Kal Penn stars in the new film “Trust Me, I’m a Doctor,” a dark satire that examines the 2007 death of model Anna Nicole Smith and its aftermath through the eyes of her physician, Dr. Sandeep Kapoor. The film, released Friday, revisits the controversial period surrounding Smith's overdose death at age 39.
In the aftermath of Smith's death, Kapoor was charged with conspiracy, excessive prescribing of opiates and sedatives to an addict, and fraudulently obtaining drugs using false names. He was subsequently acquitted on all charges and resumed his medical practice. Penn, known for the “Harold & Kumar” franchise, described portraying Kapoor as a challenging role, particularly as the film is not intended to rehabilitate the doctor's image.
"My focus was really on finding out the ‘whys’ of Sandeep," Penn told HuffPost. "I was kind of taken by all of the bad decisions he makes. Obviously, the touchpoints are this really tragic story. But it’s really about vulnerability and questionable ethics, so those were interesting things for me to play."
Written and directed by Thane Economou, the film is based on Kapoor’s 2017 memoir of the same name. The cast includes Abbie Cornish as Smith and Linda Hamilton as Ellyn Garofalo, Kapoor’s defense attorney. David Julian Hirsh portrays Howard K. Stern, Smith’s attorney and partner, while Ted Jefferies plays Larry Birkhead, Smith’s ex-boyfriend and the father of her daughter, Dannielynn. Birkhead has publicly denounced the project.
Penn noted that he was surprised by how little he knew about Smith’s complex life. "I remember [her] being in the cultural zeitgeist, of course," he said. "I was a young actor in LA and these were the nascent days of reality TV, so I kind of thought: ‘Is she hamming it up for the cameras because she has a reality show, or does she have a reality show because she’s really like this?’ And I think that’s an open question the film asks that remains unanswered."
During his research, Penn spent time shadowing Kapoor. "He said, ‘I’m glad it’s you who’s playing me, because I know you’ll do justice to my story,’" Penn recalled. "I was like, ‘Buddy, that is not my job, I just want to be clear with you right now.'"
The film explores Kapoor's personal life, including his identity as a closeted gay man and a notable kiss with Smith at an LGBTQ+ Pride Parade afterparty in 2005, which was documented by photographers. Kapoor's sexuality became public during his trial.
"You could see how Sandeep would be enamored [by Smith]," Penn said. "But ... why would you make out with your patient at The Abbey? That’s the real meat of who this guy is ... and a wild entry into a story about vulnerability."
Penn, who publicly came out in his 2021 memoir “You Can’t Be Serious,” stated that the film's aim is not to make a statement about LGBTQ+ identity, but rather to examine trust issues within healthcare. "He says, ‘I’m a private person. I love my privacy,’ and then regularly contradicts himself by doing things that draw attention to himself,” Penn said of Kapoor. “And I don’t think that’s unique to him."