Dope Thief is an Apple TV+ series created by executive producer Peter Craig, who has written for films such as The Town and The Batman. It stars Brian Tyree Henry as Ray and Wagner Moura as Manny, friends who pose as DEA agents and steal from local drug dealers. One day, they rob the wrong house, leading them to become fugitives in Philadelphia from law enforcement and a criminal organization.
Joining Henry and Moura are Marin Ireland as Mina, Amir Arison as Mark Nader, Nesta Cooper as Michelle and Kate Mulgrew as Theresa Bowers. The supporting cast helps flesh out the vulnerable state of affairs for the two leads.
Philadelphia plays a big part in Dope Thief, and Kate Mulgrew, who portrays Ray’s adoptive mother, explained how Theresa’s house helped her prepare for her role.
“Mine was defined by Theresa’s house, which they built on the sound stage,” Mulgrew tells Nerd Reactor. “And also we had the practical house, and one of those sort of, I wouldn’t call them suburban areas, but working class, very working class areas of Philly. And I loved the interior of the house and what they did with it. I mean, I know people like that, and I was immediately absorbed into it and by it.”
The series is described as complex and multi-layered by Mulgrew, who sees this world as both dangerous and loving.
“This is a world where every wish is gratified almost instantly,” Mulgrew continued. “This is a world where nothing too big is ever aspired to. This is a world where love is loud, dangerous, can be dark, and this is a world where if somebody is shot in front of you, you could laugh as well as cry. Two things are always happening at once. That’s what Dope Thief is about. Two things, at least, are always happening at once, which is why I said to Peter Craig, when I read the pilot, ‘This is Chekhovian, man.’ You’re writing on 10 different levels at once. You just don’t see this stuff on television, and you don’t.”
Craig is no stranger to making a city feel like a part of the story, whether it’s a film like The Town or a series like Dope Thief.
“Place is character, and especially when these guys are really from Philly,” Craig said. “There’s a line in episode four where Theresa says to Ray, ‘I have to go through this because you’re a fugitive that’s scared to leave Philly.’ And it’s really like, they’re just so from there that it’s a part of who they are. And for them to leave would be like cutting off an arm. And that was similar to Doug in The Town, too. You know, his neighborhood was changing all around him, and it was painful for him to watch. And I love that. I love how setting informs character. You and I, we’re very much based on where we came from. And it’s hard to ever lose it entirely.”
Craig is always interested in creating human characters, whether they are the protagonists or antagonists.
“The characters are very human to me,” Craig explained. “I just work on them long enough that I feel like I know them. I feel like they’re family, and then I try to treat everybody like their family. There’s a layer of sympathy I have for everybody, even the worst people. I at least try to understand their decision-making process and getting to it. And I do tons of writing that doesn’t even wind up in anything, just what their day is like, a journal entry, the whole life they’ve had, a timeline of things by that point. I know them so, so well. It’s like I’m writing about my brother and my sister.”
Amir Arison plays DEA agent Mark Nader, who works closely with Marin Ireland’s Mina to help track down Ray and Manny. There are many examples of how Arison felt the atmosphere of the city come to life, and one story included the setting of a trap house.
“We were doing a stakeout of the initial trap house, and the background actors had to play homeless drug addicts, down and out,” Arison said. “And we couldn’t tell who were the background players and who were sort of the real grifters on the street, until when we called action a second time, I saw them repeat their actions. I actually went up to them, and I was like, ‘This is an incredible performance.’ Not to downplay Philly, also the best restaurants and best people, but the real grit of the show really felt quite authentic all the way down to our background players. It was amazing.”
About Dope Thief
Synopsis: Based on Dennis Tafoya’s book of the same name, Dope Thief follows long-time Philly friends and delinquents who pose as DEA agents to rob an unknown house in the countryside, only to have their small-time grift become a life-and-death enterprise, as they unwittingly reveal and unravel the biggest hidden narcotics corridor on the Eastern seaboard.
The series is created and executive produced by Academy Award-nominee Peter Craig, executive produced by Academy Award-nominee Ridley Scott who also directs the first episode, and stars Academy Award-nominee Brian Tyree Henry, who also serves as executive producer. Additional cast members include Wagner Moura, Marin Ireland, Kate Mulgrew, Nesta Cooper, Amir Arison and Ving Rhames.
“Dope Thief” hails from Apple Studios, and is a Scott Free Production. The series is executive produced by Craig alongside Scott, as well as David W. Zucker, Richard Heus, Henry, Jordan Sheehan, Clayton Krueger and Jennifer Wiley-Moxley.
It’s now available to stream on Apple TV+.
