Is Painkiller’s Glen Kryger Based On A Real Person? Taylor Kitsch’s Character Explained

Summary

• Painkiller combines real and fictional characters to expose Purdue Pharma’s influence on the nation and the opioid crisis. Glen Kryger represents one side of the crisis, showcasing the dark side of using Oxycontin.
• Glen Kryger is a composite character inspired by real people affected by Purdue and Oxycontin. His storyline is important because it humanizes the consequences of the drug and puts a face to those deeply impacted by Purdue’s actions.
• Despite not being based on a real person, Glen Kryger serves as the face of many victims struggling with addiction due to Oxycontin. Taylor Kitsch’s performance effectively captures the pain and hardship caused by the drug.

Netflix’s limited series Painkiller features Taylor Kitsch as Glen Kryger, and his dramatic performance has viewers questioning if Kryger is based on a real person. Painkiller dramatizes reality by combining characters based on real people with fictional characters to expose Purdue Pharma’s influence on the nation and the effects of the opioid crisis. Glen Kryger struggles with the pain of using Oxycontin, a highly addictive pain medication, throughout the series and effectually portrays the dark side of “pain-free” life.

Based on Barry Meier’s non-fiction book Pain Killer: An Empire of Deceit and the Origin of America’s Opioid Crisis and Patrick Radden Keefe’s New Yorker article “The Family That Built the Empire of Pain,” Painkiller intertwines reality and fiction almost seamlessly using figures ripped from headlines and composite characters created to embody the nuance of the effects of the opioid epidemic. Glen Kryger represents one side of the opioid crisis with other characters, like the chairperson and president of Purdue Pharma, Richard Sackler (Matthew Broderick), representing another, giving the series a multi-faceted view of the damage the pharmaceutical company caused. While some characters represent real, named people, other characters are an amalgamation of many people affected by the ruthless actions of Purdue Pharma.

Glen Kryger Is Not A Real Person, But Is Inspired By Various True Stories

Glen Kryger is a composite character, and like Edie Flowers, was inspired by real people affected by Purdue and the damaging effects of Oxycontin. This amalgamation of Oxycontin users creates a character reminiscent of those lost due to its use mentioned at the beginning of each episode. Kryger was prescribed the drug after getting injured in his mechanic shop and the series tracks his downfall after quickly getting addicted. In its effort to expose Purdue Pharma’s part in the opioid crisis, Painkiller juxtaposes those making money from, fighting against, and struggling with Oxycontin, and Glen Kryger is the fictionalized face of the many in the struggle.

Why Glen Kryger’s Storyline Is So Important To Painkiller’s OxyContin Criticism

While the show gives an expansive and nuanced view of multiple sides of the opioid epidemic, Glen Kryger embodies those most harmed by Oxycontin. Without this character, with whom many Americans can relate to by either first or second-hand experience, the pain and very real consequences would not be represented in the series. Viewers need to put a face to the real people whose lives were deeply affected by the actions of Purdue Pharmacy. Other characters, real or completely fictionalized, give the logistics of how the epidemic was created and fought against, but Glen is so important because he gives the series a heart—a humanized story that makes viewers understand the reason this drug is so dangerous.

The series takes creative liberties to bring the effects of the Sackler regime to the small screen. With an impressive ensemble cast, Painkiller uses its characters to paint the whole picture of Purdue Pharma’s part in the opioid epidemic and Glen Kryger is essential to driving the point home. Taylor Kitsch’s performance encompasses the pain and hardship of those burdened with the effects of Oxycontin. While not a character based on a real-life individual, Glen Kryger is the face of many victims struggling with addiction after being prescribed dangerous Schedule II narcotics promoted by the Sacklers and Purdue Pharma.

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