Actor Alan Ritchson, who plays Jack Reacher in the Prime Video series, recently shared how his early struggles and setbacks as an actor have born fruit for him not only in his career, but also in his interior life. Amidst revealing all of this, he also explained why Reacher is so successful.
Alan Ritchson as Jack Reacher in Reacher (2023), Prime Video
The Unprecedented Success of ‘Reacher’:
In an interview with The Hollywood Reporter about the recent debut of Reach Season on Prime Video, Ritchson was asked about why he thought the series caught fire the way it did.
He answered, “That’s a great question. Being that this was fueled by a series of books [Lee Child’s Jack Reacher novels] that sold over 200 million copies, there were high hopes for the show because, obviously, we knew that there was already an audience there. But the fact that it was breaking records within 48 hours of premiering on Prime was unprecedented and wholly unexpected.”
He continued, “Fans of Reacher approach me all the time, and I always ask what it is that they love. Women tell me they love the fight scenes and action sequences, and guys say they love the mystery and trying to figure it out before Reacher does. There’s something for everyone to love, and there’s really no demographic — it’s all creeds, races, genders, ages. It invites everyone in who just wants to have a good time and watch a fun story.”
Alan Ritchson as Jack Reacher in Reacher (2023), Prime Video
Lessons from Setbacks:
Later in the interview he was asked about what his biggest surprise is for being a lead in the series.
He responded, “It was a long time coming. It’s funny because when I started out in the business, I was thrust into a situation with Smallville where I was promised a spinoff right away. The ratings were record-setting in season five when I came in. I had all these people in Hollywood saying to me, “You are the guy. You’re going to be No. 1 on the call sheet right away.” And then there was a merger between UPN and Warner Bros. to create The CW. The president of UPN took over, looked at the slate and said, “Who is this dude with no résumé at all? He’s not getting his own show.” So, in the middle of our negotiations, it fell apart.
“It was the best thing that’s ever happened to me,” he asserted. “It taught me to hold on very loosely to the things that we hope for in this business, to never have any expectations and just enjoy whatever actually manifests.”
Ritchson elaborated, “It gave me a 20-year career of building a foundation of gratitude, and the opportunity to build a foundation of experience that included many areas of the business, including writing, directing, and producing. It also allowed me to become a well-rounded person who was ready for the role of leading a show where you can be a servant of the crew. I’m grateful. What got me ready for Reacher was all the losses that I took early on.”
Alan Ritchson as Jack Reacher in Reacher (2023), Prime Video
Being A Leader
Ritchson not only revealed how he embraced the hardship of losing the Smallville spinoff and building a foundation of gratitude, but also learned behaviors he did not want to emulate.
He relayed, “I watched the leads do things that I cannot possibly imagine doing myself. I once saw someone leave the set in the middle of a take, get in an Uber and leave the country by saying, “I’m done with the show.” Not just leaving the set but leaving the country. We only found out later that they had left for Spain once they posted photos to Instagram.”
“Seeing the disruption that it caused, I knew then that would never be my take,” he declared.
Alan Ritchson as Jack Reacher in Reacher (2023), Prime Video
Ritchson’s example to embrace gratitude and humility is something we all should emulate especially in bad times. In fact, author Chris Stefanick details that there are five things that gratitude unleashes in your life when you embrace the virtue.
First, he notes that “gratitude unlocks your power to enjoy your life. Gratitude is the key that will unlock the smile on your face.”
Second, he says, “gratitude generates feelings in the natural that make you more successful. Some people think that their success will lead to their joy. The opposite is true. You having a joyful grateful spirit actually leads to your success.”
Alan Ritchson as Jack Reacher in Reacher (2023), Prime Video
Third, Stefanick states that “gratitude makes you a blessing magnet. If you say ‘thank you’ to people all the time, they just want to give you more.”
Fourth, he says that “gratitude gives you a victorious attitude and changes you from a victim to a victor.”
Finally, he shares, “gratitude preserves the relationships in your life.”
Alan Ritchson as Jack Reacher in Reacher (2023), Prime Video
Reacher Season 2 debuted on December 15th with the first three episodes. It releases new episodes every Friday night. The series was renewed for a third season at the beginning of December before the second season premiere.
The official description for Season 2 states, “The upcoming second season, premiering December 15 on Prime Video, begins when veteran military police investigator Jack Reacher (Alan Ritchson) receives a coded message that the members of his former U.S. Army unit, the 110th MP Special Investigations, are being mysteriously and brutally murdered one by one. Pulled from his drifter lifestyle, Reacher reunites with three of his former teammates turned chosen family to investigate, including Frances Neagley (Maria Sten); Karla Dixon (Serinda Swan), a forensic accountant for whom Reacher has long had a soft spot; and fast-talking, switchblade-wielding family man David O’Donnell (Shaun Sipos).”
It adds, “Together, they begin to connect the dots in a mystery where the stakes get higher at every turn, and that brings about questions of who has betrayed them—and who will die next. Using his inimitable blend of smarts and size, Reacher will stop at nothing to uncover the truth and protect the members of his unit. If there’s one thing Reacher and his team know for certain, it’s that you do not mess with the Special Investigators. This season, get ready for Reacher and the 110th to hit back hard.”
Alan Ritchson as Jack Reacher in Reacher (2023), Prime Video
What do you make of Ritchson’s comments?
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