How to make a Hero
John Krasinski on how cia hero Jack Ryan gets a tv reboot in amazon Prime’s new all-action thriller series
NEW action
Jack Ryan
full series from friday 31 august / amazon prime video
Ever since his first appearance on the big screen in 1990 thriller The Hunt for Red October, Jack Ryan has become one of cinema’s most popular and enduring action heroes.
Played in a string of movies by some of Hollywood’s biggest names – Alec Baldwin, Harrison Ford, Ben Affleck and Chris Pine – author Tom Clancy’s CIA operative comes to TV for the first time this week, with John Krasinski in the title role.
The eight-part Amazon Prime series begins with a flashback to Lebanon in 1983, as an American airstrike claims the lives of a group of children. As we flash-forward to the present day, one of the bombing’s survivors, Mousa Bin Suleiman (Ali Suliman), is now a jihadi terrorist based in Syria, who has pledged to take his revenge on the US.
Can CIA analyst Jack Ryan foil a massive terror strike on his first-ever mission, alongside boss James Greer (Wendell Pierce)? Here, John, 38, who’s best known as Jim in the US version of The Office, tells us more…
When you started out as an actor, did you ever think you’d get to play an iconic action hero?
No! I can’t believe I’m on all these Jack Ryan posters looking moody.
What was it about the character of Jack that appealed to you? What I like about the TV series
is that it’s eight episodes and
that allows us to see Jack figure stuff out, whereas in the movies it all just happens really fast. We get the chance to dig a bit deeper. It was nerve-racking to take on a part that’s been done so many times before by so many different people.
Have you spoken to any of the other actors who have previously played Jack ryan? I know all of them except Harrison Ford, but the only person I emailed about it was Alec Baldwin, and he was very kind and wished me luck.
did you make a conscious career decision to move into high-octane action roles?
I was never trying to move away from The Office. It was an honour to spend 10 years on a show like that, but I took the opportunity to try new things – like the movie 13 Hours – and that led onto Jack Ryan.
What did you like most about filming the series?
Getting to film scenes on US military bases was exciting.
It’s really fun to start off the series with this guy who hasn’t accomplished anything and then see him grow.
What did you bring to this incarnation of the role?
One of my decisions was that Jack should be a rower – he needs a relaxing hobby to keep him from going crazy. I actually learned how to row on the Thames. It was terrifying!
Have you got to know the UK more since marrying British actor Emily Blunt?
I’ve been an Anglophile since I was a kid, and now that I’ve married a Brit, I’m able to experience the country other than central London. We spent time in Richmond recently when Emily was shooting the film Mary Poppins Returns. Richmond Park is one of my favourite places on Earth.
do you watch much British Tv? Black Mirror is phenomenal and I’m watching The League of Gentlemen at the moment, which is pretty weird!
JACK RYAN is previewed on pages 80-81