Alan Ritchson

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Alan Ritchson
File:Alan Ritchson Photo Op GalaxyCon Richmond 2022.jpg
Ritchson at GalaxyCon Richmond in Richmond, Virginia, March 2022
Born
Alan Michael Ritchson

(1982-11-28) November 28, 1982 (age 43)[note 1]
Grand Forks, North Dakota, U.S.
Education
OccupationActor
Years active2003–present
Spouse
Catherine Ritchson
​
(m. 2006)​
Children3

Alan Michael Ritchson (born November 28, 1982)[note 1] 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 10th 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 ongoing 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), Lazer Team (2015), 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

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Ritchson was born on November 28, 1982,[5] 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.[6] He has an older and younger brother. The family moved around due to his father's work. They lived in Guam and when he was two, his family moved to Rantoul, Illinois.[7] When he was 10, Ritchson's father was transferred to Eglin Air Force Base and the family lived in Niceville, Florida, which is nearby.[7][8] He went to Niceville High School graduating in 2001.[9] He was raised Catholic.[10]

While at school, Ritchson was interested in acting and performed in school musicals. He regarded Jim 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, now Northwest Florida State College in Niceville.[11] After graduating from high school, he received a full scholarship to study music and theater at the college. He was a member of the Fine Arts Division's Soundsations and Madrigal Singers.[12][13][14] However, Ritchson dropped out after two years "because [he] didn't feel fulfilled".[15] He worked at a gas station for a short time before signing with Next Management in Miami Beach, Florida to work as a model for a few years.[7]

Career

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Modeling

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During his modeling career, Ritchson worked with Bruce Weber, a photographer, for Abercrombie & Fitch catalogue in addition to being an underwear and runway model.[7][16]

Television

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Ritchson (left) with Alex O'Loughlin filming on location for the television series Hawaii Five-0, 2013

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 during the Hollywood round. His appearance on the show was noted for his striptease in one episode in which he charmed judge Paula Abdul during his audition.[17] He decided to stay in Los Angeles and pursue an acting career.[7]

His television acting credits include a recurring guest star role on the television series Smallville as Arthur Curry, a.k.a. Aquaman,[18] 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 an actor portrayed Aquaman in an officially licensed live-action production.[18][19] His future Smallville co-star, Justin Hartley, later portrayed Aquaman in an unaired pilot of the same name before joining the cast of Smallville as another character. Ritchson reprised his role as Aquaman in the final season.[20] In 2009, he appeared on a third-season episode of Starz's Head Case in which he played a stripper. Ritchson also appeared 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).[21]

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.[22] He stayed on the show until it was cancelled after its third season in February 2012.[23] He also appeared in several 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.[24][25][26] 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.[27] In 2018, Ritchson played the recurring role of Hank Hall / Hawk in the DC Universe series Titans.[28] 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.[29]

In 2020, it was announced that Ritchson would play the role of Jack Reacher in an eponymous series on Amazon Prime.[30]

Films

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Alan Ritchson with the cast and director at the Lazer Team premiere in September 2015

His 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 in movement for actor Ray Winstone of the title character of Beowulf.[8]

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.[31][32] 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.[33] He returned to the role of 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.[34] 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.[35] He also co-starred in it as an NSA agent.[36] The film is the first original project of Phreaker Films, a film fund run by Ritchson.[35] The rights for Dark Web: Cicada 3301 were acquired by Lionsgate in 2020,[36] who released the film digitally on March 12, 2021.[37][38] In 2022, he joined the cast of Fast X.[39]

In 2024, Ritchson appeared in Jon Gunn's drama movie Ordinary Angels, written by Meg Tilly and Kelly Fremon Craig,[40] as well as in Guy Ritchie's The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare, an action comedy film.[41] In 2025 he starred in the buddy action comedy film Playdate. [42]

Other work

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Other projects include an independent album called This Is Next Time, released in late 2005, and appearing in a Russian commercial for Orbit gum.[citation needed] Ritchson appears in a web series titled Enormous Friends with his Blue Mountain State co-star, Rob Ramsay.[43]

He supports the development of Christian films in Hollywood.[44]

Personal life

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Ritchson met his wife, Catherine, while he was taking a dance class at a college[7] and they married in 2006.[45] They lived with their three sons in Florida for years. In 2023 the couple decided to sell their home and live on the road allowing Ritchson to spend more time with his family. The family stays in Airbnbs and hotels; Catherine, a financial analyst, homeschools their sons.[46]

Ritchson has been diagnosed with bipolar disorder and has spoken openly about his struggles with the condition.[47] He frequently discusses the significance of his faith.[47] He started the YouTube channel InstaChurch, in January 2022, where he discusses his convictions.[48]

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 the same interview, Ritchson also criticized Christian supporters of Donald Trump, saying: "Trump is a rapist and a con man, and yet the entire Christian church seems to treat him like he's their poster child and it's unreal. I don't understand it."[7]

In a February 2025 interview with GQ, Ritchson indicated that former congressman Matt Gaetz had been a classmate of his. Ritchson called Gaetz an "adversary" and "not a good dude".[49]

Filmography

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Key
† Denotes film or TV productions that have not yet been released

Film

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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 voice and motion capture
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 voice and motion capture
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
2025 Motor City John Miller
Playdate Jeff
TBA The Man with the Bag † Vince Post-production; also producer
War Machine † TBA Post-production
Runner † Hank Malone Post-production; also producer

Television

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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 Male Stripper 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"[50]
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

Video games

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Discography

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Albums

  • This Is Next Time (2006)

Notes

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  1. ^ a b Though some sources state he was born in 1984,[1][2] this might be because Ritchson's age was given as 20 when he auditioned for American Idol's third season in early 2004.[3] But the show was filmed several months prior, with auditions being held in August and September 2003. Ritchson states he was 39 years old in a February 2022 interview with Michael Rosenbaum,[4] he graduated in 2001, and several sources confirm the November 28, 1982, birth date.[5]

References

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  47. ^ a b Inside of You with Michael Rosenbaum on YouTube
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