Alan Ritchson has cemented himself as Hollywood’s newest action star through three suspenseful seasons of Amazon Prime Video’s Reacher, where the actor wowed audiences with his charisma and physicality. Before he was slated to play Lee Child’s Jack Reacher, however, Ritchson starred in a 2019 supernatural film that highlighted his promise as both an actor and an imposing, formidable force.
Starring Olivia Thirlby, Megan Fox, and Jim Gaffigan, Above the Shadows follows an invisible woman as she helps a former MMA fighter (Ritchson) plan a comeback. What’s gripping about the film is its significance to Ritchson, since it not only highlighted his physical talent—it also proved to be his biggest dramatic role yet, paving the way for international stardom.
Alan Ritchson’s Above The Shadows Proved He’d Be A Perfect Jack Reacher
Ritchson Got To Show Off His Vulnerability
In Above the Shadows, Ritchson plays Shayne Blackwell, a fighter whose future was curbed by a compromising pH๏τo taken by Holly (Thirby), an invisible paparazzo who can only be seen by Shayne. Overwhelmed with grief, Holly begins helping Shayne revive his career, and the two begin to grow close until trouble ensues in the form of Shayne’s ex, Juliana (Fox).
On a deeper scale, however, it’s the vulnerability in Ritchson’s performance that truly drives the film home…
What makes Ritchson so compelling in Above the Shadows is—in part—his towering frame and physicality, which lends credibility to his many fight scenes. On a deeper scale, however, it’s the vulnerability in Ritchson’s performance that truly drives the film home, as this candor invokes an empathy that translates near-perfectly to the gravitas in his stoic, trauma-driven performance in Reacher.
Alan Ritchson’s Early Roles Didn’t Entirely Suggest He’d Be A Future Action Star
The Reacher Actor Often Played Second Fiddle
From roles in Carhartt commercials to comedies like Blue Mountain State, it didn’t always appear that Alan Ritchson was slated to play one of television’s most iconic and distinct antiheroes. Then again, if Tom Hanks can go from ʙosoм Buddies to Saving Private Ryan in only 16 years, then there’s hope for all aspiring actors in La La Land.
One throughline in Ritchson’s career that hinted at his promise as an action star was his physicality, a trait that was highlighted in his role as Aquaman in Smallville, Gloss in The Hunger Games, and even the voice acting and motion capture work he did as Raphael in Michael Bay’s live-action Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles film.
Nevertheless, Above the Shadows prevails as Ritchson’s big break as a dramatic lead, demonstrating his emotional capacity and accelerating his race to the top of Hollywood’s action hero A-list. Despite its 64% RT rating, the film stands today as both the catalyst for the greatest adaptation of Jack Reacher yet and as an enchanting supernatural romance in its own right.
