Now a seasoned film and television actor, Ritchson has finally been receiving recognition when he has previously been relatively overlooked. He has appeared in series such as Hawaii Five-0, CSI: Miami, 90210, and Black Mirror. The actor was also Gloss in The Hunger Games: Catching Fire. Ritchson even produced, co-wrote, acted in, and directed Lionsgate’s Dark Web: Cicada 3301 in 2021. Ritchson has quite a few projects in the works, but until then, here’s a look at his best performances, ranked.
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5 Above the Shadows
Gravitas Ventures
Before playing Reacher, Alan Ritchson was disgraced MMA fighter, Shayne Blackwell, in Above the Shadows. The film blended romance with the supernatural, following a young woman named Holly (Olivia Thirlby) who had become invisible to the world. Holly was only able to be seen by Shayne, and the two connected with and helped each other through their struggles. Above the Shadows explored Holly and Shayne’s dynamic in a very interesting way, which evolved into a romantic relationship. A non-horror story about an invisible woman might be a hard sell for some, but Thirlby and Ritchson managed to effectively bring their characters to life. Ritchson has always had the dramatic chops to play emotionally complex, struggling human beings who are also fighters. That kind of skill has perhaps allowed Ritchson to play a romantic interest with ease.
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MOVIEWEB VIDEO OF THE DAY
4 Blood Drive
Syfy, NBCUniversal Television Distribution
The 2017 Syfy action series Blood Drive cast Alan Ritchson in the lead role as Los Angeles Police Department officer Arthur Bailey. Blood Drive was set in an alternate, dystopian universe where crime ran rampant. As the world fell apart, both water and gasoline became more and more difficult to acquire. Arthur Bailey teamed up with a street racer named Grace, participating in a do-or-die race. But the race through the Blood Drive ran on human blood, not gasoline. Racers who finished last were killed in gruesome ways. As a cop in a brutal, bloodthirsty world, Ritchson’s character was always on his toes trying to survive. Arthur Bailey and Grace were put to the ultimate test as they competed against other racers with very violent tendencies.
3 Blue Mountain State
Lionsgate
Alan Ritchson’s role in the sitcom Blue Mountain State was certainly very different from the rest of his filmography. Blue Mountain State presented an exaggerated, over-the-top version of the sports, partying, drugs, and sex people often associate with American universities. Ritchson played Kevin “Thad” Devlin Castle, a college linebacker and later captain of his football team. Thad was a super brash, energetic, and silly character with an unusually high-pitched scream. The role showed Ritchson’s impressive acting range as well as his natural comedic talent. Thad was easily the most memorable character in Blue Mountain State, and made the show crazier and funnier than it had any right to be. Ritchson reprised his role as Thad for the Blue Mountain State movie, 2016’s The Rise of Thadland. He will likely never play a character like Thad again, but definitely made the most out of his role and ended his time on a high note.
2 Titans
Warner Bros. Television Distribution
After playing Arthur Curry in Smallville, Alan Ritchson took on the role of another superhero in DC’s Titans. He played Hank Hall, a.k.a. “Hawk,” a vigilante and founding member of the series’ original Titans. With Minka Kelly’s Dawn Granger, Hank’s girlfriend, the two made up the vigilante duo “Hawk and Dove.” Despite occasionally being short-tempered, Hank Hall was a man with a good heart and a genuine desire to help others. He initially adopted the Hawk alter-ego to deal with his trauma and pain, but continued using it to fight for the Titans. Titans has not been a perfect show, sometimes introducing questionable writing decisions, but Ritchson has always been one of the reasons to watch the series. Ritchson left Titans following its third season and took the role of Jack Reacher in Reacher.
