Alan Ritchson | |
|---|---|
 Ritchson in 2022 | |
| Born | Alan Michael Ritchson (1982-11-28)November 28, 1982 (age 42)[note 1] |
| Education | |
| Occupation | Actor |
| Years active | 2003–present |
| Spouse | |
| Children | 3 |
Alan Michael Ritchson (born November 28, 1982)[note 1] is an American actor. He made his acting debut asAquaman / Arthur Curry onThe CW superhero seriesSmallville (2005–2010), where he appeared as a guest star between thefifth and10th seasons. Ritchson had a starring role in theSpike TV sitcomBlue Mountain State (2010–2012), a role he reprised in the2016 film sequel. He also headlined theSyFy action seriesBlood Drive (2017), and returned to superhero television asHank Hall / Hawk on theDC Universe /HBO Max seriesTitans from 2018 to 2021. He gained wider recognition for portraying thetitle character in the ongoingAmazon Prime Video action thriller seriesReacher since 2022.
Outside television, Ritchson playedRaphael in the 2014Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles reboot and its2016 sequel, along with appearances inThe Hunger Games: Catching Fire (2013),Lazer Team (2015), andFast X (2023). He made his directorial debut and co-starred in the action-comedyDark Web: Cicada 3301 (2021).
Ritchson was born on November 28, 1982,[5] inGrand Forks, North Dakota. He is the son of Vickie Ritchson, a high school teacher, and David Ritchson, a retiredU.S. Air Forcechief master sergeant.[6] He is the second of three sons. He moved around with his family due to his father's work, and lived inGuam until he was two, when his family moved toRantoul, Illinois.[7] When he was 10, Ritchson's father was transferred toEglin Air Force Base, and the family settled in nearbyNiceville, Florida.[7][8] He attendedNiceville High School and graduated in 2001.[9]
While at school, Ritchson was interested in acting and performed in school musicals. He regardedJim Carrey as his idol.[7] While he was still in high school, he started taking college-level music theater and dance classes.[7] From 1999 to 2001, he was a dual enrollment student at the high school and Okaloosa Walton Community College, nowNorthwest Florida State College.[10] After graduating from high school, he was granted a full scholarship to study music and theater arts atNorthwest Florida State College. He was a member of the Fine Arts Division's Soundsations and Madrigal Singers.[11][12][13] However, he dropped out after two years "because [he] didn't feel fulfilled".[14] He worked at a gas station for a short time before he signed withNext Management inMiami to work as a model for a few years.[7]
In his modeling career, Ritchson had worked withBruce Weber, forAbercrombie & Fitch catalogue, and as an underwear and runway model.[7][15]
Ritchson first gained celebrity status in 2004 when he appeared onAmerican Idol as one of the top 87 contestants in thethird season before being cut inHollywood. His appearance on the show was noted for his striptease in one episode in which he charmed judgePaula Abdul during his audition.[16] After going to Hollywood, he decided to stay inLos Angeles to pursue an acting career.[7]
His television acting credits include a recurring guest star role on the television seriesSmallville as Arthur Curry, a.k.a.Aquaman,[17] a small role as an army officer in the 2006Hallmark Channel movieThough None Go with Me alongsideCheryl Ladd, and the role of Lucian Manet in the 2009Lifetime original filmNora Roberts' Midnight Bayou. His role in Smallville marked the first time an actor portrayed Aquaman in an officially licensed live-action production.[17][18] HisSmallville co-star,Justin Hartley, has since portrayed Aquaman in anunaired pilot of the same name. Ritchson reprised his role as Aquaman in the final season.[19] In 2009, he appeared on a third-season episode ofStarz'sHead Case in which he played a stripper. Ritchson also appeared onCSI: Miami, in which he played a dead victim in episode 19 of season 8. In 2011, he appeared in an episode of season 3 of90210 as a love interest for main characterTeddy Montgomery (Trevor Donovan).[20]
In 2010 he started playing the main role of Thad Castle, the captain of a college football team, inSpike TV'sBlue Mountain State.[21] He stayed on the show until it was cancelled after its third season in February 2012.[22] He also appeared in several television shows, includingHawaii Five-0. In 2015, Ritchson became a regular on theNBC variety showI Can Do That (based on theIsraeli variety show) alongsideNicole Scherzinger,Ciara,Joe Jonas,Cheryl Burke andJeff Dye, and hosted byMarlon Wayans.[23][24][25] In 2016, he appeared in "Nosedive", an episode of theanthology seriesBlack Mirror.
In 2017 he played the main character in theSyfy seriesBlood Drive.[26] In 2018, Ritchson played the recurring role ofHank Hall / Hawk in theDC Universe seriesTitans.[27] His initial deal was for just two episodes but he was promoted to a series regular for thesecond season. Producers decided to reduce the number of characters and Ritchson was written out of the series.[28]
In 2020 Ritchson was announced to be portrayingJack Reacher in aneponymous series onAmazon Prime.[29]
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Movie credits include a role in the 2006 filmThe Butcher, as well as a minor role in 2009'sFired Up! In 2007, directorRobert Zemeckis used Ritchson for his facial image, physique and movement for actorRay Winstone of thetitle character ofBeowulf.[8]
Ritchson portrayed Gloss, a tribute in the 75th Hunger Games, inThe Hunger Games: Catching Fire (2013). Ritchson also portrayedRaphael inTeenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, a reboot tothe Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles film series after the four previous films.[30][31] Ritchson would later criticize producers of the newTMNT live-action films, claiming they mistreated him and other actors portraying the turtles during and after filming.[32]
He returned to his role as Thad Castle in theBlue Mountain State movie,Blue Mountain State: The Rise of Thadland. Ritchson co-starred inRooster Teeth Production's first feature-length movie—the science fiction comedyLazer Team in January 2016.[33] He also played a medium role inThe Wedding Ringer.
In 2018 Ritchson was announced as the director, co-writer, and producer ofDark Web: Cicada 3301, a comedy-thriller film inspired by theeponymous organization.[34] He also co-starred as anNSA agent.[35] The film is the first original project of Phreaker Films, a film fund run by Ritchson.[34] The rights forDark Web: Cicada 3301 were acquired byLionsgate in 2020,[35] who released the film digitally on March 12, 2021.[36][37] In 2022, Ritchson joined the cast ofFast X.[38]
In 2024, Ritchson appeared inJon Gunn's drama movieOrdinary Angels, written byMeg Tilly andKelly Fremon Craig,[39] and inGuy Ritchie'saction comedy filmThe Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare.[40]
Other projects include an independent album calledThis Is Next Time, released in late 2005, and appearing in a Russian commercial forOrbit gum.[citation needed]
Ritchson also appears in aweb series titledEnormous Friends with hisBlue Mountain State co-star,Rob Ramsay.[41]
He supports the development of Christian films in Hollywood.[42]
Ritchson first met his wife, Catherine, while he was taking a dance class at a college,[7] with the couple marrying in 2006.[43] Ritchson lived for years in Florida with his wife 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.[44]
Ritchson has been diagnosed withbipolar disorder and has spoken openly about his struggles with the condition.[45]
Ritchson is a professed Christian and frequently discusses the significance of his Christian faith.[45] He started theYouTube channel InstaChurch, in January 2022, where he discusses his Christian convictions.[46]
On April 3, 2024,The Hollywood Reporter published an interview of Ritchson in which he says that he had once been sexually assaulted by a "very famous photographer" and for this reason, he left his modeling career. He described the modeling industry as "legalized sex trafficking" for photographers.[7]
In February 2025, Ritchson gave an interview toGQ in which he indicated that he was classmates with former congressmanMatt Gaetz. Ritchson went on to call Gaetz an "adversary" and "not a good dude".[47]
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006 | The Butcher | Mark | |
| 2007 | Steam | Roy | |
| 2008 | Rex | Chase | |
| 2009 | Fired Up! | Bruce | |
| 2013 | The Hunger Games: Catching Fire | Gloss | |
| 2014 | Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles | Raphael | |
| 2015 | The Wedding Ringer | Kip Loyola / Carew | |
| 2016 | Lazer Team | Adam | |
| Blue Mountain State: The Rise of Thadland | Thad Castle | Also producer and writer | |
| Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Out of the Shadows | Raphael | ||
| 2018 | Office Uprising | Bob | |
| 2019 | Above the Shadows | Shayne | |
| The Turkey Bowl | Ronnie Best | Also executive producer | |
| 2020 | Ghosts of War | Butchie | |
| 2021 | Dark Web: Cicada 3301 | Agent Carver | Directorial debut and producer, writer |
| 2023 | Fast X | Agent Aimes | |
| 2024 | Ordinary Angels | Ed Schmitt | |
| The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare | Anders Lassen | ||
| TBA | Playdate | Jeff | Post-production |
| Motor City | John Miller | Post-production | |
| War Machine | Post-production | ||
| The Man with the Bag | Vince | Filming; also producer[48] |
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2004 | American Idol | Himself | Episode 3.1 |
| 2005–2010 | Smallville | Arthur Curry / Aquaman | 4 episodes |
| 2006 | Though None Go with Me | Army officer | Television film |
| 2009 | Head Case | N/A | Episode: "Tying the... Not" |
| Midnight Bayou | Lucian Manet | Television film | |
| 2010–2011 | Blue Mountain State | Kevin Devlin "Thad" Castle | Main role |
| 2010 | CSI: Miami | Paul Arnett | Episode: "Spring Breakdown" |
| 2011 | 90210 | Tripp Wilson | Episode: "The Enchanted Donkey" |
| 2012 | Fred: The Show | Expired Cow | Episode: "Expired Cow" |
| 2013 | Hawaii Five-0 | Freddie Hart | Episode: "Olelo Paʻa" |
| 2014 | The Rebels | Tyler Stokley | Episode: "Pilot" |
| New Girl | Matt | Episode: "Micro" | |
| Infomercials | Kent Ross | Episode: "Alpha Chow" | |
| 2015 | I Can Do That | Himself | Contestant |
| Workaholics | Troy Torpey | Episode: "Speedo Racer" | |
| 2016 | Black Mirror | Paul | Episode: "Nosedive" |
| 2017 | Blood Drive | Arthur Bailey | Main role |
| 2018–2021 | Titans | Hank Hall / Hawk | Recurring role (season 1); main role (seasons 2–3) |
| 2018 | Alexa & Katie | Robbie | Episode: "Thanksgiving" |
| 2019 | Brooklyn Nine-Nine | Young Norm Scully | Episode: "Hitchcock & Scully"[49] |
| Supergirl | Hank Hall / Hawk | Episode: "Crisis on Infinite Earths: Part One" | |
| 2020 | Legends of Tomorrow | Episode: "Crisis on Infinite Earths, Part 5" | |
| 2022–present | Reacher | Jack Reacher | Lead role, also executive producer |
| TBA | Neagley | Guest star role |
Albums
Born - Nov 28, 1984
I'm 39 now.
actor Alan Ritchson in 1982 (age 39)
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