Abbie Cornish Shows Emotional Depth as Anna Nicole Smith in ‘Trust Me, I’m a Doctor’ Clip

The story of Anna Nicole Smith has been revisited numerous times on screen. Lifetime produced a biopic in 2013 featuring Agnes Bruckner, directed by Mary Harron, while Netflix released the documentary ‘Anna Nicole Smith: You Don’t Know Me’ in 2023. Now, a fresh biopic titled ‘Trust Me, I’m a Doctor’ is set to hit theaters, offering a unique perspective.

In ‘Trust Me, I’m a Doctor’, Abbie Cornish portrays Smith, with Kal Penn playing her physician, Dr. Sandeep Kapoor. Cornish, known for her roles in ‘Somersault’, ‘Bright Star’, and ‘Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri’, has been spotted in set photos recreating Smith’s iconic outfit from a 2005 Pride parade, and an initial look in July showcased her remarkable transformation.

Recently, an emotional new scene has surfaced. TMZ obtained the first clip from the film, featuring a poignant moment where Cornish, with her blonde hair, lies in a hospital bed, gazing off to the side.

In this scene, Smith is seen crying in her hospital bed, expressing to her doctor her feelings of inadequacy. She tells Kapoor that having her son, Daniel, was the most significant achievement of her life.

Smith reflects on her desire to contribute something positive to the world. The emotional weight of her words is heightened by the fact that Daniel passed away in 2006, shortly after the birth of her daughter, Dannielynn.

Kal Penn has praised Cornish’s performance, stating in an interview with Variety that she truly captured the essence of Anna Nicole in a striking manner.

Penn mentioned that he met Smith a few times early in his career, and seeing Cornish brought back memories of that time. He emphasized that she avoided turning Smith into a caricature, instead portraying her heart, vulnerability, and complexity.

The film centers on Kapoor, who faced several felony charges related to prescribing medications to Smith before her death in 2007. He was ultimately acquitted of all charges after a nine-week trial.

This particular angle has sparked controversy, with Larry Birkhead, the father of Dannielynn, expressing his discontent with the film, claiming that Kapoor has exploited Smith’s death for two decades.

In 2017, Kapoor made headlines during an interview for the Reelz docuseries ‘Scandal Made Me Famous’ when he stated that he did not believe Smith was an addict.

‘Trust Me, I’m a Doctor’ is not the only film about Smith making its way to screens. ‘Hurricanna’, directed by Francesca Gregorini, features Sylvia Hoeks as Smith alongside Holly Hunter, Mark Duplass, and Nicholas Hamilton, and is set for a US release on November 13.

According to Deadline, Magenta Light Studios has acquired that film. With two major projects about Smith debuting within a month of each other, her legacy is once again under the spotlight of pop culture.

Briarcliff Entertainment, led by Tom Ortenberg, is set to release ‘Trust Me, I’m a Doctor’ exclusively in theaters on October 16.

The film’s first look generated buzz in July, with Entertainment Tonight noting that Cornish appeared unrecognizable. The new clip suggests that the film aims to delve deeper than mere imitation.

As the narrative unfolds through Kapoor’s perspective, audiences will likely be eager to see how it balances sympathy for Smith with the doctor’s viewpoint. The clip indicates that the film intends to showcase her vulnerability alongside her tabloid persona.

How this approach resonates with viewers and those close to Smith remains to be seen, especially given the early backlash in the headlines.

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