Remember Aquaman? Not the towering hunk Jason Momoa, but Alan Ritchson, who appeared as Aquaman in the Prime Video series, Smallville (2001–2017). His brusque charm and superhero’s physique earned him a regular spot in the DC Universe show.
And thanks to that success, he took on the titular role of Jack Reacher (2022–present), another Prime Video TV series. Reacher once again proved that Alan Ritchson is made for gritty leading man roles. He then went on to do many more memorable roles – the modern-day western Rex, the dramatic love story of Steam, and the animated comedy Lazor Wulf.
Ritchson was born in Grand Forks, North Dakota on November 28, 1982. He moved around the US a lot with his family while growing up – first to Illinois, then Florida at age 10. He went on to earn an Associate of Arts degree from the Northwest Florida State College, with an interest in music.
However, Alan Ritchson knew that his heart lay in acting. That’s when he decided to move to Los Angeles. He started his career with modelling for the Abercrombie & Fitch catalogue, while auditioning for several movies.
Finally, his big break came with Smallville, which propelled him to a successful career. Since his debut in 2005, he has appeared in 19 movies and 22 TV shows, according to IMDB. Fun fact: He also appeared on American Idol in 2004, but never made it past the auditions round.
The 41 year old also loves writing and producing music.
Below, we list the five best Alan Ritchson movies and TV shows to watch.
Smallville (2005–2010)
- Duration: 5 seasons
- IMDB: 7.5/10
- Rotten Tomatoes: 78%
Alan Ritchson started his career as Arthur Curry, aka Aquaman, in Smallville. He managed to make a memorable splash in this long-running superhero series. His role as the charismatic, muscular hero even inspired talks of a spinoff, but unfortunately nothing materialized from that.
Blue Mountain State (2010–2011)
- Duration: 3 seasons
- IMDB: 8.2/10
- Rotten Tomatoes: 86%
Alan Ritchson shone in this hilarious sitcom as Thad Castle, an outrageously arrogant yet funny linebacker of a college football team. Blue Mountain State became a cult-favorite comedy series following the wild antics of three footballers. While the series was cancelled after three seasons, Ritchson bagged a spinoff movie – Blue Mountain State: The Rise of Thadland. The movie could not live up to the show’s hype and tanked badly.
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (2014)
- Duration: 1 hr 41 mins
- IMDB: 5.9/10
- Rotten Tomatoes: 50%
Ritchson took on the role of Raphael, the tough and hot-headed Ninja Turtle with a penchant for swords. Although he did a great job capturing the intensity and humour of the role, the action-packed movie failed to impress the audience.
Reacher (2022–present)
- Duration: 3 seasons
- IMDB: 8.1/10
- Rotten Tomatoes: 84%
Alan Ritchson finally transitioned from supporting roles to a leading character, with his role of policeman Jack Reacher, who solves crimes and metes out his own brand of street justice. Richtson underwent intense weight training to beef up for the titular role. And the audience loved it! Several viewers on IMDB have rated his performance as fantastic.
Titans (2018–present)
- Duration: 4 seasons
- IMDB: 7.5/10
- Rotten Tomatoes: 89%
Ritchson plays Hank Hall, aka Hawk, in this gritty DC Comics adaptation. Hawk is a vigilante who can fight as well as he can sing. He forms the Titans along with three other DC heroes Robin, Wonder Girl, and Dove to bring justice to the streets of California.
Other notable Alan Ritchson movies and TV shows include:
- The Hunger Games: Catching Fire (2013), where he plays Gloss, a tribute from District 1.
- Lazor Wulf (2019–present), an animated comedy series, where Alan Ritchson voices the titular character.
- As the young Norm Scully in Brooklyn 99.
- As Paul in the Black Mirror Episode, Nosedive.
- Agent Ames in Fast X (2023)