War Machine star Alan Ritchson says Reacher was the most physically demanding role he'd ever played before signing on to the new Netflix sci-fi film: "Every day was a unique challenge"

Alan Ritchson as 81 in War Machine — (Image credit: Netflix)

Alan Ritchson is best known for playing Jack Reacher in the stunt-heavy, action-packed hit Prime Video series... but playing 81 in Netflix's War Machine proved to be a much bigger, and unexpected feat.

"I had finished shooting Reacher season three, the whole season was this build up towards this fight with the giant Olivier Richters...he's 7'2, 400 pounds," Ritchson tells GamesRadar+. "And we spent three weeks filming this entire episode where we just fought continuously. The reference was like a Family Guy episode where Peter's fighting the chicken or whatever, and it goes on forever. I thought when I left that season that I had just shot the hardest piece of IP that I'd ever work on, until I went into War Machine... and every day was a unique kind of physical challenge [that] left me drained in the best way. I think War Machine took it to another level, for sure."

Article continues below

Reacher is a similar role in that Jack is a former Military Police Officer who kicks butt, fights off deadly foes, and does it all while still looking good and getting ladies (despite being emotionally unavailable and a bit, uh, off, to say the least). Ritchson's Ranger in War Machine is motivated by trauma, and to fulfill a promise he made to the person he cared about most... making the upcoming sci-fi pic both physically and emotionally demanding.