Dope Thief
Dope Thief is an American crime drama television miniseries created by Peter Craig, based on the 2009 novel by Dennis Tafoya. It premiered on Apple TV+ on March 14, 2025.
Premise
Two Philadelphia friends who pose as DEA agents to rob drug dealers face the consequences of their actions when they steal from an organized narcotics operation under surveillance by the actual DEA.Cast
Main
- Brian Tyree Henry as Ray Driscoll, a recovering addict and former drug dealer. He and his friend Manny exploit their knowledge of "the game" to rob dealers and support themselves.
- Wagner Moura as Manny Carvalho, Ray's childhood friend and partner who plans to settle down with his girlfriend Sherry
- Marin Ireland as Mina, a veteran DEA agent posing as a drug cook who survives a bullet to the throat during Ray's botched robbery
- Amir Arison as Mark Nader, a DEA supervisor in the Philadelphia office assigned to track down Ray.
- Nesta Cooper as Michelle Taylor, an ex-prosecutor and defense attorney hired by Theresa to arrange Bart's release
- Kate Mulgrew as Theresa Bowers, Bart's girlfriend and Ray's adoptive mother
- Ving Rhames as Bart Driscoll, Ray's cancer-stricken father and a notorious dealer who went to prison when Ray was a boy
Recurring
- Gabriel Ebert as Jack, an undercover DEA agent killed during the botched robbery
- Liz Caribel Sierra as Sherry, Manny's girlfriend
- Will Pullen as Marchetti, an DEA agent who works with Mina
- Idris Debrand as Teenage Ray
- Kaci Walfall as Marletta, Ray's deceased girlfriend, who was killed in a car accident while he was driving under the influence
- Dustin Nguyen as Son Pham, the son of South Vietnamese refugees and a well-connected drug trafficker. He gives Ray information on rival dealers. In return, Son resells the drugs Ray steals from them and lets Ray keep everything else like money, guns.
- Kiều Chinh as Xuan "Grandma" Pham, Son's mother
Episodes
Production
It was announced in August 2022 that Sinking Spring, a TV series written by Peter Craig based on Dennis Tafoya's novel Dope Thief, would be produced for Apple TV+, with Brian Tyree Henry starring. Ridley Scott was set to direct the pilot episode, in addition to executive producing. Craig was also set to direct an episode. The cast, including Michael Mando, Marin Ireland and Kate Mulgrew, were announced in the following months. In January 2023, Amir Arison was cast, with Ving Rhames, Dustin Nguyen and Nesta Cooper among additional castings the following month. Kiều Chinh was cast in March.Filming began in February 2023 in Philadelphia. Following an on-set altercation with another actor, Mando was fired, with Wagner Moura cast to replace him. On May 9, filming was halted due to the ongoing 2023 [Writers Guild of America strike|Writers Guild of America strike].
In November 2024, it was reported that the series' title had been changed from Sinking Spring to Dope Thief, and that the first two episodes were set to premiere on March 14, 2025.