Reacher’s Alan Ritchson Called His Pandemic-Era Audition A ‘Nerve-Wracking’ Ordeal – Looper

While “Reacher” star Alan Ritchson had his doubts about auditioning to play the title character over Zoom at the height of the COVID-19 era, he felt just as much uncertainty with the people who would eventually cast him. “There was a lot of, like, ‘[Get] out a tape measure and take pictures of yourself barefoot and in underwear’ There was a lot of pressure to perform from afar,” Ritchson told Empire Online. “You could tell there was a fear of them getting it wrong, or me showing up and not being exactly what I said I was. I [had] to reassure them I was telling the truth about what I would bring to this [and] what I had to offer.”

Once Ritchson was cast, he realized he still wasn’t quite over the hump, telling the publication how “nerve-wracking” it was to show up for the audition and meet the producers in person for the first time. The actor said that he was scared that the producers would tell him that he didn’t make the cut because he might not be tall enough to play Jack Reacher on the Amazon Prime show.

Finally, the actor said, his doubts and fears subsided during filming. “Two weeks in, there were no producers left on set. That never happens. As producers start to feel comfortable and leave town and go back to their other projects, you know you’re in good shape,” Ritchson told Empire Online. He added that he expects fans to be happy now that he’s long settled into his role.