ALAN RITCHSON
The Titans star, 39, segues from TV’s superhero series to the action crime drama Reacher (Feb. 4 on Amazon Prime Video). Ritchson plays the hard-hitting former military police investigator of the title who is arrested for a murder he didn’t commit and takes on a small town to prove they have the wrong guy.
Jack Reacher seems to be a somewhat mythical figure. He does represent this larger-than-life, almost superhero quality in the wish fulfillment he provides us as a culture. This mysterious stranger sweeps in and takes care of our problems and brings justice where maybe the law couldn’t or is too slow, so he does represent a mythical quality.
Did having a dad who was a U.S. Air Force chief master sergeant inspire your performance? Growing up and being around soldiers and enlisted military men, there’s a formality to the way that they greet each other, the way that they stand, the salute, the handshake. There is a posture that my father carried that was an easy translation into Reacher’s body language. It is something that I only see in military men and women. I wanted to honor that.
Tom Cruise got flak for being too short for the Reacher role in the 2012 movie. Do you think part of your casting was because you’re a big guy? Reacher is a bit of a unicorn; he is so highly intelligent, but he also has this brutish physique. We were trying to get that right. I usually walk around a little lighter. I spent about eight months putting on a little size naturally and eating a lot of food.
Your introduction to TV was on American Idol. Music was my first love. Singing was something I felt decent at, and it felt like it just made sense to pursue that. I had never thought about acting. American Idol took me to L.A. for the first time, where I was exposed to acting. I asked someone if they could help me get auditions and they did, and I started working.
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