- Alan Ritchson is the star of the television series Reacher, based on the book by Lee Child.
- This Amazon show tells the story of a former military agent who roams the United States fighting criminals.
- Here’s what you need to know about Ritchson.
“Reacher” revolves around Jack Reacher (Alan Ritchson), a ferocious ex-military agent who wanders the United States as a nomad, helping people in need. Season 2 of the show will end in January 2024, and Amazon is already filming Season 3 of Reacher.
Alan Ritchson leads the show, and viewers may know him from “Youngville,” “The Hunger Games: Catching Fire” and “Titans.”
Thanks to the “Reacher” press tour over the past few years, the actor has said a lot about himself, so here’s what you need to know about the star.
He married his high school sweetheart, Katherine Richardson.
Ritchson met his current wife, Katherine Ritchson, when he was 17 years old and they were both enrolled in a ballet class at the same high school in Florida.
In February 2024, he recalled in an interview with Men’s Health how nervous he was to talk to her, saying: Something like, “So, I heard you ice skating.”
The two broke up after a summer, but Katherine told the podcast The Road to Wisdom that they reunited after Ritchson came to Miami to model while in college.
The couple married in 2006 and have been together ever since. Their first son, Karem, was born in 2012, followed by their younger brother, Edan, a year later in 2013, and their third son, Amory, in 2015.
Alan Ritchson is 6 feet 3 inches tall, but in ‘Reacher’ he is 6 feet 5 inches tall
One of the most striking things about Ritchson in Reacher is his towering stature. Compared to other villains in the series, he looks like a giant.
Ritchson’s height is 6 feet 3 inches. However, when he spoke to Kinowetter in 2022, he said he wore boots with an extra two inches added on at the show.
In Lee Child’s book, the character is 6 feet 5 inches tall, so at least the show tries to be accurate.
Ritchson wrote a letter to Tom Cruise before starring in Reacher
The Amazon series isn’t the first time a Lee Child book has been brought to the big screen. Tom Cruise played the role in the 2012 film Jack Reacher and later reprized the role in the 2015 sequel Jack Reacher: Never Go Back.
Fans were not happy with this casting considering the character’s towering stature. In January 2024, Ritchson appeared on “Jimmy Kimmel Live! When he was cast in the series, he reportedly wrote to Cruise about taking his place.
“This guy still starred in two movies that grossed over $300 million and brought so much attention to this series,” Ritchson added. “Without that, we wouldn’t have been as successful as we are. So, out of gratitude, I wrote him a loving, heartfelt, one-page letter. I gave it to Don Granger, his partner in Skydance.”
“‘I think I should give this to him. I want him to know that I appreciate him passing on the torch and everything else,'” Ritchson added.
But Granger, who is also a producer on “Reacher,” decided not to give Cruise the letter, saying the star had left.
“He said, ‘We’re not going to give it to him. That’s a terrible idea. That’s OK because he’s moved on in his life. He’s moved on, so you should too. We need to move on.”
Ritchson auditioned for the role of Thor but didn’t take it seriously.
Ten years ago, Ritchson began landing big roles in Hollywood films such as Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles and The Hunger Games: Catching Fire. However, his rise to fame might have been quicker if he had taken his Marvel auditions more seriously.
In a profile for Men’s Health, Ritchson recalled auditioning to play Thor in the 2011 film. He explained that she thought she could get the role by focusing on her role.
“I didn’t take it seriously,” Ritchson said. “I thought, ‘If I looked like that guy, he’d be thrown out of the role, no one would care about acting.'”
As Marvel fans know, that’s not the case, and Chris Hemsworth has been cast as the God of Thunder.
He also told Jimmy Kimmel he filmed a fake storyline for ‘American Idol’ Season 3
In 2003, Ritchson appeared on “American Idol” but was cut in the second round. He recalled his experience on “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” Coming in January.
He also explained that producers secretly induced him to film a fake storyline.
Ritchson said she was asked to film a segment with female models in which they talk about how they enjoy filming “American Idol.”
He reflected: “I thought, ‘Oh my God, that’s amazing.’ [to get] Screening time. “Within 10 minutes of getting to the hotel in Los Angeles, he went down to the pool in my board shorts and they said, ‘How about we sit in the hot tub and we’re going to ask you a few questions.'”
However, this was cut along with a clip of host Ryan Seacrest looking for Ritchson while he was working on a song, making it seem like the actor wasn’t taking the contest seriously.
“Ryan Seacrest is going around asking people where Alan and Tina are, or who the models are.” He spoke to me…Oh my god!” he added.
He lost out to Brenton Thwaites for the role of Robin in “Titans,” but still won the role of Hawk.
In an interview with Men’s Health, Ritchson also touched on his audition to play DC vigilante Robin in the HBO Max television series Titans.
After the audition, the actor said that he originally felt the role was for him. Without me. ”
According to Men’s Health, Brenton Thwaites was cast as Robin, although Ritchson was very convinced that he had bought a Tesla to celebrate.
It’s worth noting that the star landed a supporting role as Hank Hall, the vigilante Hawk, in Titans.
He caught the culprit while on a date with his wife.
Ritchson’s public persona relies on his physicality in the role, so much so that he seemingly merges with “Reacher.” Still, he took the idea further when he stopped a man in Montreal who was trying to break into someone else’s car.
In an interview with ETalk in early 2024, the actor recalled the incident, explaining that he was on a date with his wife when the couple spotted someone breaking into their parked car.
“I saw someone. We were on a date in Montreal, all dressed up and walking to a really nice dinner, and I saw someone break into a car,” Ritchson said. “She put it together before I did, because it was just glass hanging everywhere. [going] through someone else’s. ”
Starr then admitted that he chased the suspect for four blocks until he caught him and waited for authorities.
“She says, ‘I think he’s trying to break into that car,’ and I say, ‘Well, I guess you’re right.’ And she says, ‘Please don’t.’ And I was like, instant reacher mode,” he continued. “There has to be some justice done here. I chased the guy for about four blocks until I threw him into a building, and then the police came.”
Ritchson added: “She was very, very upset that they didn’t take her on a date. After all, we got there.”
Ritchson used testosterone therapy before ‘Reacher’ season 2
As Reacher fans may have noticed, Ritchson bulked up significantly for the show’s second season, and when speaking to Men’s Health about his training, Ritchson said he uses testosterone therapy.
He explained that the physical strain of training for the first season and the grueling filming schedule left him exhausted. After finishing the series, Ritchson said he was “completely exhausted and his heart almost broke.”
During his two-season hiatus, doctors recommended he try testosterone replacement therapy, which also helped him gain muscle mass.
Ritchson pointed out that some people criticize this as “steroids with a doctor’s note.” However, he said he still works out five times a week to stay in shape.
She added: “I didn’t even know it was considered an anabolic steroid for some people. It’s just that I had a hormone that I was missing and I needed it. ” he added.
Ritchson has spoken openly about suffering from bipolar disorder.
The star also told Men’s Health that he was diagnosed with bipolar disorder in 2019 at the age of 36. The disorder affects a person’s mood and can cause depression, high emotions, and fatigue.
In a lengthy conversation with Man of Metropolis in 2022, he explained the challenges of living with bipolar disorder: “I’m bipolar. I wasn’t diagnosed until just a few years ago, but when you’re bipolar, you don’t have any perspective on how you’re doing from moment to moment. That’s what makes it so difficult.”
“If I have moments where I get incredibly irritated by stimuli or conversations that may seem perfectly normal to me or to my mind, then it’s natural to feel that way, and that’s what I’m going to do.” Make sure everyone knows,” he added.
Ritchson also praised his wife for helping him stay balanced and take his medication.
“My wife often asks me if I’ve taken my medication. She’s my barometer. She helps me look in the mirror, and long before I knew I had bipolar disorder. “She always was,” he continued.
“She knows when I need help adjusting to the amount of stimulation. She’s the only person on earth who will reprimand me if I tell her I’m not doing something right.” He is a person.”
He also opened up about his suicide attempt.
Ritchson also spoke about his 2022 suicide attempt during an appearance on Michael Rosenbaum’s Inside of You podcast, including an attempt to hang himself.
He said it was after someone tried to blackmail him into ruining his career.
“It’s still hard to think about the fact that I would do something like that, especially to children,” the actor said.
“But now I understand what it’s like when people say, ‘I don’t understand why someone would commit suicide,'” Ritchson continued. gift. “
He added: “I was a mess and I thought I was causing trouble for my family and community.”
