Tom Cruise and Alan Ritchson don’t share a lot, but what they do share is an iconic character. What Cruise could not do for the fans, Ritchson did. Although both of them are brilliant actors, Cruise’s fame overpowers anyone and everyone. He has done some of the biggest movies and his performance is one that lingers in the mind. His range in movies is not something that can easily be competed with, but one franchise that fans can agree is not their favorite is the Jack Reacher franchise.
Alan Ritchson has done quite a few roles but none have impacted the audience in the way that him playing Jack Reacher has. The way he took over the part and fit so perfectly in it was only like a dream come true for the fans and they are more than happy because of it.
Alan Ritchson Never Consulted Tom Cruise’s Movies
Although Alan Ritchson took over Jack Reacher’s role in the television series, it was Tom Cruise who was playing the character on the big screen. The response of the audience was more positive for Ritchson’s interpretation of the character than of Cruise’s. Despite all of that, Cruise is a brilliant actor and it would not have been too out of pocket for Ritchson to see those movies. However, he chose not to.
“Those were just movies that I missed, and when I got involved [in the show], I just decided I didn’t want to risk picking up any of the choices that he made. And it would be easy to do because Tom is a legend, and I grew up watching him. I revere his work. I think it would be inevitable that I’d try and steal something of his because he’s so good.”
According to Ritchson, there is a lot that goes into Tom Cruise’s performance. He did not become one of Hollywood’s biggest celebrities for nothing. His main objective had been to keep the character as natural and close to him as possible. So it became integral for him to not watch Cruise’s movies in order to ensure that they do not affect his performance whatsoever.
There Are No Hard Feelings Between Tom Cruise And Lee Child
Lee Child understood why the public criticized Tom Cruise as Jack Reacher so much. The writer wasn’t as fond of the casting choice either. From his character being blond to being extremely tall, there weren’t many physical features that were coinciding with both of them. However, when it came to shifting the franchise from film to series, Cruise stepped away from the role; something Child understands fully.
Cruise is not someone who would make any project outside of what will be shown in theatres and the writer knows that fully. It was time to move on and they only found an actor who fit the role as accurately as one could imagine. From his height to his physical features, Alan Ritchson was everything the fans wanted out of Jack Reacher that Tom Cruise could not give.
Source: The Wrap
