Jack Reacher’s uncharacteristic sense of humor attracted Alan Ritchson

After Amazon first decided against casting Alan Ritchson as Jack Reacher and then reversed that decision, the actor dived into research, read all the novels, and hung out with Lee Child, who he said had a lot learned. In particular, the actor claimed to have seen a lot of Child in Reacher and vice versa, particularly in regards to his intellect. But there was also what Ritchson called “dry, sardonic humor” in both Child and his books.

Child himself confirmed this when responding to a fan inquiry about Reacher’s sense of humor GoodReadsand said, “Yeah, I’d say Reacher and I share a sense of humor. I remember laughing out loud as I wrote a few lines [the 19th Jack Reacher book] “Personally” — usually when Reacher feels some kind of sardonic confusion about the weirdness of the world he’s dealing with.” And that weirdness certainly found its way into Amazon’s series, as Reacher is faced with absurd odds frequently, and often Single- fights entire gangs of enemies to get what he wants.

Maintaining that “sardonic” sense of humor was not only important to Ritchson, but a big part of what made him so endearing about the character. As he said The Hollywood outsider Podcasts:

“Reacher is a smart guy, but if you pay attention and read between the lines, there are moments when you can laugh out loud. I think Reacher is a fun guy and unexpectedly funny. You know, I was kind of expecting this one-handed action star who’s a bit like the guys we grew up with in the 80’s and 90’s, but I think he’s unique in that way, where there’s a sense of humor, and that’s what I really wanted to find.