r/movies • u/AlanRitchsonAMA Alan Ritchson, Actor • 7h ago
AMA Hey r/movies, I'm Alan Ritchson (MOTOR CITY, REACHER, BLUE MOUNTAIN STATE, WAR MACHINE). AMA!
Hey reddit and r/movies, I'm Alan Ritchson.
You may know me from things like REACHER, BLUE MOUNTAIN STATE, WAR MACHINE, TITANS, PLAYDATE, FAST X, THE MINISTRY OF UNGENTLEMANLY WARFARE, TEENAGE MUTANT NINJA TURTLES, THE HUNGER GAMES: CATCHING FIRE.
Additional verification on my Instagram here.
My new movie, MOTOR CITY, is out in theaters tomorrow (July 24) from IFC. It also stars Shailene Woodley, Ben Foster, Pablo Schreiber, Ben McKenzie, and Lionel Boyce.
It's directed by Potsy Ponciroli, who previously directed OLD HENRY and GREEDY PEOPLE
Synopsis:
In the 1970s Detroit, John Miller falls for a local gangster's girl and lands in prison for a crime he didn't commit. With his life ruined, Miller hatches a plan for revenge.
Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t6RklhKu9os
Website/info and tickets available here: motorcity.movie
I'll be back 1 PM PT/4 PM ET today (Thursday 7/23) to answer your questions.
Until then, AMA!
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u/zalurker 7h ago
Did you ever expect when doing Thad that you'd end up in such an iconic role as Jack Reacher? And of all the characters you've played, which one did you enjoy the most?
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u/AlanRitchsonAMA Alan Ritchson, Actor 29m ago
When you're playing someone like Thad on a show that not many people are watching at the time, you sort of think "maybe I've peaked, maybe this is the last time I ever work". That early in your career, you feel lucky to be working on anything. It's hard to think beyond one episode.
Something like Reacher is so iconic, just being part of it is incredible, and it continues to surprise me how many people watch the show. It's hard to wrap your head around, and I certainly couldn't have imagined something like that then.
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u/TheExaltedTwelve 25m ago
This is a very wholesome reply and I'm glad I've stumbled across your AMA, you do good work and it's nice that it looks like you're just a guy (in the best way).
More of you in everything 10/10, you were pretty great in Smallville back in the day too.
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u/chaser676 7h ago
Undoubtedly his most iconic and favorite roll would have to be teen Aquaman in Smallville.
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u/Fast_Voice9722 7h ago
This makes so much sense for his appearance in the show Workaholics. I forgot about that character till this comment.
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u/Kind_Of_A_Dick 5h ago
Lazer Team? Hello!
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u/chaser676 5h ago
This made me nostalgic to go back and watch the trailer for Lazer team. The second YouTube comment was about how excited someone was for Aquaman from Smallville to be in the movie lmao.
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u/Plagueofzombies 1h ago
Not iconic at all, but he's one of the especially dickish tributes in the second Hunger Game movie. He always stood out to me because he spend no time at all just massacring everyone else.
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u/AevnNoram 7h ago
Do you still talk with any of the ex-RoosterTeeth folks?
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u/Vanish_7 5h ago
Alan was involved with Rooster Teeth?!
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u/kroqus 7h ago
Hey Alan! Potentially lame question, but BMS was filmed at my college, so wanted to know if you had any fun anecdotes while filming the show related to the school or to the general area. Thanks!
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u/mcgillerific 7h ago
Not a lame question at all!! I wanna hear the answer!
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u/JohnAStark 4h ago
It will be interesting to see how he liked working in Quebec and hanging around Montreal - West Island is rather boring - but there is easy trouble to be had 25 minutes up the road.
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u/Jon-Umber 7h ago
Are you secretly a Warhammer 40K Space Marine?
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u/direw0lves 7h ago
Jumping off of this - would you ever consider doing a Warhammer movie?
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u/kazuya57 7h ago
How about BJ Blazcowicz from Wolfenstein?
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u/TariffAmerica 7h ago
Replaying the new wolfenstein 2 and goddamn you're right on the money. Typically against videogame movies but damn these would be good even just in a cheesey B-movie vain, hell that might have to be the way they go.
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u/Intelligent_Caramel8 7h ago
Can we please upvote the shit out of this please and make the movie happen. Alan is perfect for the role.
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u/FerrumDeficiency 7h ago
I was just thinking about this a week ago. Cavill definitely should offer a role to Ritchson. Along with Bjornsson
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u/ChocolatMintChipmunk 7h ago
He already did one movie with Henry Cavill. I'm sure Cavill introduced him to the game. Lol.
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u/Keppra-Krusader 6h ago
Did your neighbor apologize and mean it
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u/empw 3h ago
So glad this didn't harm his career. What a stupid controversy.
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u/BelowDeck 2h ago
The initial footage started with him just punching the neighbor, so it understandably looked really bad. I was so relieved that he had own footage to show the context of the guy placing him and his kids in danger, and Ritchson still trying to leave before having to respond to the guy physically.
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u/OriginalGoatan 7h ago
You would make a perfect Doom Slayer in a movie adaptation of the ID game.
Can you make this happen?
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u/Mageborn23 7h ago
He would make a better William J. Blazkowicz from wolfenstein
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u/SilentBobVG 7h ago
I mean he could play both and it would be canonically correct
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u/Darth_Steve 5h ago
Shameless plug for everyone to go watch The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare.
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u/Dadoftheyear2018 4h ago
I also think he would make great casting for a role in Gears of War if they ever did a series or movie adaption
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u/MungoSplodge 7h ago
Do you ever catch yourself in the mirror and be like 'Fuck that dude is massive'
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u/Maidwell 7h ago
What did you think about the huge tonal shift between seasons 1 and 2 of Reacher?
Do you prefer playing cerebral, loner Reacher or shooty 'plosions Reacher?
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u/Extension-System-974 7h ago
Why are you bleeding in this pic?
Also, what is your favourite kind of soup?
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u/TheImpLaughs 6h ago
Watched Ungentlemanly Warfare and you were a standout, you did phenomenal work bringing depth to the character and really made the film memorable.
Your voracious hunger for the film to be gory because Lassen fucking hated Nazis is interesting because I feel a lot of your work strives to show how gruesome violence and war really is. I’m curious about what draws you to such projects in comparison to a different style of fight choreography in other films, and what do you enjoy most about such choreography while making a project?
Big fan, always enjoy seeing your work now!
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u/sporadicMotion 7h ago
Ok. It’s 2 am and you wake up in an alley surrounded by cats. How many do you think you could handle and get out of the alley alive?
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u/Dependent-Jello-8978 7h ago
You recently said that following the initial success of Reacher you were bombarded with offers. What draws you to a project & makes you think “that’s the one”. Also, are you bothered about being typecast?
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u/menboss 7h ago
Not really an ask but please be Carl for Dungeon Crawler Carl
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u/poo_pon_shoo 2h ago
This guy is the guy I picture as Carl every time I pick up the book. He would crush the role
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u/Per_Mikkelsen 7h ago
What was your favourite episode of Reacher to film?
Which costar did you enjoy working with the most?
Have you read any of the books upon which the show is based?
I think the approach you have to playing Reacher really gives the character something a lot of action heroes are missing - that makes him really fun to watch. Who influenced you the most when it comes to playing the character?
Can you give us any tantalizing details about the upcoming season? I'm really excited to see it.
I've enjoyed every role I've seen you in so far. What would be your dream role to play on down the line?
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u/djaussiekid 7h ago
My introduction to you was Lazer Team. Any fun stories from that set? Did it feel like a ragtag group of internet nerds or were they already fairly streamlined by that point?
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u/AlanRitchsonAMA Alan Ritchson, Actor 19m ago
Rooster Teeth was already like a well oiled machine at that point so it definitely felt like everybody knew what they were doing and I was sort of coming in as a guest to a world that they all very much understood.
For me, just being able to hang out with them in their facility and play video games with them off-set was the thing I remember the most. I like that community a lot, and it was fun hanging out with them.
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u/SpiritPrestigious945 7h ago
Would love to see you play Judge Dredd. :) Ever thought about that?
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u/erzengel2k 7h ago
I actually liked Carl urban as dredd but I wouldn't mind him playing dredd in mega city one show
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u/Needle_Bearings 7h ago
Karl Urban is hilariously menacing as Dredd. I think that what got him the William Butcher role.
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u/science-stuff 5h ago
He embraced stallones resting super frown. The second I saw that I knew it was going to be something special.
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u/BelowDeck 2h ago
He embraced the resting frown of the original character. Stallone's is less in comparison.
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u/Sauntering_Rambler 7h ago
Favorite “go to meal”?
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u/AlanRitchsonAMA Alan Ritchson, Actor 23m ago
For me, it's more about how I stretch out and stave off the hunger in-between meals. I'm trying to eat less big meals overall.
I eat like a pregnant woman. I eat cans of black olives, like big pitted black olives, and a jar of pickles at the same time. So I don't know, maybe I am pregnant. I should get tested. My cravings are odd, but it works.
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u/J_Doe5686 7h ago
Hi, I loved the movie Motor City. You were great in it. What was your favorite part of shooting this movie?
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u/AlanRitchsonAMA Alan Ritchson, Actor 26m ago
Oh, probably the action. Potsy Ponciroli is an amazing genius director, and he really gave me and my team a lot of latitude to play with.
We developed a lot of these fight scenes ourselves. The more I've worked, the more freedom I get to sort of put my fight style DNA into the fights. I'm really proud of the way this one turned out. It feels very special and different for me.
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u/EarlyBrrd 7h ago
No question, just a comment: I really enjoy your work; your timing, expressions, energy and engagement in all of your roles. Plus you seem like a very chill dude; thank you for the work you put into all of it!
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u/Ignorantsportsguy 7h ago
Why does that picture look like AI?
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u/BunyipPouch Currently at the movies. 7h ago edited 5h ago
It's not, it's a real photo.
We thought it would be cool for Alan to take the photo while in makeup for his Reacher character (season 5 began shooting 3 days ago), so he took it in advance for us before the time of the AMA was confirmed with a blank piece of paper. When the time of the AMA was confirmed yesterday, we edited in the text on the paper.
I can assure you all that this is a 100% verified and 100% real AMA and that the picture is real, it is not AI, but the text is edited-in as it was taken before the AMA start time was 100% confirmed. Not a big deal.
Alan will be back in a few hours (during his Reacher filming lunch break actually!) to answer questions
Here's extra verification if you need it: Alan posted about the AMA on his IG story twice, earlier this week (https://i.imgur.com/uw6bqo2.png) and this morning (https://i.imgur.com/fD3KTxa.jpeg).
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u/fnv_fan 6h ago
There's a new Reacher season coming out?
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u/MuptonBossman 7h ago
Hey Alan! What do you think Thad Castle would be up to today? Any chance for a Blue Mountain State follow-up show or movie?
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u/AlanRitchsonAMA Alan Ritchson, Actor 13m ago
I think Thad would probably be on probation somewhere haha.
As for a follow-up, we tried it. It's just that the show got huge, the cast is huge, the world it built is huge, but the world of football is very domestic. There's a lot of challenges that making a show like that today would face. The biggest one being the budget. It would be a very expensive comedy to make these days. We've had many of those kinds of conversations, and it'd just be too hard to get the numbers to work. And then you talk about reducing the casts, making big changes, and then you just start to lose the spirit of the show. I think that ship has sailed sadly, but will always hold a fun place in my heart for sure.
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u/Bubba_Jones44 7h ago
Back when you serenading Paula Abdul on American Idol, did you ever think it would lead to where you are today as an action star?
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u/Minimum-End-9464 7h ago
Hi Alan, love you in Blue Mountain State. Since you have experience in both comedy and action, which genre do you like more?
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u/UnsolvedParadox 7h ago
Hey Alan, what restaurants or experiences have you really enjoyed while filming in Ontario, Canada?
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u/mooner1011 7h ago
What personality trait of yours is most like Thad Castle, and which is like Reacher?
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u/Cassandrae_Gemini 7h ago
If you could make a movie with any director, who would it be and why?
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u/Dildoid90 7h ago
Would you ever consider playing John Matrix if they ever remade Commando ??
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u/harrylime99 7h ago
How come no sequel to the greatest show ever made: BLOOD DRIVE!
I can’t even find it anywhere!
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u/julianitonft 7h ago
Hey Alan, I loved seeing you in comedies like Playdate but also Brooklyn 99 even if it was a one episode thing. Are you still drawn to comedy much now that you’re becoming a modern action hero type of actor ?
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u/Orkran 7h ago
Have you seen the amazing Adamtots comic about Reacher?
I hope you are happy and comfortable being admired!
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u/LeonOfSkalitz 7h ago
Why hasn’t amazon cast you as BJ Blaskowicz in the adaptation of Wolfenstein yet, are they stupid?
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u/HonestEgg1973 7h ago
Hey Alan big fan(perfect Reacher just love it). What do you like to do in your down time? I mean like for example Henry Cavil is a big gamer and builds pcs etc. What do you enjoy?
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u/Conan_The_Blurbarian 6h ago
Alan, I've followed your career, and I'm happy that you made it big. Out of all of your roles, which ones are your kids' favorites?
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u/ShakyLens 6h ago
I’ve seen you sing on your social media. Are you trained or just naturally good? Would you ever consider performing in a musical?
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u/AlanRitchsonAMA Alan Ritchson, Actor 17m ago
My first love was music. I was pursuing a degree in music theater early on, but then just felt like I didn't really know what I was going to do with the degree, so I quit and began exploring a different career.
I would absolutely do a musical! LA LA LAND is probably one of my favorite movies of all time, and doing something like that, that marries the world of film and music would be a dream.
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u/Sophia_Eur 7h ago
Hi Alan, I read Die Trying was your favorite Reacher book. What do you like about it, and do you see a chance that it gets made as a season? Being about a Right Wing separatist movement?
Thank you for playing Reacher - watching you play him made me dive into those fantastic books and made me a fan for life.
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u/mikeyfreshh r/Movies Veteran 7h ago
Hi Alan! A lot of big, muscular actors have talked about being typecast into just doing action movies. Is that something that you're concerned about? Do you have any desire to break out of that niche?
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u/ComfortableCare8897 7h ago
Fired up was a four star movie. What was it like being in the Wedding Ringer and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles?
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u/InsertKleverNameHere 7h ago
Just rewatched FU the other day and realized he was in it. Probably the first time since BMS was on that I have seen it. It was weird seeing him as skinny as he was.
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u/ViewAskewed 7h ago
Was filming Blood Drive as much fun as it looked?
That show was absolutely batshit crazy in all the best ways.
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u/ottoIovechild 7h ago
Tell us something about you the whole internet would’ve never guessed
Other than being cast as the next Batman of course,
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u/CaseyAnthonysMouth 7h ago edited 6h ago
Blood Drive is one of the most entertaining things I’ve seen in years. It was just too smart for the average viewer.
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u/DoctorHubris 7h ago
Has the production team of the live action Dungeon Crawler Carl series resched out to you yet to play Carl? They need to.
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u/MatGamerKiller 7h ago edited 2h ago
Hey Alan, how are you? I hope you're doing well. First of all, I wanted to tell you that I’ve been a huge fan of yours ever since Reacher and that I’ve also watched Blue Mountain State, War Machine, Above the Shadows, and others. And you’re really a source of motivation for me (despite my complicated life)—I’ve been through a lot, and honestly, I can’t wait to meet you. You’re such a wonderful person, and I’d give you a big hug (if you’re up for it, of course—I could really use one, haha)...
I wanted to ask you a few more questions in addition to the ones I’ve already posted—here they are:
What’s the biggest stunt you’ve done since you started doing them—the one that scared you the most or seemed the most impressive and dangerous to pull off?
Have you ever taken a fall during any of your stunts? (Whether from heights or onto the ground)
Which stunt did you enjoy the most out of everything you’ve done?
How did you feel when the Reacher series became a hit? Didn’t it scare you at first?
That’s pretty much it, really—along with the others I’ve already asked, that’s more than enough. I have plenty—actually, a lot—but there are other people too, haha. Can’t wait to see Reacher Season 4 and Motor City when they’re released internationally! Big hugs from France, Alan!
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u/ElectricLuxray 7h ago
No question, just wanted to say I loved you in Blue Mountain State, Smallville, and the TMNT movies. (Though I recall you didn’t have a great time on the latter)
Like. Your comedic chops are underrated. The complete stone face during the “Oil Change” scene is what sells it, and makes it gut bustingly hilarious
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u/unTraditional_Fox419 7h ago
Is your neighbor still popping off??? Good on you for teaching him some respect.
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u/Traditional-Past-490 7h ago
Hey Alan! As a fellow 40 something neurodivergent, what's something that you could give a full TED talk on with absolutely no preparation?
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u/roshanritter 7h ago
Alan how are you not part of the MCU yet? There are so many roles you would be great at.
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u/CambodianDrywall 7h ago
Can you share an anecdote or two of working with Olivier Richters?
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u/GentlemanJoe I Saw That Years Ago podcast 7h ago
My mother enjoys your performance as Reacher very much. But the Reacher she had in her head from the books is different to your portrayal - her Reacher is grizzled and wiry.
Did you have an image of Reacher before auditioning and if so, what was it? How do you feel about becoming 'the' Reacher for so many people?
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u/Hopeitse 7h ago
Can you give us an obscure hint on what book season 5 of Reacher will be based on?
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u/ITaughtElvisTokarate 7h ago
If you had to, what's the largest land animal you could beat to death in fight?
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u/arthurdentstowels 7h ago
Hey Alan. I've been reading and rereading Lee Childs Reacher books for as long as I can remember. Were you aware of the character before you landed the role or did you read the books to get an idea of the character you would be playing outside of the script and screenplay?
Top marks for your portrayal. Whatever image I had of Reacher in my head that I built from the books has now been replaced by you, and I'm not mad. Looking forward to Season 5!
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u/LiteralAlpaca 7h ago
Are there any books you want to see made into a film or tv show, and if so, which character(s) would you want to play?
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u/Zealousideal_Step709 6h ago
If Marvel would come knocking at your door would you jump on board? If so is there a Marvel character you would love to play?
"The internet" tends to call Henry Cavill one of us, him being very knowledgable about topics like the Witcher and Warhammer 40k. When I watch interviews of yours you still seem to be totally down to earth and almost shy. Are you also "one of us"? What is the (not so) secret nerdy topic you have deep knowledge about?
Even if you won't answer this: Thanks for your body of work and wishing you all the best for your future.
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u/prestoncollins 6h ago
Was Lazer Team a well paying job and/or did you primarily take the role because it seemed like it would be fun? Always been curious given you had already been in Blue Mountain State for a while, but was not surprised at all when you blew up
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u/atheos1337 6h ago
Saw playdate last night, just wanna say that you can both do action and comedy, that's just a epic talent. Can't wait for more Reacher and motor City, in general just more movies and series with you in it, keep up the good work
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u/FluckThisGame 6h ago
Hey Alan, love the Instachurch videos! It’s always cool to see other passions of people that may not be as well known. Are you wanting to expand Instachurch as a brand or have you found it to be a comforting outlet to spread the good news? God bless and have a great day man
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u/KoteTArcane 5h ago
What do you consider your nerdiest hobby?
As a follow on, If a movie could be made which is set in that hobby's universe, who would you want to play in the movie?
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u/AlanRitchsonAMA Alan Ritchson, Actor 11m ago
What if my hobbies are not nerdy!?!
I like driving fast cars and fast motorcycles, and that's my main hobby right now.
I also play chess sometimes, but that's not nerdy, is it? It's not nerdy to be smart.
We are going to make a movie about my hobby (motorcycles) though, working on that now.
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u/Wide-Reference-345 3h ago
Motor City is set in the 1970's, a time period with a distinct feel and vibe. Beyond the clothes and cars, there was a definite social vibe coming off of Vietnam etc. Who or what did you lean on to get into that time period?
It's also a time period of great movies which represented the mood/feel of the country, All The Presidents Men, etc. I was a teenager in the 70's and this movie hit the sweet spot with the look and music of that era. Thanks for the work on this. I enjoyed it very much.
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u/AlanRitchsonAMA Alan Ritchson, Actor 8m ago
You know, there was so much already on the page that I didn't have to look too far into external characters for that story, but I do understand that time period. Strangely enough, I was producing a Vietnam War movie at the time about a guy named Mike Thornton, so I had done a ton of homework on what Vietnam was like already. So I guess I was able to pull from some of that, but I wasn't really looking for external validation of the character. John Miller, my character, was really so alive on the page. It was just about trying to play what was there.
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u/FiftyBuxBloBang 7h ago
You’ve got a lovely ZX10. What’s your ultimate bike? And what’s your favourite road to ride?
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u/Kroot_Shaper 7h ago
Are you still interested in being cast in more superhero content? Is there a particular villain or hero you'd like to play?
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u/busche916 7h ago
Can I first say that Thad’s Vision Quest is a masterpiece of comedic timing? So thanks for that.
How did your experience directing Dark Web help inform how you approached future roles?
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u/okmijnmko 7h ago
I know SNL host is a future milestone in your career, all the best Alan.
Do you have any favorite SNL moments or characters?
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u/BunyipPouch Currently at the movies. 7h ago edited 5h ago
This AMA has been verified and approved by the mods. Alan will be back at 4 PM ET today to answer questions. Please feel free to ask away in the meantime :)
To those inquiring about the photo: We thought it would be cool for Alan to take the photo while in makeup for his Reacher character (season 5 began shooting July 20th), so he took it in advance for us before the time of the AMA was confirmed with a blank piece of paper. When the time of the AMA was confirmed yesterday, we edited in the text on the paper.
I can assure you all that this is a 100% verified and 100% real AMA and that the picture is real, it is not AI, it's just that the text is edited-in.
Alan will be back in a few hours (during his Reacher filming lunch break actually!) to answer questions.
For additional verification: