It’s no secret that “Reacher” star Alan Ritchson, the producers, and the writers all tinkered with the character before settling on what the final version would look like on screen. Once that objective was met, the next task was to work with Maxwell Jenkins to figure out how to take what they developed for present-day Jack Reacher and translate it into his younger self.
After discussing the titular persona, Jenkins and the others came to a fascinating conclusion. “We concluded that Reacher was like a crocodile. He sits, listens, waits, and only moves when the time is right,” the actor said in an interview with Pop-Culturalist. With that revelation in mind, Jenkins then discussed how he ensured his take on young Reacher matched what Ritchson was bringing to the table. “I spent a lot of time watching dailies of Alan’s work,” he said. “I also watched some of the audition videos and chemistry reads where Alan was Reacher. He’s so good. I just tried to study the way he moved and the expressions and gestures he used and tried to incorporate that into my physicality.”
The young Reacher also added, “It was a great collaborative effort. Alan is amazing, and I loved being able to give some background context to the story he was telling as Reacher.”
All the hard work from Jenkins and everyone else on the show seems to pay off, as it has been given another season that will be jumping ahead in the book series. If the young actor continues the trend of properly preparing for roles, there is a good chance his turn as a young Reacher will not be the last time he impresses viewers.