REACHER Series Star Alan Ritchson Says He Wrote a Letter to Tom Cruise When He Took Over the Role but It Didn't Go Well

The second season of the hit Prime series Reacher hit the streamer this past week with the first three episodes dropping for fans to enjoy. The show’s star, Alan Ritchson, took on the part, which is based on the crime thriller book series by Lee Child, after fans were less than thrilled by the casting of actor Tom Cruise in the two films based on the novels.

While Cruise is a beloved actor who has proved his action star status plenty of times over, fans weren’t happy because the character is described as a giant of a man, extremely tall and muscular, and Cruise just didn’t fit the bill. So when Ritchson was cast, the future of the character’s onscreen portrayal seemed quite a bit more exciting for fans, and they were ready to dive in and start over with the new star. But before he could move forward with the job, Ritchson wanted to write a letter to Cruise to thank him for passing the torch. He explained in an appearance on Jimmy Kimmel Live (via CB):

"I wrote Tom a letter. I wrote him a heartfelt letter. Because here's the thing, I know what you know. He's taken some criticism for the role, because he doesn't aesthetically fit the role of Reacher perfectly, according to the books. This guy still did two movies that grossed over $300 million, and doesn't even fit. He's brought so many eyes to this series. We would not have the success that we have without it. So out of gratitude, I write him a loving, heartfelt letter, a page-long letter, and I give it to Don Granger, his partner of his at Skydance. My boss. Skydance produces the show."

Ritchson continued:

"I said, 'I think we should give this to him.' I want him to know like, I'm grateful that he's passing the torch, and you know, he's given me his blessing and all that. And he said, 'We're not going to give it to him. It's a terrible idea. He's fine with it. Because he's moved on in life. He's moved on. And you need to move on, too.' I said it on the paper and yet the paper never got to Tom."

The actor then decided to address Cruise through the camera, saying:

"I'm super grateful for you passing the baton to me on Reacher and helping it become what it's become with the eyes that you brought to the show. So I just want you to know that that was some version of my letter. There's a few 'I love yous', a couple of pictures together, but just leave it there." 

I’m glad the actor finally got to tell Cruise what he wanted to say. Hopefully the actor sees it! The 8-episode second season of Reacher will continue to air new episodes on Prime Video on Fridays, with the finale debuting on Friday, January 19, 2024.