Tom Cruise is no stranger to iconic roles. From Jerry Maguire to Ethan Hunt, there is something about his performances that stick with audiences years after the films come out. That’s why when Alan Ritchson was cast as Jack Reacher in the Reacher TV series, he knew he had some big shoes to fill. Ritchson’s physicality may be a better fit for the character than Cruise’s was, according to myriad online fan opinions, but the fandom around Cruise as a movie star is still unmatched. Apparently the Titans actor reached out to Tom Cruise when he was cast, but unfortunately it didn't work out.
Looking At The Controversial Fan Response to Tom Cruise’s Jack Reacher
Cruise played Jack Reacher for two major motion pictures that performed well at the box office. The films are a lot of fun, and have that Tom Cruise intensity infused in them which connects so much with fans. However, Cruise still received a lot of criticism as Reacher because his physicality didn’t exactly match the description in the books by Lee Child. Ritchson was aware of this, and in a recent interview with Jimmy Kimmel Live!, the actor expressed how indebted he felt to Cruise, despite the backlash the movie star received from his own portrayal. Richson said:
Here’s the thing. I know what you know. He’s taken some criticism for the role because he doesn’t aesthetically fit the role of Reacher perfectly according to the books. That’s not a big deal. This guy still did two movies that grossed over 300 million dollars. Thats a huge- he’s brought so many eyes to this series. We would not have the success that we have without it.
This is truly a testament to Cruise’s movie stardom. Even though he wasn’t cast in accordance with the book description, he was still able to bring people out the the theaters. Honestly, I think there likely wouldn’t be a Reacher series without the immense amount of success the movies achieved before it.
As it stands, it gave the IP a deeper awareness and likely prompted fans to check out the Ritchson version, making the Reacher series a streaming hit amongst those with an Amazon Prime subscription. Because of this, Ritchson tried to reach out to the Oscar nominee to thank him for passing the torch.
What Happened When Alan Ritchson Tried To Reach Out To Tom Cruise
As a symbol of gratitude and expression of appreciation, the new series lead decided to write Tom Cruise a heartfelt letter. The letter was meant to bridge the gap between the two Jack Reachers, according to Ritchson. The gesture was well intended, however when Ritchson tried to give the letter to one of their mutual partners at Skydance, they refused to pass on the letter on to the megastar. Ritchson explained:
Out of gratitude I write him a loving, heartfelt letter- a page long letter. And I give it to Don Granger, a partner of his at Skydance and my boss that’s producing the show. And I said ‘I think we should give this to him, just to- you know- I want him to know that I’m grateful that he’s passing the torch you know, and he’s giving me his blessing and all that.’ And he said ‘We’re not gonna give it to him. That’s a terrible idea, I think we should just let it [lie]. Cause he’s fine with it! He’s moved on. He’s moved on in life, and you have to move on too.
Clearly the letter gesture wasn’t popular amongst people at Skydance, no matter how well intentioned. Even if he was unable to say what was in his heart to Tom Cruise with the letter, Ritchson still used his appearance on Jimmy Kimmel’s show to express his appreciation for the actor who initiated the Jack Reacher role, and how thankful he is that Cruise made the IP such a popular one. The Magnolia actor may have moved on, like the Skydance executive said, but everyone loves hearing a nice message of thanks, and he probably appreciates the sentiment.
You can check out Alan Ritchson in Reacher, which just began its second season, and is streaming now. Fans of the source material can also see Tom Cruise’s portrayal of the iconic character in the 2012 film Jack Reacher, which is available now for Paramount+ subscription.
