Who Did Reacher’s Alan Ritchson Play In Hunger Games?

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As a devoted fan, I can’t help but marvel at Alan Ritchson‘s illustrious career trajectory, from his humble beginnings in “The Hunger Games” to his current reign as Jack Reacher. His journey is a testament to the fact that even if you don’t get your first choice role (Finnick Odair, anyone?), there’s always another opportunity waiting just around the corner.

Despite boasting titles like “The Rings of Power” and “The Boys” on Amazon Prime, the streaming service has scored a hit with a one-man show. Well, less of a man and more of a mountain with legs. Alan Ritchson plays the titular character in “Reacher,” proving why he was the right person to play Jack Reacher (and why Tom Cruise may have been the worst). However, before he shot to fame as the henchman-pummeling hero, he appeared in a few other franchises, one of which was the dystopian-set film series full of annoyingly attractive people — “The Hunger Games.”

Although Ritchson has grown more since his participation in district battles back in 2013, it was as District 1 tribute Gloss in “The Hunger Games: Catching Fire” that we saw him. Known as a formidable contender in the Quarter Quell, Gloss belonged to the Career group – comprising of tributes from Districts 1, 2, and 4 who train rigorously until they reach 18, at which point they willingly participate in the games to emerge victorious. Unfortunately for Gloss, even though his team made an effort, it wasn’t enough when he was struck by one of Katniss Everdeen’s (Jennifer Lawrence) famous arrows. It’s worth noting that had the events unfolded differently, Ritchson might have survived longer within the “The Hunger Games” storyline, as he initially auditioned for a distinct role that would have prolonged his character’s life.

Alan Ritchson originally wanted to play another Hunger Games character

Previously, Alan Ritchson had tried out for the part of Finnick Odair in “Catching Fire” and subsequent films, but was deemed too old for the role. This opportunity eventually went to Sam Claflin. Despite this setback, Ritchson ultimately landed a different role in the Hunger Games franchise as Gloss. Later on, Ritchson gained recognition with roles in movies like “Fast X” and Guy Ritchie’s “The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare,” eventually becoming well-known for his portrayal of Jack Reacher. It appears that Claflin’s performance as Finnick was associated with some injuries, which Ritchson luckily avoided.

Back at the 2013 MTV Movie Awards, I shared with E! News that during our filming for “The Hunger Games: Catching Fire,” Sam Claflin suffered some pretty rough blows for his role – injuries he wouldn’t ultimately display on screen. “Sam took the hardest hits. He fractured his hand while practicing a stunt,” I explained. Unfortunately, those battle wounds didn’t make it into the final cut because he got hurt before we even started filming, as I later found out. “It was during rehearsal, so we weren’t even rolling cameras yet. He broke it on our stunt double while warming up,” I disclosed. Standing right beside him, witnessing it was tough. But hey, if Jack Reacher were here, he’d probably shrug off the pain!

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2024-11-04 20:00