Who is Dr. Phil in Apple Cider Vinegar? Explained

Apple Cider Vinegar is an Australian television series, which is inspired by the story of alternative medicine influencer Belle Gibson, and the series of frauds she committed around her falsified cancer diagnosis. With a set of six episodes, the series made a Netflix release on February 6, 2025.

The episodes narrate the way Belle Gibson managed to fool the entire world, with her fabricated cancer diagnosis, and created a business out of it. In Apple Cider Vinegar, American actress Kaitlyn Dever plays the role of Belle Gibson. Alycia Debnam-Carey plays the role of Milla Blake.

In Apple Cider Vinegar, Dr. Phil is a medical physician, who sees his patients from a shady warehouse. He is the family doctor, whom Belle visits regarding her cancer diagnosis. After checking her, Dr. Phil claims that Belle shows signs of DNA damage in her liver, and asks her for a hefty amount for its treatment. The role of Dr. Phil in Apple Cider Vinegar is played by Australian actor Callan Mulvey.

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What is the role of Dr. Phil in Apple Cider Vinegar?

In Apple Cider Vinegar, Dr. Phil is a family doctor of Belle Gibson, with whom she shares a long history together. In episode 4 titled Mama Aya Belle's assistant Chanelle drives her to Dr. Phil and is left both shocked and suspicious. Dr. Phil is a street medical physician, whose clinic is located in an abandoned warehouse.

It is revealed that both Belle and her mother had been patients of Dr. Phil ever since she was a child. Despite the shady location of his clinic, Dr. Phil seems like a skilled professional, who is sure of his treatment. After treating Bubby for the stomach flu, he checks on Belle.

Dr. Phil makes Belle undergo a test, where she is stripped down of her clothes, and put into a machine. After the test, Dr. Phil provides the results saying Belle's liver shows symptoms of DNA damage, and could potentially turn into cancer.

For the treatment, Dr. Phil charges a hefty sum of $10,000. Phil claims that he had used medicine to suppress tumor vascularization and decrease the growth of a tumor.

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Who is the actor playing the role of Dr. Phil in Apple Cider Vinegar?

Callan Mulvey at Comic Con Paris : Day One - Source: Getty

In Apple Cider Vinegar episode 4, Australian actor Callan Mulvey plays the role of Dr. Phil. Born in Auckland, New Zealand, Callan's family moved to Australia when he was eight years of age. Mulvey started his screen appearances playing the role of Drazic in the 1994 soap opera Heartbreak High.

In 2003, Mulvery suffered a serious car accident, during the production of Thunderstruck. However, he went on to play the role of Sam in the movie, which was released in 2004. It was in 2008 when Mulvey played the role of Mark Moran in the crime series Underbelly. He also went to play the role of Sgt. Brendan Joshua in the procedural drama Rush.

In 2014, Mulvey took up his most recognized roles, playing Syllias in 300: Rise of an Empire, Skylar in Miss Meadows, and most notably Jack Rollins in Captain America: The Winter Soldier. In 2016, Mulvey acted as the DC supervillain Anatoli Knyazev in Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice.

Callan Mulvey is a prominent actor in Australia, whose major works include Power (2016), Bleeding Skyline (2017), Delirium (2018), Outlaw King (2018), In Like Flynn (2018), Avenger: Endgame (2019), Too Old to Die Young (2019), Mystery Road (2020), The Luminaries (2020), Till Death (2021), Firebite (2021), The Gray Man (2022), and Last King of the Cross (2023).

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Check our other articles for more details on Netflix's Apple Cider Vinegar.