The Friday Night Lights alum digs deep to play a man addicted to opioids in the new limited series.
For Taylor Kitsch, joining the cast of the scripted limited series Painkiller was a “no-brainer” for several personal reasons. One, it was another chance to collaborate with executive producer and director Pete Berg, who worked with Kitsch on his breakout role as Tim Riggins in the 2006 football drama Friday Night Lights.

“He’s like an older brother to me,” Kitsch said of Berg on the set of Painkiller in early 2022, prior to the SAG-AFTRA strike. “We’ve been through a lot, and when I got this call, it was quite simple, to be honest.” After Friday Night Lights, Kitsch and Berg teamed up on the 2012 blockbuster Battleship and again on 2013’s Lone Survivor. “You already have that trust,” said Kitsch, “and the shorthand is really important as well.”

That trust was necessary in grappling with the heavy subject matter of Painkiller, a fictionalized retelling of some of the origins of the opioid epidemic that is believed to have caused over 300,000 American overdose deaths over the last two decades. The six-episode series hones in on an ensemble of characters to tell a broader story: Richard Sackler (Matthew Broderick), the billionaire senior executive at Purdue Pharma who pushes the wide distribution of opiates for profit; Edie Flowers (Uzo Aduba), an investigator at the US Attorney’s office who chases down answers about OxyContin; Shannon Schaeffer (West Duchovny), a recent college grad who’s recruited to Purdue to sell the drugs directly to doctors; and Glen Kryger (Kitsch), a mechanic who, after getting injured on the job, is prescribed OxyContin, which traps him in a vicious cycle of addiction.

Although Glen is a wholly fictional character, he’s the series’ main face of OxyContin’s devastating effects — another reason why Kitsch felt a personal responsibility in portraying Glen’s struggle. Kitsch has watched people close to him fight addiction. “Man, it’s pretty close to me, this thing,” he said. “Unfortunately, I think we’re all one degree away from someone who’s an addict.”

Authentically capturing Glen’s attempts at detoxing as he hides the seriousness of his addiction from his wife Lily (Carolina Bartczak) and stepson Tyler (Jack Mulhern) required some creative risk-taking from both Kitsch and Berg. Berg’s directing style, which Kitsch knows well, is dynamic and at times improvisational to keep the performances raw and real. “Sometimes he tries to get you out of your own head or your own way,” said Kitsch. “You don’t get faulted for mistakes — he just pushes you left or right. He keeps the set very alive and you move quick.”

The conversation about the opioid epidemic is far from over, as everyone involved in Painkiller understands, and Kitsch hopes his portrayal of Glen helps continue the conversation and remove some of the stigma and shame about addiction. “I’m very lucky to have served a lot of true stories and heavy things,” said Kitsch. “And this is right up there for me in the sense of purpose, of why I get to do what I do.”

Painkiller is now streaming on Netflix.

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The mini-series streams August 10th on Netflix.

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• Movies/TV Shows and Other Projects > Painkiller (2023) > Episode Stills

Netflix has officially announced the release of the limited series Painkiller. All six episodes will begin streaming August 10th.

Along with the release date, Netflix has released the series synopsis:

A fictionalized retelling of events, PAINKILLER is a scripted limited series that explores some of the origins and aftermath of the opioid crisis in America, highlighting the stories of the perpetrators, victims, and truth-seekers whose lives are forever altered by the invention of OxyContin. An examination of crime, accountability, and the systems that have repeatedly failed hundreds of thousands of Americans, PAINKILLER is based on the book PAIN KILLER by Barry Meier and the New Yorker Magazine article ‘The Family That Built the Empire of Pain’ by Patrick Radden Keefe.

The series also stars Matthew Broderick, Uzo Aduba, Dina Shihabi, West Duchovny, and John Rothman.

Screen captures from all episodes from Prime Video’s “The Terminal List” have been added into the photo gallery. Head over and enjoy!

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I have been working on adding tons of production photos for all of Taylor’s previous works into the gallery, along with a couple press conferences as well. Screen captures of The Grand Seduction, The Normal Heart, and Waco have also been added. We are currently working on captures for The Terminal List and they will be added once they are ready.

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Netflix has ordered a six-episode limited series titled “American Primeval” with Taylor Kitsch set to star, Variety has learned.

The drama series hails from writer Mark L. Smith, whose past writing credits include the Oscar-winning film “The Revenant” and the Netflix feature “The Midnight Sky.” Peter Berg will direct all episodes as the first project under his first-look deal with Netflix, with Eric Newman executive producing under his Netflix overall deal.

“American Primeval” is described as “a raw, adventurous exploration of the birth of the American West. The violent collisions of cultures, religions and communities as men and women fight and die for control of this new world – for a land they truly believe is their destiny. The ensemble tells a story of the sacrifice all must pay when they choose to enter a lawless and untamed wilderness.”

“We are very appreciative that Netflix is trusting us to take a big swing with ‘American Primeval,’” Berg said. “I’m looking forward to taking viewers into the most dynamic, intense, and heart pounding survival tale humanly possible. We are going into the belly of the beast. Cheers to Ted, Bela, Peter and the entire Netflix team for the support!”

Kitsch will star in the series as Isaac, said to be “a traumatized man struggling to overcome his demons and find a reason to live in this brutal and punishing world.” This marks the second limited series collaboration for Kitsch, Berg, and Newman, as they also teamed for the upcoming Netflix series “Painkiller,” which is slated to premiere in 2023.

“’American Primeval’ is a portrait of the American West unlike any other – raw, thrilling, action-driven and brought to life by a tapestry of emotionally compelling characters led by the talented Taylor Kitsch,” said Peter Friedlander, vice president of scripted series, US and Canada, for Netflix. “We’re excited to explore new depths of this genre as we grow our creative partnership with the extraordinary Pete Berg at the helm backed by the deft storytelling vision from Eric Newman and Mark L. Smith.”

Berg will executive produce under his Film 44 banner, while Newman will executive produce via Grand Electric. Smith is also an executive producer.

Kitsch is best known for his starring role in the NBC high school football drama “Friday Night Lights” and also recently starred alongside Chris Pratt in the Amazon thriller series “The Terminal List.” His other TV credits include “Waco” and “True Detective” Season 2. He is also known for features like “Lone Survivor,” which was directed and written by Berg. Berg also directed Kitsch in the film “Battleship,” released in 2012.

Kitsch is repped by WME and Untitled Entertainment.

In addition to his work with Kitsch, Berg is known for writing and directing the film version of “Friday Night Lights” in addition to developing the TV series. He has also directed films like “Deepwater Horizon,” “Mile 22,” and “Patriots Day,” the last of which he also wrote.

He is repped by WME and Hirsch Wallerstein.

This marks the second announced Netflix project for Newman in recent weeks. Variety exclusively reported that Newman is currently at work on a political thriller limited series for the streamer titled “Zero Day” with Robert De Niro attached to star. Newman was also an executive producer, writer, and showrunner on Netflix’s “Narcos” and then became the showrunner and executive producer on the followup series “Narcos: Mexico.” He is also an executive producer on the upcoming Netflix series “Griselda,” in which Sofía Vergara will play infamous cocaine queenpin Griselda Blanco, and the hit series “The Watcher.”

Newman is repped by CAA, Hansen Jacobson, and Rowe PR. Smith is repped by CAA, Black Bear Management, and attorney Mark S. Temple.

This is also the second Western series that Netflix has ordered in the past few months. Back in October, Netflix picked up the Western drama “The Abandons” from Kurt Sutter, about a group of families in 1850s Oregon.

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Koz star Taylor Kitsch discusses the Audible Original podcast, his love for true stories, why he was hesitant to star in a podcast, and more.
Taylor Kitsch is back in the true story realm with Koz. The Audible Original podcast tells the story of Darrin “Koz” Kozlowski, an agent in the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms who spent two decades infiltrating some of the most ruthless biker gangs across the country.

Kitsch stars in Koz in the titular role alongside Xander Berkeley, Kate Mara and Chris Diamantopoulos. The Audible Original blends interviews with the real-life Kozlowski and dramatized reenactments of his attempts to infiltrate the Sangres club.

Ahead of the Audible Original’s premiere, Screen Rant spoke exclusively with executive producer/star Taylor Kitsch to discuss Koz, why he was hesitant to join other podcasts, his newfound love for voiceover work, John Carter’s cult following, and more.

Screen Rant: I was listening to Koz earlier, and I’m hooked. I’ve loved the trend of scripted podcasts that have been coming out over the past couple of years. What was it about Koz that really caught your interest to want to be a part of it?
Taylor Kitsch: I’ve been asked to do a bunch, and then one of my best friends who produced it came to me, and he’s like, “I probably know the answer. Will you come on board and do this with me?” He sent it over, and then I started hearing the real Koz, I was like, “Give me some of his tapes,” because he had God knows how many hours of interviews, and I’m like, “F–k, man, we can have fun with it.” It’s a really cool story, he’s done three motorcycle gangs he’s infiltrated, literally no ATF agent, no one’s done that before, so that was really cool. I always gravitate towards true stories, so it was kind of a no-brainer.

Yeah, it’s really quite an interesting story. I love the line that you have near the start about how much is real and how much isn’t. What was it like finding your own voice for Koz for this?
Taylor Kitsch: Yeah, good question. I think when you, at least for me, when I listen to these things — I used to take myself incredibly seriously. I think when you’re storytelling, if you feel that we’re kind of having fun when the time allows, it makes it more engaging, so I wanted to do that. You’re serving someone who’s obviously served and lived and has his story, so you can’t f–k with that.

But it’s more like, I don’t know, you want it entertaining as well. There is levity in these moments that can, I don’t know, make you more engaged, if you will. Even that line that you just mentioned, I was like, “Let me just go on a tangent. I want you to meet this guy, and not just this guy who’s undercover.” Those moments are there, right? So it’s like, adding this color is kind of my job, otherwise, it just becomes f—-ng exposition and who wants to listen to that.

For that, you might as well just go to a true-crime podcast instead of a show like this.
Taylor Kitsch: I mean, they’re cool, but f–k me can they be mundane. [Laughs] At least for me, you know?

That’s why I’ve liked hearing podcasts like Koz come around of late, because then it gives some entertainment to that audio sphere.
Taylor Kitsch: Yeah, and there’s an energy and I think it honestly paints [a picture]. The beauty of podcasts is your mind is going to create this, as well, I’m talking you through it. I think that’s where everybody’s gonna picture a different bar, a different type of motorcycle, a different apartment that he lives, even his f—-ng hamster. [Chuckles] Those kinds of moments are actually pretty cool, and you figure that out.

I know you’ve done voice work, and you’ve done very CGI-heavy projects, but this is really your first big dive into a field where you have to come up with the visuals in your mind. What was that like for you going into the booth and finding a way to visualize this whole story?
Taylor Kitsch: I love it, man. We have a great team, it was well-written, most importantly. Sometimes it’s like, I hate exposition as an actor, I don’t serve that well. I’d say Mark Strong is one of the best to do it, he’s also one of the best out there working, but it’s like that guy you can listen do the phonebook. For me, I don’t know, you don’t want to go on this page-long diatribe of just painting a picture. That was a big thing for us once we started, like, it’s 8 in the morning, and you’re like, “Guys, I don’t want to start with your page-long description of a shed. Let’s get into something a bit more engaging. I get it, you got to do it. But, I don’t know, that kind of stuff I leave more up to you guys.”

You made it work really well within this podcast. With audio recordings, you can sometimes have the group of actors recorded together. But during the pandemic, a lot of that went away. Did you get the opportunity to work alongside any of your other actors?
Taylor Kitsch: Not a one time. We had an ongoing joke of one of the PAs was kind of everybody for me. We did bring in a couple times, an actor was there, you know how actors will come in and do table reads and whatnot. Some of those guys, and that helped, but it can slow the process down quite a bit, where you got some of these actors that are just in Hero Mode, and they’re just going f—-ng all out and kind of take you out of it. So I don’t know, I just had more fun with the PA, I mean, [Kate] Mara would have been great, because that relationship’s obviously really important, but it just couldn’t work out.

That’s a shame, but hopefully you get that chance on something else in the future then.
Taylor Kitsch: Yeah, exactly.

Now that you’ve properly explored this field, do you find yourself interested in revisiting voiceover work in the future?
Taylor Kitsch: I love it, man. I mean, I did a bunch for the NHL, done a bunch for RAM, some other animated stuff, but it’s a lot of fun. If you got a good team, and it’s well-written, I’m all for it, and you’re serving a story that’s worth telling, for sure.

You can read the full interview on Screen Rant’s website.