Is Liza Drake from Pain Hustlers Based on a True Story? Emily Blunt's Character Explained
Discover the truth behind Pain Hustlers' intriguing storyline as it intertwines with real-life events Dive into the world of Liza Drake and understand the director's explanation of Emily Blunt's character
Article Overview
In Pain Hustlers, director David Yates clarifies that Liza Drake, portrayed by Emily Blunt, is an amalgamation of various personalities and essentially a product of the filmmakers' imagination.
The film is based on the real-life events surrounding Insys Therapeutics, a pharmaceutical company implicated in illegal activities. However, in order to enhance the narrative, the screenplay presents a fictional version of the company named Zanna Therapeutics.
Through the inclusion of fictional characters and their unique attributes, Liza Drake's tale is made more relatable and captivating. This enables the audience to form a deeper connection with her experiences and challenges.
In an interview with Forbes, director David Yates discusses the inspiration behind Emily Blunt's character in the new Netflix original movie, Pain Hustlers. Blunt portrays Liza Drake, a woman who unwittingly becomes entangled in a criminal plot while working for a bankrupt pharmaceutical company. Yates clarifies that Liza is not based on any one real person, but rather is a combination of various personalities. Although the team took inspiration from the characters in the Insys story, Liza was ultimately their own creation. See Yates' full quote below:
"Liza Drake in Pain Hustlers is a composite of many different personalities. While we drew from the characters of the Insys story, Liza was ultimately our creation."
“There were numerous individuals in this narrative, both men and women, all contributing to Liza. She embodies a blend of multiple personalities, including elements of our own craftsmanship. We aspired to create a woman who possessed ambition and idealism, tinged with a touch of naivety as a result of her background, limited financial status, and educational shortcomings. Thus, we infused Liza with various aspects that resonated with each of us, while also selectively incorporating a few qualities from other characters in the Insys story. Ultimately, she is the brainchild of Wells’ [Tower, the screenwriter], I should add.”
How Pain Hustlers Draws On Real-Life Events
Writer Wells Tower adapted Pain Hustlers for the screen from Evan Hughes' 2022 book The Hard Sell: Crime and Punishment at an Opioid Startup. Hughes' book recounts the true story of Insys Therapeutics, a startup company in the early 2000s. Founded by businessman John Kapoor, Insys achieved tremendous success until it was exposed that its executives engaged in multiple racketeering schemes, such as promoting their drugs and bribing physicians.
Pain Hustlers transforms this shocking true story into an engaging fictional narrative. Similar to the case of Liza Drake, the film takes creative liberties in its adaptation. Departing from real-life individuals, Tower's script presents Insys Therapeutics as Zanna Therapeutics and loosely models the characters after those possibly associated with the controversial company.
Ultimately, the incorporation of fictional elements into Liza Drake's character in Pain Hustlers elevates her story into a more captivating tale. According to Yates, Blunt's character embodies a "low income status" and a "lack of education," which makes her susceptible to a money-driven conspiracy, driven in part by her desire for a better life for her daughter. By using real life only as inspiration rather than the sole foundation for her character, Liza becomes a figure that viewers can actually empathize with, rather than someone with daunting real-life crimes.
Source: Forbes
Editor's P/S
As a Gen Z fan, I found the article about Liza Drake's character in Pain Hustlers to be very interesting. I appreciate that the director, David Yates, was candid about the fact that Liza is not based on any one real person, but rather a composite of many different personalities. This makes her character more relatable and captivating, as it allows viewers to see themselves in her.
I also think it's important that Yates and screenwriter Wells Tower took inspiration from the real-life events surrounding Insys Therapeutics, but ultimately created their own fictional version of the company and characters. This gives the film more creative freedom and allows it to explore the themes of ambition, idealism, and naivety in a more nuanced way. Overall, I think Liza Drake is a well-crafted character who brings a lot to the film Pain Hustlers. I'm excited to see what happens to her next.
