Paul Rudd, the sexiest man alive and his co-star Will Ferrell joined Jimmy Fallon on his talk show to discuss The Shrink Next Door, the pair's recent Apple TV+ series. The dark comedy series is based on a true story, and follows a bizarre dynamic between a charming psychiatrist and his longtime client, and how it morphs into an exploitative relationship filled with manipulation and power grabs.
The Haunting True Story
The Shrink Next Door is the real-life story of Martin Markowitz, whose therapist took over his life, property, Swiss bank account, and finances for 30 years by manipulating him. The series is based on a podcast, and Rudd and Ferrell revealed they met Markowitz himself, the man who suffered from this bizarre ordeal.
"It was like he'd fallen into a cult," Ferrell said referring to the story.
Before the story was adapted into a television series, it was a popular podcast. Will Ferrell and Paul Rudd were both listening to it at the time, and it's how they learned about Markowitz's story.
When Fallon asked if the actors had a chance to meet Markowitz, they revealed that they had.
"We spent a whole day with him," said Ferrell, adding, "Hung out at his Hampton's house, that they'd throw all these parties at. The doctor took over the house as if it was his own, and he lived there as a groundskeeper," he shared.
The actor further added that each story got more "bizarre" as they went along.
The talk show host inquired if Rudd and Ferrell asked Markowitz how this happened. "Death by a thousand cuts. Just over time, he just didn't realize till he woke up kind of too late," said Ferrell.
In 2012, Markowitz filed his first complaint against Dr. Ike Herschkopf with the New York State Department of Health, but it took them a long time to begin examining his claims. After a two-year investigation concluded, the department stripped Herschkopf of his license to practice medicine in April 2021.
Including "fraudulence" and "gross negligence," Herschkopf was found guilty of 16 specifications of professional misconduct. The shocking story was made into a 2019 podcast of the same name by journalist Joe Nocera.
The Shrink Next Door is now streaming on Apple TV+