10 Best Alan Ritchson Movies and TV Shows to Watch Next

Every overnight success has an origin story. Alan Ritchson‘s just happens to include Simon Cowell.

Long before he was snapping bones as Jack Reacher, in 2004 Ritchson was a 20-year-old aspiring singer auditioning for American Idol. He survived the contest long enough to charm Paula Abdul before getting sent home. A year later, he traded microphones for muscles, making his scripted acting debut as Arthur Curry, aka Aquaman, on Smallville.

Reacher wasn’t the beginning of Ritchson’s career, but it was the payoff. He spent nearly 20 years bouncing between network dramas, cult comedies, superhero shows, blockbuster franchises, and independent action films before landing the role that made him a household name. With Reacher season 4 coming to an end on Sept. 16, these are the 10 performances that stand above the rest.

1. Arthur Curry (Smallville)

Before Jason Momoa made Aquaman cool, Smallville introduced its own version of Arthur Curry. Ritchson was the first live-action Aquaman. He first appeared in the Season 5 episode “Aqua” and reprised the role in three later episodes across several seasons.

Ritchson fit the superhero mold from the beginning. He had the size, charisma, and confidence to stand alongside Tom Welling’s Clark Kent.

2. Arthur Bailey (Blood Drive)

Blood Drive was one of television’s weirdest one-season wonders. Set in a grindhouse-inspired future where cars run on human blood, the Syfy series cast Ritchson as Arthur Bailey, a by-the-book cop forced into a cross-country death race alongside a dangerous driver named Grace, played by Christina Ochoa. Blood Drive demanded actors who could commit completely to its outrageous premise, and Ritchson never once winked at the audience. His straight-faced performance gave the series an emotional anchor.

3. Gloss (The Hunger Games: Catching Fire)

Ritchson did not have much screen time as Gloss, the former career tribute from District 1 who returns for the Quarter Quell, but he made an impression. Alongside his sister Cashmere, played by Stephanie Leigh Schlund, Gloss embodied the polished confidence and deadly efficiency that made the career tributes so intimidating.

Ritchson used his physical presence to immediately establish Gloss as a genuine threat. He commanded attention in a massive ensemble until Katniss, played by Jennifer Lawrence, shot him in the chest with an arrow.

4. Hal (Ordinary Angels)

Based on a true story, Ordinary Angels stars Hilary Swank as a struggling hairdresser who rallies her Kentucky community to help a widowed father, played by Ritchson, whose young daughter desperately needs a liver transplant.

Reacher made Ritchson an action star, but Ordinary Angels reminded audiences that vulnerability can be just as compelling. His understated performance as a grieving father showed dramatic range.

5. Agent Aimes (Fast X)

Ritchson joined the Fast & Furious family as Agent Aimes, the hard-nosed successor to Mr. Nobody, played by Kurt Russell. Aimes pursued Dominic Toretto, played by Vin Diesel, and his crew in Fast X before revealing that his loyalties were not quite what they seemed.

In a franchise overflowing with larger-than-life personalities, Ritchson carved out his own space. He brought swagger, humor, and menace to make Aimes feel like more than another franchise newcomer.

6. Anders Lassen (The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare)

Director Guy Ritchie’s The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare offers a heavily fictionalized take on Winston Churchill’s secret World War II mission known as Operation Postmaster. Ritchson stars as Anders Lassen, the real-life Danish soldier whose towering frame and fondness for knives make him one of the team’s most intimidating members.

By the time the film was released in 2024, Hollywood understood what Ritchson brought to an action movie. He was believable in a fight and made it look fun. Whether he was quietly dispatching Nazi soldiers or carrying a bow almost as tall as he was, Ritchson stole nearly every scene.

7. John Miller (Motor City)

In Motor City, Ritchson plays John Miller, a man recently released from prison who sets out on a relentless quest for revenge against the people who destroyed his life. Director Potsy Ponciroli strips dialogue to a bare minimum, forcing Ritchson to tell the story through action, expression, and silence.

Ritchson’s performance relies entirely on physical acting, subtle reactions, and body language instead of lengthy speeches. He proved he did not need witty one-liners to command the screen.

8. Hank Hall / Hawk (Titans)

Ritchson spent three seasons as Hank Hall, better known as Hawk, the hot-headed half of the vigilante duo Hawk and Dove. Hank constantly struggled to balance his violent instincts with the relationships that mattered most to him.

Before Reacher, Titans gave Ritchson his most fully realized long-form character. He brought vulnerability to a hero defined by muscles and anger, turning Hawk into an emotional anchor for the series.

9. Thad Castle (Blue Mountain State)

Before audiences knew him as Jack Reacher, they knew Ritchson as the loudest and most unhinged linebacker in college football. As team captain Thad Castle, Ritchson transformed a potential bully into the chaotic heart of Blue Mountain State, delivering quotable lines and committing to every ridiculous situation.

Comedy is difficult, but Ritchson made it look effortless. His fearless performance helped turn Blue Mountain State into a cult favorite and one of the defining comedies of the 2010s.

10. Jack Reacher (Reacher)

Lee Child’s military police investigator had already made the leap to the screen once before, but readers never accepted Tom Cruise as the physically imposing Reacher from the novels. Ritchson changed that immediately. From the moment he walked into Margrave in the opening episode, he looked, sounded, and carried himself like the character fans wanted.

Some actors find the perfect role, while others redefine it. Ritchson accomplished both. Reacher made him a star and validated years of steady work across comedies, superhero shows, indie thrillers, and blockbuster franchises. Every role on this list helped get him there, and Reacher is the one the rest of the world finally noticed.

Bonus: American Idol

Here is a clip of Ritchson on American Idol.

Source: Polygon