Actor finds less is more when playing taciturn hero
There’s a common phrase associated with Jack Reacher in Lee’s Child’s books: “Reacher says nothing.”
Saying nothing, however, can be terrifying for Alan Ritchson, who plays Reacher on television.
“He’s socially awkward, very stoic, very cerebral and none of those things should make for an interesting character,” Ritchson says.
“As I play Reacher, I swear there’s not one scene where I feel like, ‘That was the most interesting scene of all TV’.
“And then, like, the director, Sam Hill, will come out, ‘It was so good! Oh, it’s so muscular and it was so full and like, it was right there, and we could just feel it coming out of your pores!’”
“I was just standing there,” Ritchson deadpans.
Reacher is a former US Army officer who travels America with only a toothbrush and wants no attachments or possessions.
Nomadic life leads Reacher to constantly meet new people and be in different environments, providing Reacher an easy set-up for its anthology format.
He also cannot help but step in when he notices trouble brewing, which is often, but often laments that he doesn’t want to be involved.
While the series’ debut season was based on Child’s first Reacher novel, Killing Floor, season two is adapted from the 11th book in the series, called Bad Luck and Trouble.
In season two, which debuted on December 15, Reacher reunites with three Army comrades to track down the people who have been targeting and killing members of the elite group they once served in.
They’re played by Serinda Swan, Shaun Sipos and Maria Sten who viewers will recognise from season one.
Swan believes viewers will get used to Reacher interacting with mostly new characters each season.
Ritchson spoke recently about the show and the books.
For season two, did you feel nervous about the new setting and new cast, or were you confident viewers would take to it like they did season one?
The thing I love is in season one, Reacher was the mystery. We’re getting a chance to see what it’s like when he’s got his family around him and in a way that really ups the stakes as well.
The show has been renewed for a third season. It must be so interesting to be in on those discussions of which book to cover next.
There are so many options. Everybody wants to see their favourite story come to life
.
What is it about this character that people enjoy?
He really brings to life in us the desire that we all have to see justice done in a world that is so unjust, in a world where law is so cumbersome and clumsy and slow and he’s instant righteousness. I think we’re fascinated by that. There’s a lot of wish fulfilment in that for us, at least for me.
Do you think he’s almost a superhero?
We shot a crowbar fight in season one, where I got hit in the head with a vase (made of sugar glass) and ended up in a pool with the gunman. I was in so much pain after filming … I had blood pouring out of my head.
So I called executive producer Don Granger and I was like, “OK, question. I’m feeling it. I feel it everywhere. So, like, is Reacher limping or what’s his pain level?”
And there’s like a slight pause and Granger goes, “Yeah, he’s fine. He’s kind of like a superhero so he’s OK.”
Reacher is streaming on Amazon Prime Video.