“I couldn't breathe well”: When Reacher star Alan Ritchson broke silence on the challenges of bulking up for his role

Alan Ritchson’s bulked-up physique in Prime Video’s Reacher is one of the highlights of the show. To look his part as Jack Reacher, the actor went to extreme lengths to have a physical transformation.

In an interview with GQ in January 2024, Alan Ritchson opened up about how he underwent intense training to gain 30 pounds in eight months to prepare for his role, which ultimately took a toll on his health:

“When I finished [season one], I needed surgery. I couldn't breathe well. I got a blood panel done and found out I had no testosterone left [because of overtraining]. My doctor was like, “You need to be on testosterone.”

---

Alan Ritchson once talked about the health issues he faced while bulking up for Reacher

Prime Video’s Reacher is based on Lee Child’s Jack Reacher novel series, in which the protagonist is depicted as a 6'5” tall man with a massive build. To look like the character, actor Alan Ritchson gained 30 pounds of weight by undergoing extreme training. He said in his interview:

“I put on 30 pounds! I don't know how much of that was lean muscle. I went from 205lb to 235lb in eight months, I was eating a tonne. I don't think all of that was muscle. A good chunk was – a little more than half, maybe. But I didn't take steroids, I didn't take testosterone.”

Explaining how he put his body under extreme pressure, Ritchson stated:

“There was only one way to get where I needed to be and that was hard work. I f****** wrecked my body, dude. It was too much. I didn't have time to heal. I would strain something and I was like, ‘I don't care! I'm working through it!’ I suffered the consequences.”

The actor then talked about how he had to take testosterone therapy after Reacher season 1, which helped him overcome his health issues:

“[Testosterone therapy] was a real gift because now I'm able to easily maintain that size. My workouts are short and sweet – maybe 30 minutes a day.”

However, Ritchson also opened up about how his character should not only be judged for his giant size. He has much more to his personality than just his physique. Jack’s sense of humor and smartness make him a well-rounded character:

“There’s no doubt that people place a big emphasis on his size, but to me, the character is much more than that. The heart of the character really lies in his sardonic sense of humor, which is incredibly fun to play.”

“He’s a smart guy, and isn’t afraid to be a smart-ass. That underlying humor is what brings depth to him as a character, and also keeps audiences entertained.”

Ritchson’s performance as the titular character has been loved by the audience since the show’s inception in 2022. The actor has reprised his role in the second and third seasons as well, leaving the fans awestruck with his power-packed performances.

Apart from Alan Ritchson, Reacher also features Maria Sten, Sonya Cassidy, Olivier Richters, Anthony Michael Hall, Brian Tee, Johnny Berchtold, and Roberto Montesinos. Other actors who have been seen in the action crime drama include Willa Fitzgerald, Malcolm Goodwin, Serinda Swan, and Ferdinand Kingsley.

Reacher is available to stream on Prime Video.