Alan Ritchson

Alan Michael Ritchson (born November 28, 1982) is an American actor. He made his acting debut as Aquaman / Arthur Curry on The CW superhero series Smallville (2005–2010), where he appeared as a guest star between the fifth and tenth seasons. Ritchson had a starring role in the Spike TV sitcom Blue Mountain State (2010–2012), a role he reprised in the 2016 film sequel. He also headlined the SyFy action series Blood Drive (2017), and returned to superhero television as Hank Hall / Hawk on the DC Universe / HBO Max series Titans from 2018 to 2021. He gained wider recognition for portraying the title character in the Amazon Prime Video action thriller series Reacher since 2022.

Outside television, Ritchson played Raphael in the 2014 Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles reboot and its 2016 sequel, along with appearances in The Hunger Games: Catching Fire (2013) and Fast X (2023). He made his directorial debut and co-starred in the action-comedy Dark Web: Cicada 3301 (2021).

Early life and education
Ritchson was born on November 28, 1982, in Grand Forks, North Dakota. He is the son of Vickie Ritchson, a high school teacher, and David Ritchson, a retired U.S. Air Force chief master sergeant. He is the second of three sons. During his childhood, his family moved to Rantoul, Illinois. At age 10, Ritchson's family settled in Niceville, Florida. He attended Niceville High School and graduated in 2001.

He was granted a full music scholarship for singing, and started to attend college but dropped out "because [he] didn't feel fulfilled". He then went to Los Angeles, where he worked as a model for a few years.

From 1999 to 2003, he attended Okaloosa Walton Community College, now Northwest Florida State College, as a dual-enrollment student and then graduated with an Associate of Arts degree. He was a member of the Fine Arts Division's Soundsations and Madrigal Singers.

Modeling
He began his modeling career in the Abercrombie & Fitch catalogue.

Television
Ritchson first gained celebrity status in 2004 when he appeared on American Idol as one of the top 87 contestants in the third season before being cut in Hollywood. His appearance on the show was noted for his striptease in one episode in which he charmed judge Paula Abdul during his audition.

His television acting credits include a recurring guest star role on the television series Smallville as Arthur Curry, a.k.a. Aquaman, a small role as an army officer in the 2006 Hallmark Channel movie Though None Go with Me alongside Cheryl Ladd, and the role of Lucian Manet in the 2009 Lifetime original film Nora Roberts' Midnight Bayou. His role in Smallville marked the first time that an actor portrayed Aquaman in an officially licensed live-action production. His Smallville co-star, Justin Hartley, has since portrayed Aquaman in an unaired pilot of the same name. Ritchson reprised his role as Aquaman in the final season. In 2009, he appeared on a third-season episode of Starz's Head Case in which he played a stripper. Ritchson also made an appearance on CSI: Miami, in which he played a dead victim in episode 19 of season 8. In 2011, he appeared in an episode of season 3 of 90210 as a love interest for main character Teddy Montgomery (Trevor Donovan).

In 2010 he started playing the main role of Thad Castle, the captain of a college football team, in Spike TV's Blue Mountain State. He stayed on the show until it was cancelled after its third season in February 2012. He also appeared in a number of television shows, including Hawaii Five-0. In 2015, Ritchson became a regular on the NBC variety show I Can Do That (based on the Israeli variety show) alongside Nicole Scherzinger, Ciara, Joe Jonas, Cheryl Burke and Jeff Dye, and hosted by Marlon Wayans. In 2016, he appeared in "Nosedive", an episode of the anthology series Black Mirror.

In 2017 he played the main character in the Syfy series Blood Drive. In 2018, Ritchson played the recurring role of Hank Hall / Hawk in the DC Universe series Titans. His initial deal was for just two episodes but he was promoted to a series regular for the second season. Producers decided to reduce the number of characters and Ritchson was written out of the series.

In 2020 Ritchson was announced to be portraying Jack Reacher in an eponymous series on Amazon Prime.

Films


Movie credits include a role in the 2006 film The Butcher, as well as a minor role in 2009's Fired Up! In 2007, director Robert Zemeckis used Ritchson for his facial image, physique and movement for actor Ray Winstone of the title character of Beowulf.

Ritchson portrayed Gloss, a tribute in the 75th Hunger Games, in The Hunger Games: Catching Fire (2013). Ritchson also portrayed Raphael in Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, a reboot to the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles film series after the four previous films. Ritchson would later criticize producers of the new TMNT live-action films, claiming they mistreated him and other actors portraying the turtles during and after filming.

He returned to his role as Thad Castle in the Blue Mountain State movie, Blue Mountain State: The Rise of Thadland. Ritchson co-starred in Rooster Teeth Production's first feature-length movie—the science fiction comedy Lazer Team in January 2016. He also played a medium role in The Wedding Ringer.

In 2018 Ritchson was announced as the director, co-writer, and producer of Dark Web: Cicada 3301, a comedy-thriller film inspired by the eponymous organization. He also co-starred as an NSA agent. The film is the first original project of Phreaker Films, a film fund run by Ritchson. The rights for Dark Web: Cicada 3301 were acquired by Lionsgate in 2020, who released the film digitally on March 12, 2021. In 2022, Ritchson joined the cast of Fast X.

In 2024, Ritchson appeared in Jon Gunn's drama movie Ordinary Angels, written by Meg Tilly and Kelly Fremon Craig.

Other work
Other projects include an independent album called This Is Next Time, released in late 2005, and appearing in a Russian commercial for Orbit gum.

Ritchson also appears in a web series titled Enormous Friends with his Blue Mountain State co-star, Rob Ramsay.

He supports the development of Christian films in Hollywood.

Personal life
Ritchson lived for years in Florida with his wife Catherine and their three sons. In 2023 the couple decided to sell their home and live on the road, to allow Ritchson to spend more time with his family. The family stays in Airbnbs and hotels; his wife, a financial analyst, homeschools their sons.

Ritchson has been diagnosed with bipolar disorder, and has spoken openly about his struggles with the condition.

Ritchson is a professing Christian, and frequently discusses the significance of his Christian faith. He started the YouTube channel InstaChurch, in January 2022, where he discusses his Christian convictions.

On April 3, 2024, The Hollywood Reporter published an interview of Ritchson in which he says that he had once been sexually harassed by a "very famous photographer".

Video games

 * Beowulf: The Game (2007), as Beowulf (character model)

Discography
Albums
 * This Is Next Time (2006)