses her job and takes up a new position at a failing pharmaceutical start-up. Things get much more complicated than she bargained for as the company is wrapped up in a racketeering scam, and the job gets a lot more dangerous.

“A fictionalized tale drawn from the New York Times article and subsequent non-fiction book by Evan Hughes, this is a story of American greed told on a grand scale.”

Liza Drake: Emily Blunt

Emily Blunt plays Liza Drake, a struggling yet determined single mom who fights her way into a job at Zanna Therapeutics to help pay for her daughter’s epilepsy. Her hustler nature helps her succeed in selling the fictional drug Lonafen – a Fentanyl spray. But how long until it all comes crashing down?

Speaking to Netflix about the character, Yates said: “Her superpower is that she understands people, and she’s a bit of a dreamer. She’s also hugely ambitious, and what she’s really looking for, ultimately, I think, is validation and acceptance.”

Blunt is an A-list actress, having appeared in The Devil Wears Prada, The Girl on the Train, A Quiet Place, Oppenheimer, and many more.

Pete Brenner: Chris Evans

Chris Evans plays Pete Brenner, a sleazy marketing executive reminiscent of a Wish.com Jordan Belfort. He takes Liza on board the Zanna team, a move that benefits him – and his pockets. As per his character description: “Pete is happy to bend the rules to make a quick buck – an attitude that could cost him dearly.”

“Everything in Pete’s life is transactional,” said Yates. “It’s all about the sale. He doesn’t really have any deep connections with anyone beyond that notion of hitting the right numbers. So there’s a superficiality to him, but equally there’s a vulnerability to him. He’s also very entertaining because he’s completely unfiltered – loud, brash, profane.”

Similarly to Blunt, Evans is one of Hollywood’s most recognizable names, having starred as Marvel’s Captain America in various MCU titles. He’s also appeared in Knives Out, Ghosted, and The Gray Man.

Dr Jack Neel: Andy Garcia

Andy Garcia joins the Pain Hustlers cast as Dr Jack Neel, the “eccentric founder of Zanna and the creator of its increasingly popular drug Lonafen.” Much like Richard Sackler, he hides his true intentions with altruism.

Garcia is a decorated Hollywood star, having appeared in The Godfather III, Ocean’s Eleven, and New York I Love You.

Jackie Drake: Catherine O’Hara

Catherine O'Hara as Jackie in Pain Hustlers

Catherine O’Hara plays Jackie Drake, Liza’s mom who has similar aspirations as her daughter: making money. But when she joins the Zanna team, it “causes several problems for her daughter – not the least of which is an ill-advised flirtation with Dr Jack.”

O’Hara is arguably best known for her role as the mom in Home Alone and Home Alone 2. A number of her other acting credits include A Series of Unfortunate Events, Six Feet Under, and Schitt’s Creek.

Brent Larkin: Jay Duplass

Jay Duplass plays Brent Larkin, Brenner’s rival and Zenna’s vice president of marketing. As per his character description, “He’s as slimy as Brenner but has no patience for his counterpart’s showboating.”

Jay is best known as one-half of the Duplass brothers; he and his brother Mark have been making movies together since they were kids, going on to create the mumblecore films The Puffy Chair, Baghead, and Cyrus.

In terms of acting, Duplass has starred in Transparent, Search Party, and Industry, to name a few.

Dr Nathan Lydell: Brian d’Arcy James

Brian d'Arcy James as Lydell in Pain Hustlers

Brian d’Arcy James joins the Pain Hustlers cast as Dr Nathan Lydell, one of the first doctors Liza manages to convince into prescribing Lonafen to his patients. Much like we saw in Dopesick and Painkiller, he benefits from the deal too, becoming one of Zanna’s paid speakers – but how long until this all comes crashing down?

James is an actor and musician, known for his Broadway roles in the likes of Shrek The Musical, Something Rotten!, and Hamilton. Onscreen, he’s starred in the 2021 West Side Story movie, Spotlight, and Love & Death, among others.

Phoebe Drake: Chloe Coleman

Emily Blunt as Liza and Chloe Coleman as Phoebe in Pain Hustlers

Chloe Coleman plays Phoebe Drake, Liza’s daughter who’s battling a serious medical condition – and gets herself into some major trouble at school. “When Liza’s work at Zanna starts to pay off, Phoebe is thrilled,” states Netflix.

Despite her young age, Coleman has made a name for herself in the acting world, having appeared in Big Little Lies, Dungeons & Dragons: Honour Among Thieves, and My Spy.

Eric Paley: Amit Shah

Amit Shah as Eric Paley in Pain Hustlers

Amit Shah plays Eric Paley, another Zanna marketing team member who turns out to be slimy for a totally different reason. It’s safe to say Brenner’s not a fan, describing him as a “fine-tuned hard pass factory.”

Shah’s other acting credits include Happy Valley, Death in Paradise, The Witcher, and Crashing.

That’s everything we know about the main cast in Pain Hustlers, which is available to stream on Netflix now. You can check out more of our Netflix coverage below: