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It’s hard to imagine anyone other than Alan Ritchson in the role of the humungous Jack Reacher in Amazon Prime Video’sReacher. Film viewers only knew Tom Cruise as Reacher earlier, however, fans of the books still frown upon the casting of Cruise despite his stellar performance. Ritchson appealed to both audiences as the perfect Reacher, but fans would be surprised to know that he almost missed the opportunity if it was not for a second look at his passed-over audition tape.
Ritchson’sReacheris based on theJack Reacherbook series by Lee Child.Reacher Season 1was based on the first book,Killing Floor, and Season 2 was based on the book,Bad Luck and Trouble. Ritchson quickly became a popular star with his lead role in the series.
Alan Ritchson Underwent Rigorous Auditions ForReacherAfter Getting Rejected At First
Alan Ritchsonstarred in a few small roles before he got his big break inReacherin 2022. Ritchson opened up about how he landedhis fan-favorite rolewhile appearing on theInside of Youpodcast. TheFast Xactor revealed that he was passed on the first time when he auditioned for the role. Ritchson had to convince the producers that he was the one among 2,000 other actors for his audition.
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He shared that the sides given to him by the then-casting directors were not ‘audition’ material. For his side, he had to channel the famous ‘Reacher said nothing’ part from the books, and he had little idea how to bring that look for an audition tape. He shared with theInside of Youpodcast with Michael Rosenbaum:
“They passed on me the first time. They passed on everybody their first time. I was approached about this, as [were] probably 2,000 other guys, and I put a tape together. The sides that they gave us weren’t the most conducive to an audition, because it was all about capturing that stoic ‘Reacher said nothing’ thing from the books.”
Ritchson finally took the most inappropriate inspiration for the audition,“the guy from Waterworld who’s like, ‘Give me the paper.'”Ritchson put together an audition tape and sent it to the team but didn’t hear back for quite some time. He was aware that he didn’t tape well and added that the initial casting directors hated his tape. Ritchson shared his initial audition experience on theInside of Youpodcast:
“They hated it. The tape went to the producer. I got a call that it was interesting. They sent it to producers and then it just never went further.”
TheBrooklyn Nine-Nineactor had almost given up on the role when theReacherteam called him back. The producers brought in a new casting director who went over the tapes once again, but this time with different criteria in mind. Something about Ritchson in the role clicked with her and he was called back to do more auditions. The process didn’t get any easier as he took seven or eight auditions before the series finally fixed him as the lead.
Fans Now Want Alan Ritchson To Play Batman In James Gunn’s DCU
The role inReacherbrought more exposure to Alan Ritchson. He was cast in Guy Ritchie’sThe Ministry of Ungentlemanly WarfarealongsideHenry Cavill. But most importantly, a fan campaign started to promote him asthe next Batman actor in the DCU. The casting for the superhero has not been fixed yet for the upcoming filmThe Brave and the Bold. Ritchson addressed the rumors in an interview withFortress of Solitude, expressing his interest in playing the role:
“With all the rumours flying that I’m supposed to be playing Batman, how can I knock Batman? I would love to play Batman”
Ritchson has a very superhero-type physique which makes him cut out for other roles in the DCU as well. Besides Ritchson,Jensen Acklesis also another popular fan cast in the role. Alan Ritchson’sReacherSeasons 1 & 2 are currently streaming on Amazon Prime Video.
Hashim Asraff
Senior Writer
Articles Published :3019
Hashim Asraff is a Senior Entertainment Writer at FandomWire, with over 2,800 articles published on celebrity culture, comic book movies, and major TV franchises. With a background in Sociology and a keen interest in pop culture, Hashim brings a unique lens to breaking news stories, character deep-dives, film rankings, and fan-driven perspectives.His coverage often includes the MCU, DCU, hit network shows, and celebrity profiles, giving readers a rich blend of entertainment and analysis. A longtime fan of crime and investigative series, Hashim has watched thousands of episodes of NCIS, Criminal Minds, Law & Order: SVU, Bones, Blue Bloods, and The RookieA passionate storyteller and wordsmith, Hashim has also worked as a ghostwriter and managed multiple social media handles. He brought his writing expertise to FandomWire to also pursue his lifelong love for cinema and television.
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Alan Ritchson
