Somewhere in the world someone buys a Lee Child novel every nine seconds. At least that was the stat tossed at Child two years ago during an interview when he was asked about a proposed
Why Alan Ritchson is 'nerdy enough' to play Jack Reacher in new Amazon series
![Megan Wood](https://s3.amazonaws.com/arc-authors/nzme/57c8241c-30d1-4d7a-b5d4-b2374fedc818.jpg)
Alan Ritchson stars as beloved crime novel character Jack Reacher in the new Reacher series launching on Amazon Prime on Feb 2. Photo / Supplied
Ritchson boasts that he has read all 24 Jack Reacher novels, "several of them twice". This voracious reading provided Ritchson with a literal library of detail about the character he was playing. "I understand who this guy is and I was drawn to him," Ritchson shares. "There's nothing morose about him," he continues. "He's not down about his past or the trauma that he's experienced. He's just living his best life."
![Malcolm Goodwin (L) stars alongside Richtson as senior detective Oscar Finlay, in the upcoming Reacher series on Amazon Prime. Photo / Supplied](https://www.nzherald.co.nz/resizer/v2/K3EBPWZBZFQMNEVDB3OX7YT2Q4.jpg?auth=c39b72432fc9e7c1323a26128bb77067d227847ae1a9ae7dbdd17fa9aa149610&width=16&height=11&quality=70&smart=true)
Reacher, for those who are not already acquainted, is an ex-military investigator who was pensioned out of the service and now lives a nomadic life, often (always) running into some trouble. Surprisingly it is here that Ritchson most identifies with Reacher. "I too have just always been a restless soul," Ritchson admits, "for no apparent reason, when I was 16 I just started running away, living in my little truck ... I'd live behind dumpsters. That made me happy. I wanted to be on my own."
Ritchson's height was obviously another key factor in his casting. In the new Reacher series there is a lot of focus on his size. In Child's books, Reacher is clearly described as extremely tall, muscular and broad-chested. It is for this reason that fans were so unwilling to accept actor Tom Cruise as Reacher when he starred in the two film adaptations (2012 and 2016) of Child's novels. Ritchson, who stands at around 6 feet 3 inches (around 190cm) tall, is quite literally a better fit than Cruise was, who, at around 5 foot 7 inches (170cm), fell short.
![Willa Fitzgerald is a delight as Rosco Conklin, the young detective who is the first to realise that Reacher (played by Richson - Left) is more than he seems. Photo / Supplied](https://www.nzherald.co.nz/resizer/v2/GPWWUHEHWC32D5CBEJNSLS73NM.jpg?auth=4b951a021d38e8306c3f29dfa79dc1ff571ca091aba21fdced6175a4ea7d1344&width=16&height=11&quality=70&smart=true)
Ritchson's Reacher is complex and introspective. When pondering why Reacher is so taciturn, the actor muses: "We had a lot of conversations about where that social awkwardness comes from." Maybe it is "hardwired" into him or perhaps he just likes to "enjoy the thoughts in his head", Ritchson added.
The impetus for this new series is clearly driven by the desire to give fans the Reacher they know and love from the page. Obvious effort has been made to stay true to the characters and the plotline of Child's first Reacher novel, Killing Floor, on which this first Reacher series is based. Everything from the title of the new series – simply "Reacher" - is more in tune with the original character as Child wrote him, with his protagonist often shrugging off the term "Mr" and insisting, "just Reacher". There is also an attention to music here that features heavily in the Reacher novels. Child always wore his blues and country music fandom on his literary sleeve.
In this, the golden age of streaming, Reacher is a binge-worthy addition to the on-demand television cannon. Production values are high, clever cinematography abounds, dialogue is sharp and cliffhangers reign supreme.
"I think this is one of the best things I have ever been a part of," gushes Ritchson. "It's just really good TV."