Reacher Star Calls Epic Fight Scene ‘Most Physically Demanding’ Experience Ever

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Beware! Here come spoilers for the Season 3 finale of Reacher. If you haven’t watched it yet, catch up by streaming it using your Amazon Prime membership.

Since I heard that Reacher Season 3 would be based on Lee Child’s book Persuader and that Olivier Richters would portray Paulie, I’ve been eagerly anticipating the Reacher vs. Paulie fight. At last, I got to witness it when the finale was released in the 2025 TV schedule, and let me tell you, it did not fall short of expectations. What makes it even more satisfying is learning about the tremendous effort that went into making it happen, and fortunately, Richters shared all the details with me.

When I inquired about filming the Paulie vs. Reacher fight from Olivier Richters, who stands at 7’2″ and towers over Alan Ritchson, who is 6’3″, he quickly pointed out his rigorous training regimen. Given that his fellow actor has extensive experience in this field and is a skilled action performer, the Dutch bodybuilder understood the importance of staying competitive, expressing: “I needed to maintain pace,” indicating his determination to match Ritchson’s level of expertise.

My journey began by dedicating four months to mastering combat skills, as I was not just working with an excellent actor, but also someone proficient in fighting. Therefore, I had to match his abilities.

He sure did keep up, and he proved to be a worthy adversary for Reacher.

The battle encompasses Reacher being rammed into a vehicle, Paulie enduring numerous blows, Reacher being suspended by a chain and managing to free himself, along with an incredibly intense water-based brawl. To add to that, Paulie meets his grisly demise, the fight unfolds in various settings over approximately 14 minutes of screen time, and it’s quite the spectacle throughout the entire episode.

After viewing everything, the immense work and time invested in capturing this massive action scene became clearer when Richters explained the details.

For several weeks, we worked long hours, both during the day and at night, often spending 10 to 14 hours on set. Last night, we wrapped up around 5:30 a.m., on a bridge, and we were both drained. We were both disheartened, and we embraced each other. We had accomplished our goal, and we expressed our gratitude towards one another.

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Apart from expressing my gratitude, let me acknowledge their resilience in enduring this process. It’s hard to fathom its difficulty, yet it appeared breathtakingly amazing on-screen. I believe it’s fair to say that, after such a long buildup, the result was absolutely worth the effort and patience.

Richters emphasized the challenging nature of a particular scene by sharing with me that during the media event, he and Ritchson concurred it was the “toughest physical endeavor” either had ever undertaken.

A short while ago, I conversed with him. He mentioned that it was the toughest physically challenging experience he’s encountered so far. I agreed, expressing my own exhaustion, saying, “I concur, I concur.” Indeed, I needed time to recuperate afterward.

As a movie enthusiast, I’ve got to say that Alan Ritchson’s performance in “Reacher” has consistently been top-notch. Across three seasons, he’s taken on some jaw-dropping action sequences, from intense fight scenes to being flung against walls – and more! The man’s no stranger to physical demands, given his role as Jack Reacher in the Prime Video series. Yet, the fight scene in this latest project seems to have been a whole new level of challenge. It was a formidable foe indeed.

I need to revisit the thrilling climax of the “Persuader” book-to-screen adaptation, as it’s crucial to fully admire the effort put into it. Both Richters and Ritchson claiming it was their toughest physical challenge yet is quite astonishing, highlighting the sheer epicness of this eagerly anticipated fight scene.

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2025-03-28 23:37