Reacher star Alan Ritchson weighs in on the running joke that the action hero never goes to the gym in the Prime Video series: "It’s a little ridiculous"

It's no secret that Alan Ritchson’s Reacher is probably one of the most built-up men on the small screen. But it has become a running joke both in the Reacher books and the Prime Video series that we never see Reacher train or go to the gym once – something that star Ritchson agrees is a little far-fetched.

"It’s a little ridiculous with Reacher, I mean, but it's funny," says Ritchson to 12DOVE. "You got like this, like, you know, chiseled six-pack abs kind of physique in the books. And it's like, of course he's a unicorn, you know. No, you would never look like Reacher without hours of training."

We can see how having Reacher constantly in the gym wouldn't make for a good viewing experience, but audiences have yet to witness Reacher even lift a weight despite having a body-builder-like physique. This little inside joke is touched on in season 3 where Reacher is finally seen entering a gym where his new 7-foot-two opponent Paulie, played by Olivier Richters, asks how much he can bench, to which Reacher replies, "I don’t know."

This differs dramatically from Ritchson’s own training schedule in order to play the muscly wanderer. "I work out consistently," says the star, "And, you know, I try to eat clean most of the time. But I do love cookies."

But it's not just the series, as author Lee Child, whose Jack Reacher book series acts as a basis for the show, also indulges this illusion. "Lee Child, like has a real sense of humor about it," says Ritchson. "There's a book where he goes, he gets out of bed and he stretches, and he goes, 'That's the workout for the day.'" We don't know about you, but we would love to see that scene in the series.

Based on Child’s seventh Jack Reacher book titled ‘Persuader’, Reacher season 3 is set in the New England state of Maine, where Reacher finds himself wrapped up in a dodgy import business. Alongside Ritchson, the season also welcomes back Maria Sten as Frances Neagley and adds new stars Sonya Cassidy, Brian Tee, Anthony Michael Hall, and Johnny Berchtold.

Reacher season 3 episodes 1-3 are out on Prime Video now – see our Reacher season 3 release schedule to find out when other episodes drop. But before you tune in, read our Reacher season 3 review. For more, check out our list of the best shows on Prime Video, or keep up with upcoming shows heading your way in 2025 and beyond.