The Apple TV+ limited run series Dope Thief, adapted from Dennis Tafoya’s novel by Peter Craig (The Batman, Top Gun: Maverick) and executive produced by the legendary Ridley Scott (Gladiator, Alien, Black Hawk Down) — who also directed the first episode — dives deep into the underworld of Philadelphia. Two childhood friends impersonate DEA agents to rob drug dealers, until they cross the wrong line. It’s a gritty, muscular crime drama, but what gives it depth is the ensemble cast led by Brian Tyree Henry, Wagner Moura, Marin Ireland and Amir Arison.
“That was pretty intriguing to me, that she had something going on with her voice.”
Ireland, who plays DEA agent Mina, knew from her first script read that this role would be unlike anything she’d done. “I remember reading the script, and I had a scene where she was supposed to be using an electoral larynx, and I had no context for that,” Ireland says. The actress, known for her supporting roles in The Irishman, Eileen and Hell or High Water, faced a fresh challenge with the character of a hardened and burned cop. “That was pretty intriguing to me, that she had something going on with her voice, that she couldn’t use it properly to express herself, and that was something I’ve never worked with as an actor,” Ireland says.
Ireland dedicated a substantial amount of training to get the rigt voice for Mina.
To prepare for the vocal work, Ireland dove deep. “I worked with this amazing speech therapist named Barbara Lowenfeld who really helped me figure that out,” Ireland says. “I wanted to be able to have some range with it, but I also didn’t wanna damage my actual voice so that I could continue to shoot the show.” Ireland’s preparation wasn’t just about mastering the sound — it was about capturing Mina’s pain and recovery. “She talked to me through what would be happening for me physiologically … So there was still some world in which her voice could get better and better as she healed.”
The physical toll was real. “My neck muscles are pretty tense by the end of a lot of the shoot days ‘cause I was trying to work so hard to, like, keep things in and keep things moving,” Ireland says. But the result is a performance that grounds the series emotionally and physically, showing the cost of the violence this world delivers.
“This is the gritt[iest] show I have ever been a part of … If you like Ozark or The Wire, it kind of lives in that world a little bit.”
Arison was impressed with the efficiency of Ridley Scott.
Amir Arison (The Blacklist), who plays Mark Nader, a DEA supervisor, described the experience of shooting in and around Philly as formative. “It was special, shooting in Philadelphia and its surrounding areas,” Arison says. “This is the gritt[iest] show I have ever been a part of … If you like Ozark or The Wire, it kind of lives in that world a little bit. In the [worlds of] Breaking Bad, Ozark or The Wire, which are some of my favorite shows, but it’s its own thing.”
Unlike many productions that use generic locations as stand-ins, Dope Thief commits to its setting. “You don’t always get to be on location when you’re shooting something … Shooting a show about and around Philadelphia … is a rare thing,” Arison says. “So that alone informed the character, the experience and my life at that time, really.”
“These storytellers … This is exactly what their skill set is — to operate a machine with resilient, moving parts and bring it home.”
Working under Ridley Scott’s direction — even for a single scene — left a lasting impression. “I only have one scene with Ridley, and Marin gave me a heads up. She goes, ‘It’s gonna go fast,’” Arison says. “People would tell you, ‘You’re lucky if you get more than one take.’ And he does cross coverage.”
But speed didn’t mean lack of precision. Arison described the production as “a well-oiled machine … They already are editing it in their minds. He’s got his editor on set.” He credited both Scott and Craig with crafting something sharp and driven. “Peter in particular — you know, he wrote the whole series, and he’s a novelist as well. So his sense of the entirety of the thing … Their brains are operating at such high levels.”
That sense of control and efficiency didn’t just impress Arison — it shaped his approach. “These storytellers … This is exactly what their skill set is — to operate a machine with resilient, moving parts and bring it home.”
With just six episodes, Dope Thief delivers the kind of morally complex, tightly-wound storytelling that has drawn comparisons to genre greats. But like Ireland’s Mina, Dope Thief finds a powerful voice of its own.
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