Alan Ritchson addresses comparisons to Tom Cruise’s portrayal of the Jack Reacher character and praises the actor’s positive impact on the show.

Reacher star Alan Ritchson reveals that doesn’t mind being compared to Tom Cruise, who he calls “the most legendary actor of all time.”
 Ritchson also praises Cruise for raising awareness for the character and Lee Child’s source material.
 While Cruise gets many aspects of the character right, Ritchon is ultimately more accurate to the books, especially in terms of his physical stature.

Reacher star Alan Ritchson comments on the comparisons made between his version of Jack Reacher and Tom Cruise’s.

Based on author Lee Child’s popular book series and character, Prime Video’s hit action thriller TV show first released last year, introducing Ritchson as the titular retired military police officer and earning great reviews. Before Ritchson took on the character, however, Cruise portrayed Jack Reacher in a film of the same name in 2012 and its sequel in 2016.

Now, as new episodes of Reacher season 2 continue to release, adapting the events of Child’s Bad Luck and Trouble, Ritchson addresses the frequent comparisons he faces to Cruise’s take on the protagonist during a recent interview with Jonatan Blomberg Interviews.

Although the two actors’ takes on the character are very different, Ritchson makes clear that he doesn’t mind the comparisons, going on to explain the positive impact that Cruise had on the show. Check out Ritchson’s full comment below:

“Being compared to the most legendary actor of all time? The last film star? I would never tire of being compared to somebody of his stature. Look, he did his thing.

He brought a lot of eyes to this project that wouldn’t be here otherwise. There’s some great IP. The books are great, a lot of people have read them and enjoy the show because of them. But I think a lot of people enjoy the show because he made them aware of it.”

How Much Bigger Alan Ritchson Is In Reacher Season 2 (& Compared To The Books)

How Alan Ritchson’s Reacher Compares To Tom Cruise’s

Cruise’s first outing as the character in 2012 was met with generally positive reviews, with most critics agreeing, despite the movie’s familiar story elements, that his performance was a highlight. As in the books, Cruise’s Reacher is presented as smart and very capable, and he also sports a smooth comedic wit.

The biggest difference Ritchson’s Reacher has to Cruise’s is, of course, the character’s physical stature. Ritchson, who is 6’2″ and exceedingly muscular, far more closely resembles the version of the character described in the books. In fact, Reacher is even bigger in the books, with Child describing him as 6’5″, and this physicality ultimately plays a big role in the narrative, with the character supposed to be intimidating purely from a physical standpoint.

In an interview with the BBC, Child praised Cruise and expressed that working with the actor was a pleasure, but agreed with critical viewers that the actor’s physical stature wasn’t a good fit, saying: “The idea is that when Reacher walks into a room, you’re all a little nervous just for that first minute. And Cruise, for all his talent, didn’t have that physicality.”

While Cruise’s portrayal of Reacher certainly has its merits, and the first film, especially, features some strong action sequences, the Prime Video show ultimately presents a more book-accurate version of the character and Child’s world.

This more faithful portrayal has evidently worked in the show’s favor, with Reacher‘s critics’ reviews and audience reception metrics all cementing it as a hit.