Jack Richer, described in Lee Child’s popular book series, is a former U.S. Army major who travels the country and, if necessary, faces the trial of bad guys. Inside Don’t go back, The eighteenth book in the Jack Richer series, 6’5 “Vigilante contains more” a six-pack like a cobblestone city street, a book like an NFL armor suit, biceps like a basketball, and subcutaneous fat like clinic tissue. “It’s a pretty long order to fulfill for any casting director, but the highly anticipated Amazon Prime video series Richard Eventually their man was found in Alan Richeson.
“I’m really grateful she was released and thank those who worked hard for her release, and we’re glad she’s alive.” Richson, the son of a retired U.S. Air Force chief sergeant, was particularly excited to jump into a series where a former military man was the protagonist. “I have read at least twice each book at the moment and I grew up respecting my father. I wanted to make sure I got this character for all the fans there, but also for him. “
We talked with Richson about the pressure of an iconic personality, the emphasis on the role, the underestimation, and the sequence of brutal fights that anticipate each episode.
Men’s Journal: How does it feel to play such an iconic character?
Alan Richson: I am now a part of this world created by Lee Child which is absolutely surreal. I heard about this search by Jack Richer a few years ago, when they announced that they would be creating a new series for Amazon. One of my best friends is a production designer and a big reader. We’ve done a lot of movies together, and he was one of the first people I reached out to for this role. Then he started sending me sentences from books – like “Christmas turkey-like hands” and “Door by the door.” According to him, I was a working man.
Did you dive into the book yourself at that time?
I did — I ran through them, and immediately realized why so many people are fans of the character. I finished reading 24 books in eight months – in order – starting Killing floor And follow that with Attempted death, Which I liked even more. You start to meet these great supporting players like “Hook” Hobby who take it to the next level. I felt a real desire to get part. My own mind was under pressure. That internal stress has only gotten more serious with each book I read. I feel very lucky that it worked.
One of the great things about Richard is that he not only has the power to count physically, but he is also very cunning as a detective. Did you enjoy playing someone with the depth of this character?
I felt like Derek Zulander early in my career – from a scene where he wanted to let people know how much fun he could have. I feel like I want people to know how smart I really am. I started modeling at the age of 18 and this is the most fruitful business. I was told not to open my mouth on the set and was treated like a sack of meat. I feel like I have a good, creative idea to share with the world and I really don’t have a place to do it.
Most of the time I am the last link in the creative chain as an actor. As head of a show for the first time, I challenged everything – hoping to make it better. That’s why I just got to shout at my line. I was excited to do more than just use my body. My first real job was playing Aquaman Smallville, And I didn’t get it because I’m an intellectual. I got it because I got to look like a comic book character. These situations have been present throughout my career, and because of them I have gotten some chips on my shoulders. The fact that Richard is often the smartest person in the room is very exciting to me. His intelligence is as much a part of his being as his physicality.
I was blooming late, and before adolescence girls would come to me and ask if I would grow up to be beautiful. I went through the pace of my growth at the age of 18 and at the same time I started going to the gym. I thought I was going to get one or two muscles. I then began to get completely different reactions – because of the way I looked, everyone was suddenly assuming I was going to be a hiccup or a fool. I know from the book that Richard has to deal with similar assumptions. It creates a lot of fun, where he can play with people’s preconceived notions about who he is.
Considering that your father was in the Air Force, there must have been some extra excitement around portraying Richard, who was also a military man.
He is a man I have always seen and he is my hero. I think the military really gave him the structure he needed. It has an effect on a person, the way they carry themselves – the way they stand and the way they move your hands. Creatively honoring them onscreen is a dream. When I was in high school hoping to join the Special Forces, I was attracted to enrolling myself. My father was against it, which surprised me at first — but I think he saw that creative desire in my eyes. Since I couldn’t actually be a soldier, at least I could play one on TV. I really respect that it is an honor to portray these people.
Have you looked anywhere outside the book for an insight into the role?
I didn’t really need to look too much. There were a few nights of precise research into how detectives worked in that situation. But I already had a lot to study. If you have 24 books of a character and you don’t know how he will react to a situation at the end of it, then you are in real trouble. It is amazing to think about the fact that more than 200 million books have been sold. This information is not lost on me.
You are ready for your physical role. How are you going about this time process?
I attacked all the fronts to get ready for it. I do what I can to stay healthy and in shape all the time because a lot of my projects fall into that superhero genre. I try to stay lean, so I usually walk at 205 pounds. For that I wanted to bulk up though, and I ended up putting in over 30 pounds at 235 pounds. I crushed it five days a week for the eight months that we had to prepare. I don’t usually use weights because I grow up too fast but I pull them off. I had to get free at the gym. The real need is to get your calories, protein and macro, so it was a conveyor belt of food. It is a full-time job to get 4,500 calories and 300 grams of protein in your body. I’m lucky that I got help.
I’ve had a few trainers over the years and I have a few numbers to call when I need help on the plateau, but I initially do it myself now. I was in Toronto filming another show and the real problem was gaining weight in the middle of the epidemic. The rules were very strict in Canada, so there was no opportunity to go anywhere by train. I moved the dining table from the place we rented and built a full size gym there. There was no avoidance training in the morning, because it was looking at me when I woke up. No commuting. No excuses.
How did you set up your training area there?
When you are training five days a week, muscle confusion and versatility in gear are important. That’s the only way to grow. So I needed some basic gear to help me do it. I found this Northern Light equipment that is a Smith machine — a twin cable tower with a latte pulldown bar, row of wires, a squat rack and a bench press. This is the giant tower that fits into a tight space and ticks all the boxes উপাদান all the elements I need the most. It combines this great adjustable free weight and a bench covers all the bases. My wife would sometimes use them or my kids would play with them and I would be forced to wait for weights in my own home.
The show has seemed a bit unfocused in recent episodes, however; What was it like to film those?
At first I thought this show was going to be one fight after another. Fortunately, the show has seemed a bit unfocused in recent episodes. That being said, that tendency towards violence is a huge part of Richard K. He lives outside the law and makes his own rules, especially when it means bringing people to justice or protecting the innocent. So it was important for us to get those fights right because their story has a purpose.
His past had to do with the precision and brutality of the surgery he had to fight. That’s what he’s known for. So we had to adapt to my personal fighting style, which is a fighting style mixed with Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu that I have screened before. For these I had to break it down deeper and make it more specific. There’s a line that Lee Child wrote that Richar uses his “ax-like elbow” and I worked with our stunt coordinator Buster Reeves to bring that strength. Fortunately for each of us there was a month to prepare. People can expect a big battle in every episode. I don’t think fans will be disappointed.
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