After a three-year pause due to the pandemic, the long-awaited action-thriller series Tom Clancy's Jack Ryan is finally back to Prime Video and on our screens for its third season. Often referred to as America's version of James Bond, Jack Ryan is based on characters from the fictional "Ryanverse" political drama created by author Tom Clancy. The man is a CIA analyst and multitalented individual who's always saving the day. Season 3 also sees the return of John Krasinski as Jack Ryan, a role once played by a number of famous actors such as Harrison Ford, Alec Baldwin, Ben Affleck and Chris Pine, with Krasinski being the fifth to do so.
In this eight-episode season, Jack is thrust into a dangerous field assignment after he uncovers a pattern in terrorist communication which in turn launches him on a dangerous mission to confirm the intelligence. But things quickly go awry, and he is wrongly implicated in a larger conspiracy. Accused of treason, with a Red Notice out for his arrest, Jack is forced to run from his own government if he is to have any hope of uncovering the rogue faction before it's too late. Crisscrossing Europe while hunted by former allies and new enemies alike, Jack races against the clock to stop a cascade of destabilising conflicts from leading to global catastrophe.
Krasinski plays not only the titular character but also takes on the role of executive producer. He further helped with writing parts of the story, so you could call him a showrunner as well. Joining Krasinski in the latest season is Wendell Pierce, Betty Gabriel, James Cosmo and Nina Hoss along with Michael Kelly who reprises his role as Mike November, a CIA station chief and one of the most popular characters in Clancy's Ryanverse.
Life recently caught up with Krasinski and Kelly during an online interview, and the two stars shared stories about making the third season of the hit action series and spoke also of their friendship off the set.
It's such an exciting time for fans who've been waiting for the new season. How did you guys prepare for your return to the story and the roles?
Krasinski: I think preparing for the role, for me, was being involved in the creative process. It was all really thrilling and we actually did focus very intently on the fans. Not that we don't do that on every season, but Season 3 was really focused deeply on the fans because we knew it would be such a long break between Season 2 and 3. So it was less about preparing for me as an actor and more about preparing the show to make sure that it was the most thrilling, action-packed version of the show that we can make.
Kelly: And preparation for me is like going back to Season 2. Though I just had to learn Spanish. After everything that I went through on Season 2, [for the new season] I had to get my body into shape because of all the action and stunts that we have to do.
Our hero seems to dive into even higher stakes this time, as he's supposed to prevent World War III. Can you tell us about what viewers can expect from the plot in the new season and what sets the season apart from the previous ones?
Krasinski: Season 3 is definitely the most thrilling and action-packed that we've had so far. For me as a character, the most exciting part was playing with this morality. This idea that in the first season, Jack was nicknamed a Boy Scout, because he always looked at things in black and white. In Season 2, he was shown that the world operates in grey, that it's not about right and wrong. It's actually about the harder decisions. And so in Season 3, I think Jack lives wholly in that grey zone where he's on the run and he's trying to figure out who is good and who's not to be trusted.
You mentioned that he's now on the run from many different entities. How much do you think that situation impacts him?
Krasinski: Jack being on the run is a really exciting thing for me as a character but also as an actor. I think that in the first two seasons, he really always had something to fall back on, right? He had his relationship with Greer [Wendell Pierce]. He had his relationship with Mike November [Michael Kelly] and he felt that he could take more chances and more risks because people were protecting him. But now he's out on his own. He has nothing to protect him and so every single thing he does, could be his last decision. I mean, this is really the season where Jack's life is on the line. So that was really thrilling and something I'm really excited for the audience to see.
Michael, you joined the series in Season 2. What can viewers expect from Mike November in the new season? How does his character grow this season in your opinion?
Kelly: Well, his core and moral compass remains the same. How he gets there is different. He's no longer with the CIA, obviously having left with not such great grace at the end of Season 2 [laughs]. So at the beginning of Season 3, we find him in a new world, with a new job but always maintaining that moral compass of what's right and going after that. So there's a little more freedom with the character, which makes it a lot of fun to play.
What exactly drew you to this project and your character in the first place?
Kelly: It's funny because I was just finishing House Of Cards when I got the call and was asked to come join this show. I hadn't seen the show. They sent me a sample of the first season and then I read the script. I had met this guy [Krasinski] before because I had done a movie with his wife Emily [Blunt], and we threw darts together one night and had some beers. And I just remember really liking him. And then I watched the show and I was like, 'Oh my God it looks so good'. It looked like a movie, you know? And so it was such an easy decision to say yes to that and come and join. And I was like it's perfect after six years of being on House Of Cards. It was a nice one and a done deal. And then I loved it and they liked me enough to invite me back. So it's just been a gift that keeps on giving. It's really nice.
This series has achieved great success with fans all over the world. What do you think it is about the show that keeps audiences hooked?
Krasinski: I don't know what draws people to the show. But for me I know that it's the characters that feel like they are human, that they're fallible. They make the same mistakes that we do, and they take the same risks that you hope your heroes out there on the front line would take for you. So it's this idea of very human characters and that their superpower is their instincts and their brains.
Kelly: Yeah, and for me, I'm not Jack Ryan so I can actually remove myself and watch it as a fan. I love the show because it's so cinematic. Every episode is like a little piece of a movie. And you don't feel like you're watching streaming television, you feel like you're watching film. So it's up there with those great action movies that come out every year. It's a lot of fun to watch.
John, you've come a long way since playing a character in The Office. You've also directed a few successful movies and now play a major character in an action series. Do you feel comfortable with your action-star status, and is there any other role you would like to do in the future?
Krasinski: Well, I came from a show that I was lucky to be on in the first place. It was like winning a lottery ticket. All these things that I've been able to do all because of The Office and it was 100% the most important thing that I'll ever do in my career, because it was my first thing and it was such an incredibly special thing to be a part of. With those opportunities, I've just tried to earn it, honestly. It's one of those things where this feels like a fairytale life and... [there is] probably a part of me that still feels like I don't deserve it. So the more chances I can take, I do, just as anyone given this opportunity would take big chances as well. So I don't know, I'm just trying to do as much as I can with the time I have, that I've been given.
