Alan Ritchson is a name that not everyone has heard, but it’s about time this hardworking actor got his due. With the same goofy charm, strong jawline, and muscular physique as Chris Pratt or Jason Momoa, Ritchson has star power that has been largely underappreciated by audiences and critics alike. Since his career took off in 2006, Ritchson has proven himself as a scene-stealer in small roles and a bona fide leading man.
He can make dialogue sound clever, intimidating, or hilarious depending on the scene and the character he’s portraying. He has the moves for action scenes, the timing for comedy, and has even proven himself as a capable voice-over actor in animated media. Ritchson’s best movies and TV shows exemplify his range and captivating screen presence.
10 Ritchson is in One of the Funniest Parts of The Wedding Ringer
Character: Kip Loyola
- Metacritic: 3.3/10
- IMDb: 6.6/10
- Rotten Tomatoes: 63%
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With his wedding creeping up, Doug Harris (Josh Gad) found himself in a sticky situation — he didn’t have any friends who he could invite for the big day. And so he enlisted the help of a company (headed by Kevin Hart) to get him enough “groomsmen” to stand by his side on the big day. Alan Ritchson made an appearance in The Wedding Ringer as Kip Loyola, one of the groomsmen auditioning for the position. Kip was a dim-witted character who thought that ripping off his shirt to reveal his muscular torso would be enough to get hired for the position.
It’s clear that Ritchson was in on the joke in this scene, and his comedic performance made this otherwise forgettable character seem more likable and nuanced than merely a dumb jock with big muscles. Every line of dialogue was infused with Ritchson’s sarcastic humor. The Wedding Ringer had mixed reviews, causing it to be a largely forgotten about comedy from the 2010s. However, it’s still worth checking out for Ritchson’s cameo alone.
9 TMNT: Out of the Shadows Benefits From Ritchson’s Voice-Over Work
Character: Raphael
- Metascore: 5.7/10
- IMDb: 5.9/10
- Rotten Tomatoes: 47%
Throughout his career, Alan Ritchson has made a name for himself as an action hero. In TMNT: Out of Shadows, he proved that he is also able to be a voice actor, lending his deep, grizzled voice to Raphael. In the movie, the turtles were once again facing off against Shredder, only this time he was accompanied by mutant thugs and a cruel alien hell-bent on world domination. Raphael was the one leading the charge, and with Ritchson’s voice acting skills, it’s easy to see why this turtle was the one with the plan.
The Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles are a beloved property, so Alan Ritchson had big shoes to fill as Raphael. Thankfully, fans were immediately won over by his talents. During a memorable high-speed chase scene, Ritchson touted one-liners like “Time to take out the trash” while knocking a bunch of goons off their motorcycles. The scene was full of energy and style — the kind which only Ritchson’s voice over work could create. His deep, yet charming timbre transformed Raphael into a tough guy with plenty of heart.
8 Ritchson Brings the Scares in Ghosts of War
Character: Butchie
- Metascore: 5.0/10
- IMDb: 5.6/10
- Rotten Tomatoes: 65%
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From Overlord to Predator, many horror films have made effective use of a wartime setting. Fans of this subgenre won’t want to miss Ghosts of War which starred Alan Ritchson as Butchie, one of five soldiers placed in a World War II simulation. The sense of horror escalated when they saw actual ghosts caused by a curse which was placed on them in a previous military campaign.
Reviews for Ghosts of War were mixed, but critics and casual viewers seemed to unanimously agree that the stellar performances made this underrated horror gem worth watching. Alan Ritchson in particular stood out as Butchie, the voice of reason in the film. Every scene featuring Ritchson was heightened by his reason and rationale in this situation. He was the one telling the soldiers, and in turn the viewers, that nothing was real and something was wrong, building the suspense and tension.
7 Ritchson’s Aimes is One of Best Villains in Fast X
Character: Aimes
- Metascore: 4.8/10
- IMDb: 5.7/10
- Rotten Tomatoes: 84%
Fast is one of the highest-grossing franchises of all time, staying relevant by recruiting the biggest action heroes in cinema. In the tenth installment, Ritchson was welcomed into the family as a double agent named Aimes. Aimes worked with a powerful druglord who had a bone to pick against Dom Toretto and his crew. This is one of the first times Ritchson has played a villain, and effortlessly pulled it off with his unique brand of humor and physical intimidation in the role.
Aimes went beyond what other antagonists like Cipher (Charlize Theron) or Deckard Shaw (Jason Statham) had done in the Fast and the Furious movies by being especially cunning and unpredictable. He even left the family’s fate on a cliffhanger at the end of Fast X. Thanks to Ritchson’s charming, yet sinister performance, Aimes could say corny lines like “You know I’d make a freight train take a dirt road, so do not get in my way” and make them seem serious and threatening. Many fans of the franchise are crossing their fingers that Aimes, and in turn Alan Ritchson, have a bigger role in the next film, which will likely be the final installment.
6 Alan Ritchson’s Character is the Moral Compass in Blood Drive
Character: Arthur Bailey
- Metascore: 6.3/10
- IMDb: 7.2/10
- Rotten Tomatoes: 88%
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The Syfy channel was home to many beloved series. Blood Drive, which ran for one season in 2017, is perhaps the most beloved cult television show to ever air on the network. In the show, Alan Ritchson starred as Arthur Bailey, a police officer with a strong moral compass. He was caught in a post-apocalyptic death race where human blood was the only source of fuel.
Like always, Alan Ritchson brought complex layers to the character, making him more than just a grizzled protagonist. Arthur Bailey struggled with doing the right thing in a cutthroat world where everyone must fend for themselves. Ritchson fully sold this idea of being an everyman to the audience, from his comical one-liners to those more heartfelt moments which showcased Arthur’s vulnerability.
5 Ritchson is a Scene Stealer in The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare
Character: Anders Lassen
- Metascore: 6.7/10
- IMDb: 6.9/10
- Rotten Tomatoes: 93%
Known for movies like Snatch and Sherlock Holmes, Guy Ritchie is one of the best cult movie directors of all time. However, many people missed his 2024 action drama, The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare. The movie is about a ragtag group of military personnel who are hired by the British military to fight against the Germans in World War II. It’s a stylish war movie that also doubles as popcorn entertainment.
After being blown away by his performance in Reacher, Guy Ritchie personally approached Alan Ritchson and asked him to star in the movie. The director clearly made the right choice since Ritchson offers one of his best performances in the movie as Anders Lassen, a Danish national who joins the British to fight against the Nazis. Lassen was a real soldier during World War II. While Ritchson doesn’t look like the real man, he does bring a pleasant disposition to the role, despite his violent behavior. Critics praised the performance, and fans still regard Anders Lassen as one of the most captivating characters in the film.
4 Action Heroes Aren’t Better Than Ritchson in Reacher
Character: Jack Reacher
- Metascore: 7.6/10
- IMDb: 8.1/10
- Rotten Tomatoes: 84%
Tom Cruise played Jack Reacher in three films, so Alan Ritchson had big shoes to fill when he was cast in 2022’s Reacher. The show follows the titular character, a former military policeman who solves crimes and carries out vigilante justice, often going against protocol. Based on the novels by Lee Child, Jack Reacher is a beloved action hero, and as such, fans are territorial when it comes to how he is depicted. Alan Ritchson navigated these expectations flawlessly, managing to nod to Tom Cruise’s impressive work while still bringing something entirely new to the table.
Alan Ritchson put on 30 pounds of muscle to star in the show, showing his commitment to the role. Because he’s extremely muscular and bulky, Ritchson dominates the screen. Even though Ritchson’s character is more methodical and calculating when it comes to combat, the impact of his punches can still be felt. Only through Ritchson’s strong physicality is that possible, and it’s for these reasons that the actor may be one of the best action heroes in recent years. Luckily, fans will get even more of Ritchson in the near future since Reacher has been renewed for a third season on Amazon Prime.
3 Ritchson Volunteered as Tribute in The Hunger Games: Catching Fire
Character: Gloss Nicholo
- Metascore: 7.9/10
- IMDb: 7.5/10
- Rotten Tomatoes: 89%
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The Hunger Games franchise introduced the world to many beloved minor characters, including Finnick, President Snow, and Rue. Gloss is a character that time seems to have left behind, but he played an extremely important role as one of Katniss Everdeen’s biggest opponents in the second film. As the victor of District 1 in the 63rd Hunger Games, he was asked to come back as a tribute for the Quarter Quell.
The character could have been another throwaway tribute, but Alan Ritchson gave him gravitas and substance. He was part of some of the most action-packed sequences in The Hunger Games. Ritchson always brings a strong physical presence to his roles, meaning that Gloss came across as a major threat. Yet audiences couldn’t help but root for him to make it through to the end, just to see what he was capable of doing in the Cornucopia.
2 One of Ritchson’s Most Heartfelt Performance is in Ordinary Angels
Character: Ed Schmitt
- Metascore: 7.4/10
- IMDb: 7.4/10
- Rotten Tomatoes: 99%
For most of his career, Alan Ritchson has proven himself as a smart-mouthed action hero. In Ordinary Angels, he got to show off his dramatic chops as a widowed father named Ed Schmitt who would do whatever it takes to save his critically ill daughter. The all-star cast was rounded out by Emily Mitchell as the daughter Michelle, and Hilary Swank as a local hairdresser who recruited the entire community to help the family with their rising medical costs.
Based on a true story of a hairdresser in Kentucky giving away her liver in a life-saving transplant, Ordinary Angels was a tearjerker full of sorrowful, yet beautiful moments. Alan Ritchson was the film’s emotional anchor, and fully sold the range of emotions which Schmitt was going through. In one memorable scene, Schmitt sadly smiled as he wiped lipstick off Michelle’s face. Through his facial expressions alone, the audience could see that Schmitt felt equally grief-stricken, amused, and full of love for his daughter in that moment. Ritchson may be a powerhouse in shows like Reacher and movies like Fast X, but in this underrated film, he could also deliver a heartbreaking performance that resonates with audiences and makes them cry.
1 Ritchson Became Team Captain in Blue Mountain State
Character: Thad Castle
- Metascore: 8.0/10
- IMDb: 8.3/10
- Rotten Tomatoes: 86%
Alan Ritchson brought team captain energy to the sport as Thad Castle, a foul-mouthed, hard-partying bad boy in the short-lived television series, Blue Mountain State. Centered around a college football team, the show dealt with topics such as hazing, bullying, and loud team politics. By all intents and purposes, Thad should be an unlikable character. After all, he was shown to be disrespectful to women, mercilessly hazing freshmen, and calling referees “butt faces” during games. Despite his volatile nature, Ritchson turned Thad into a crowd-pleaser.
Thad worked as more than just a selfish jerk because Ritchson was in on the joke. He played up Thad’s unlikable nature to comedic effect in every scene, whether he was using a bullhorn to bother his teammates at a keg party or running in his underwear down field. Thad was a standout character that put Ritchson on the map. The actor even proved himself as a writer later, helping pen the movie Blue Mountain State: The Rise of Thadland, which was released in 2016.
