Arthur Shelby is a troubled soul. The Peaky Blinders character must live under his younger brother, Thomas Shelby’s shadow, and deal with often hard-to-watch, but somehow, relatable, acts of violence, towards both others and himself, self-medicated with drugs and Jesus. And based on recent headlines (in the real world), it appears that, at least for some of such, the actor who plays Arthur, Paul Anderson, opts for Method acting, which aims to foster genuine portrayals by immersing oneself in and embodying the internal motivations and emotions of a character. So, basically, acting like the character off screen as well as when the cameras are rolling. 

As The Guardian reports, Anderson has been fined for possession of drugs. These include crack cocaine, amphetamines, in addition to prescription substances, diazepam (Valium) and pregabalin. The incident occurred on Boxing Day, the party-fueled British holiday that is held the day after Christmas. His lawyer claims that the actor uses the drugs to break into character to please fans who recognize him. 

Where did Anderson land himself into trouble? At his local pub, of course, who contacted the coppers after the bar’s manager noticed “crack cocaine fumes coming from the disabled toilet after the actor walked out,” MailOnline reports. He was with a friend and his baby. 

On Thursday, the 48-year-old actor stood before Highbury Corner magistrates court, facing charges of possessing class A crack cocaine, class B amphetamines, and two types of class C prescription drugs. He admitted to all four counts, resulting in a total fine of £1,345.

Reports indicate that Anderson only spoke to acknowledge his pleas and to verify his identity and north-west London address.

Anderson’s attorney, addressing the court in mitigation, reportedly stated: “You will recognise the defendant from a very intense part that he has played in a recent television programme. He is often recognised and does his best to please fans of the show by slipping into character.

“He was recognised that Boxing Day and tried to play up for these people. And because of the lifestyle he leads people often give him inducements.” The lawyer further noted that Anderson had not been using crack cocaine, but conceded: “He has found himself in an unfortunate position and should have had the strength to say no.”

While this news is hard not to pass on for all the Peaky Blinders fans, there’s a lot to unpack that’s not so funny. First, turning to the U.S., if you want to get angry, remember that while cannabis remains a Schedule I substance, cocaine (even though the sentencing guidelines have historically been much harsher, as the result of laws that tend to lock up more poor than rich folks), is only a Schedule II. And, while we don’t know the exact details of how and when Anderson was using, any stimulant as strong as crack, for the sake of one’s health, should not be paired with amphetamines. 

Diazepam, the brand name of Valium, is a benzodiazepine. It’s in the same anti-anxiety drug class as pills such as Xanax, Klonopin, and Ativan. When benzodiazepines hit the market in the 1960s, chemists thought they’d cured anxiety. However, as is becoming increasingly reported, unlike cannabis for anxiety, such medications are just too easy to develop a physical dependence on when used other than prescribed, which is as-needed, or on a short-term basis. 

While, if you want to take a tolerance break from cannabis, while you might miss it, one can just put down the herb and not think too much about it, with benzos, suddenly stopping them after continued use is no joke, like, comes with risks of seizures if not done correctly. As detailed in the Ashton Manuel, the bible for getting off of benzos, if one is weaning off something like Xanax or Klonopin, it’s actually recommended to switch to Valium and then slowly taper off as it’s less potent and has a longer half-life. As High Times reported, Sub-anesthetic ketamine infusions, which are already used for treatment-resistant depression (TRD), may also help people through benzodiazepine withdrawal, new research published in Neuropsychopharmacology shows.

However, of the substances found, MailOnline reports that Anderson later tested positive for opiates and cocaine (not crack cocaine), the court heard, so while there’s possession charges, we have no idea of the actor’s personal use or medication schedule. But we’re on your side, Arthur Shelby. 

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South Korean actor Lee Sun-kyun, known for playing the wealthy father in Bong Joon-ho’s 2019 film Parasite, was found dead in his car on Wednesday morning. Inside the car, parked near Waryong Park in central Seoul, investigators found a charcoal briquette. The briquette, a compressed block of coal that can cause carbon monoxide poisoning, suggests he died by suicide. He was 48 years old.

Lee passed away at the pinnacle of his career. In addition to starring in the Oscar-winning thriller, which earned him a Screen Actors Guild Award alongside his fellow cast members, he also played a leading role in the internationally acclaimed sci-fi film Dr. Brain. His last two films, Sleep and Project Silence – horror and disaster films, respectively – both made it into the 76^th Cannes Film Festival.

News outlets speculate Lee’s suicide may be related to his criminal charges. In October, the actor was arrested by the Incheon Metropolitan Police for allegedly using marijuana and other illegal drugs at the home of a hostess in Seoul’s Gangnam district earlier in the year. Lee’s most recent police interrogation, which took place last Saturday, went on for a shocking total of 19 hours. 

According to an article from Korea Times, Lee said that he was “tricked by the hostess into taking the drugs and that he did not know what he was taking.” He had tested negative for a reagent test and a lab-based drug test from Korea’s National Forensic Service, and submitted a polygraph lie detector test at the insistence of his lawyer. 

The Korea Times article also states that, before his death, Lee filed a complaint against the hostess and one other, seemingly unknown person, “accusing them of blackmail and swindling him out of money.” When the actor was first taken in for questioning on October 28, he said he was “sorry for my family, who are enduring extreme pain at this moment.”

In an apparent suicide note addressed to his wife Jeon Hye Jin, which was published by the Korean channel TV Chosun the following day, Lee wrote he “cannot do anything else, there is no other way but this.” Relaying a message to his agents, he added that “the financial penalties for breaching advertising and movie contracts are overwhelming. I am sorry.” 

Although the motivations for Lee’s suicide remain the subject of debate, journalists link the event to the Korean government’s ongoing crackdown on recreational drug use. This crackdown began in April, when conservative president Yoon Suk Yeol announced a “war on drugs” and created an 840 person-strong department to help him wage it. 

New laws subjecting producers, distributors, and users to prison sentences of up to 10 years in prison have since led to the arrest of over 17,000 people – a number that not only includes other South Korean celebrities like actor Yoo Ah-in and K-pop singer Kwon Ji-yong, but also a group of American army officers accused of shipping in synthesized marijuana through the US postal service. 

The scale and scope of the crackdown is questionable. Included in the government’s list of illegal drugs are not just cocaine, opiates, and methamphetamines, but also soft drugs like marijuana. If South Korea once appeared willing to adopt more liberal drug policies, President Yoon is stirring the country in the direction of zero-tolerance regimes like Malaysia, Thailand, and Vietnam. 

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A convicted fentanyl dealer and member of a New York City drug ring blamed for the overdose death of actor Michael K Williams has been sentenced to five years in federal prison. 

According to an article by the Associated Press, Luis Cruz was one member of a four-man team convicted of selling fentanyl-laced heroin to Williams, who played Omar Little on HBO’s The Wire as well as other roles throughout his career. Williams overdosed in his Brooklyn apartment in September of 2021 after consuming the fentanyl-laced heroin. He was 54 years old at the time. 

“It was a terrible mistake in judgment,” Cruz wrote in a letter to the judge, mentioning that he had been an electrician before his conviction and he had been selling drugs to support his own addiction and make extra money for bills.

The AP said Cruz pleaded guilty in April to a reduced charge of narcotics conspiracy. Prosecutors said Cruz continued selling the drugs after Williams died and a search of his apartment yielded over 500 bags of heroin and other paraphernalia. 

Cruz was not the one that sold the drugs to Williams, who died just four hours after purchasing them. 40-year-old Irvin Cartagena, another member of the crew, was previously sentenced to ten years in prison in August for selling the drugs to Williams. Another member, 71-year old Carlos Macci, was sentenced to two and a half years for taking part in the operation. All the involved parties continued to sell drugs after Williams died, and the crew was aware that another person died before Williams as well, according to the Associated Press article. 

“I am very sorry for my actions,” Cartagena said before receiving his sentence. “When we sold the drugs, we never intended for anyone to lose their life.”

The fourth member of the group that sold Williams the tainted drugs is still awaiting sentencing. It’s difficult to determine if any of the members of the crew were effectively in charge or in a leadership position as they all made arguments that they were trapped in a cycle of addiction.

In fact, the AP said that Cartagena, who physically handed the drugs to Williams, told the judge he was paid exclusively in heroin for his dealing services. He fled to Puerto Rico shortly after Williams death where he was arrested in 2022.

“In a tragic instant, Mr. Cartagena was the one who handed the small packet of drugs to Mr. Williams — it easily could have been any of the other men who were there or in the vicinity selling the same drugs,” wrote Sean Maher, Cartagena’s lawyer in a letter to the judge. “Sentencing Mr. Cartagena to double digits of prison time will not bring back the beautiful life that was lost.”

Friends, colleagues and fans were all devastated to hear about William’s tragic overdose back in 2021. Williams played an openly-gay stick-up man on The Wire who robbed low level drug dealers while whistling an eerie rendition of “The Farmer in the Dell,” but Williams also struggled with addiction off the air in his personal life.

In fact, at Macci’s sentencing, a letter was submitted to the judge by David Simon, co-creator of The Wire, asking the judge for leniency on Marci’s behalf saying that Williams himself would not want Macci serving the 20 year or more sentence recommended by federal sentencing guidelines. Simon said Williams had confided his struggles with addiction to a line producer on the show and also allowed a different crew member to serve as a constant source of encouragement to keep him off drugs. 

“We watched, relieved and delighted, as Michael Williams restored himself,” said Simon. “I miss my friend, but I know that Michael would look upon the undone and desolate life of Mr. Macci and know two things with certainty: First, that it was Michael who bears the fuller responsibility for what happened. And second, no possible good can come from incarcerating a 71-year-old soul, largely illiterate, who has himself struggled with a lifetime of addiction…”

Cruz was remanded to federal custody after sentencing but it was not immediately clear where he would serve out his prison sentence. Cruz’s lawyer, Deborah Colson, said in an email to the Associated Press that Cruz “accepted responsibility and provided a genuine, heartfelt apology.” 

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