Greg Kinnear Based His The Stand Character on Stephen King

Greg Kinnear, who stars as Glen Bateman in The Stand, reveals the role Stephen King plays in his performance. The Stand novel released in 1978 and is widely considered one of King’s best works. The story is also incredibly relevant in 2020, as it focuses on a deadly pandemic and its aftermath. A The Stand miniseries debuted over four nights in 1994. The series received largely positive reviews, even nabbing two Emmys. The Stand also performed well for ABC, with roughly 19 million households watching each night. Despite the success of the 1994 miniseries, further adaptations have struggled in development. In January 2019, CBS finally announced a limited series version of The Stand would stream on CBS All Access.

The long-awaited show released its first episode on December 17, with further installments debuting weekly through February. CBS’ The Stand will consist of nine episodes. So far, the miniseries has received mixed reviews despite its impressive cast. Kinnear stars alongside James Marsden, Alexander Skarsgård, Whoopi Goldberg, and Amber Heard. Ezra Miller, J.K. Simmons, and Bryan Cranston have guest-starring roles, along with many others. King’s son Owen serves as a producer and writer on The Stand.

Kinnear’s Glen is a former sociology professor who has a unique attitude toward the pandemic. Speaking with ComicBook, Kinnear revealed the surprising way King influenced his performance:

I loved Glen when I read the book. I think it’s kind of the voice of Stephen King, strangely enough. I’m channeling King. He kind of has a banjo plan, you know, a dime store philosophy quality to him, this guy. I didn’t know what the hell he was talking about myself, as a writer, but I did like his take on everything. At top of the show, you find him having already given up on society, which in a way is kind of a power position. Everybody is grappling with what they’ve lost and here’s a guy who had kind of already checked out. And so, I think he’s more along for the ride, not trying to get back where we were, but just to kind of study it. It’s a sociology study for him and I think his eyes are open. And he’s learning as he goes and is enjoying the ride as best you can in all of this.

Kinnear’s comments make a lot of sense. In many ways, Glen acts as The Stand‘s observer, similar to the way an author would. Logically, Kinnear would be inspired to channel King with his performance. Additionally, even though authors aren’t named in their novels, their voices shine through in some characters more than others. Considering the role Glen plays in The Stand, he serves as more of a conduit for King than some others in the book and by extension, the show. This should add an interesting layer to Kinnear’s performance.

It will be interesting to see how Kinnear’s take on Glen is received and if the connection to King comes through. Many have called The Stand‘s cast its biggest strength, so solid work by Kinnear could make a difference in its overall reception. Glen will make his debut in this week’s episode, “Blank Pages.” At that point, it may be easier to get a feel for the show as a whole, considering his important role in the series. However, viewers will have to wait for The Stand‘s newest installment to find out for sure.

Source: ComicBook

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Rebecca VanAcker
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Rebecca VanAcker is a trainer and news editor at Screen Rant. In the past, she’s written TV recaps for Screen Picks and reviews for Yahoo. She enjoys covering all things superhero, especially the MCU and Arrowverse.

A graduate of Michigan State University, Rebecca got her teaching certificate before falling in love with writing and the entertainment industry. She has a B.A. in English and can often be found ignoring everyone in favor of a good book. Her other hobbies include baking, anything Disney, and exploring with her dog, Beckett.

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