Anna Nicole Smith died 17 years ago this month, but the fascination with the blond bombshell continues unabated.
Kal Penn is set to star in “Trust Me, I’m a Doctor,” a film that chronicles the final days of the actress and model whose overdose death in 2007 at the age of 39 sparked a tabloid feeding frenzy. “Trust Me, I’m a Doctor,” which is based on Dr. Sandeep Kapoor’s 2017 book of the same name, marks the second film about Smith to move forward in recent months. In late December, the biopic “Hurricanna” wrapped production, with Sylvia Hoeks and Holly Hunter in the lead roles.
Written and directed by Thane Economou (“The Wedding Party”), “Trust Me I’m a Doctor” follows Smith’s pain-medication doctor whose life was turned upside down when he was implicated in the wrongful death trials of the one-time Playboy centerfold. Smith became a household name when she married 89-year-old oil tycoon J. Howard Marshall, who she met while performing at a strip club. Marshall, who held a 16% stake in Koch Industries, died 14 months later in 1995, and the fight over his billions sparked litigation that went all the way up to the U.S. Supreme Court.
All the while, Smith battled substance abuse, and Kapoor became enmeshed in her death following reports that he wrote her prescriptions for addictive drugs. The film “Hurricanna” also follows some of the side characters in Smith’s wild life including her therapist, who will be played by Hunter.
Penn is executive producing “Trust Me, I’m a Doctor” alongside Dan Spilo. The indie film, which also is being produced by Stadium, Park Cities Film and Picmovers, begins shooting in the spring in New Orleans. A search for the actress who will play Smith is underway, and the rest of the cast is coming together.
Penn, who is best known for his comedy roles in the “Harold & Kumar” films, is coming off two successful stints as a guest host of “The Daily Show” (His first appearance notched the highest ratings of any guest host.) He was nominated for a CAFE Emmy for his work on “The Santa Clauses” and also collaborated with Snoop Dog on “The Underdoggs” and recently appeared in the horror hit film “Smile.” The actor also has flexed his political muscle and was White House staff member in the Obama administration.
Penn is repped by UTA, Industry Entertainment, Fuller Law and Highlight PR.