Alan Michael Ritchson (born November 28, 1982) is an American actor, model, singer and songwriter. He made his acting debut as
Aquaman / Arthur Curry on
The CW
''The'' () is a grammatical article in English, denoting persons or things already mentioned, under discussion, implied or otherwise presumed familiar to listeners, readers, or speakers. It is the definite article in English. ''The'' is the m ...
superhero series ''
Smallville
''Smallville'' is an American superhero television series developed by writer-producers Alfred Gough and Miles Millar, based on the DC Comics character Superman created by Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster. The series was produced by Millar Gough ...
'' (2005–2010), where he appeared as a guest star between the
fifth and
tenth seasons. Ritchson gained further prominence for portraying Thad Castle on the
Spike TV
Paramount Network is an American basic cable television channel owned by the MTV Entertainment Group unit of Paramount Media Networks. The network's headquarters are located at the Paramount Pictures studio lot in Los Angeles.
The channel was o ...
sitcom ''
Blue Mountain State'' (2010–2012), a role he reprised in the
2016 film sequel. He also headlined the
SyFy
Syfy (formerly Sci-Fi Channel, later shortened to Sci Fi; stylized as SYFY) is an American basic cable channel owned by the NBCUniversal Television and Streaming division of Comcast's NBCUniversal through NBCUniversal Cable Entertainment. Lau ...
action series ''
Blood Drive
Blood Drive may refer to:
Donation
*Blood drive, campaigns and special events to solicit blood donations Games
* ''Blood Drive'' (video game), a 2010 vehicular combat video game for Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3
*'' Corpse Party: Blood Drive'', a 2 ...
'' (2017). In 2018, he returned to superhero television as
Hank Hall / Hawk on the
DC Universe
The DC Universe (DCU) is the fictional shared universe where most stories in American comic book titles published by DC Comics take place. Superheroes such as Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman, Robin, Martian Manhunter, The Flash, Green Lant ...
/
HBO Max
HBO Max is an American subscription video on-demand over-the-top streaming service owned by Warner Bros. Discovery. Launched in the United States on May 27, 2020, the service is built around the libraries of HBO, Warner Bros., Cartoon Netw ...
series ''
Titans
In Greek mythology, the Titans ( grc, οἱ Τῑτᾶνες, ''hoi Tītânes'', , ''ho Tītân'') were the pre-Olympian gods. According to the ''Theogony'' of Hesiod, they were the twelve children of the primordial parents Uranus (Sky) and Ga ...
''. Ritchson left ''Titans'' in 2021 and, in 2022, began portraying the
title character
The title character in a narrative work is one who is named or referred to in the title of the work. In a performed work such as a play or film, the performer who plays the title character is said to have the title role of the piece. The title of ...
on the
Amazon Prime Video
Amazon Prime Video, also known simply as Prime Video, is an American Video on demand#Subscription models, subscription video on-demand Over-the-top media service, over-the-top Streaming media, streaming and Renting, rental service of Amazon (c ...
series ''
Reacher.''
Outside of television, Ritchson played
Raphael
Raffaello Sanzio da Urbino, better known as Raphael (; or ; March 28 or April 6, 1483April 6, 1520), was an Italian painter and architect of the High Renaissance. List of works by Raphael, His work is admired for its clarity of form, ease of ...
in the 2014 ''
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles
''Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles'' is an American media franchise created by the comic book artists Kevin Eastman and Peter Laird. It follows Leonardo (Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles), Leonardo, Michelangelo (Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles), Miche ...
'' reboot and its
2016 sequel, along with appearing in ''
The Hunger Games: Catching Fire'' (2013). He made his directorial debut and co-starred in the action-comedy ''
Dark Web: Cicada 3301'' (2021).
Early life and education
Ritchson was born on November 28, 1982, in
Grand Forks, North Dakota
Grand Forks is the third-largest city in the state of North Dakota (after Fargo and Bismarck) and the county seat of Grand Forks County. According to the 2020 census, the city's population was 59,166. Grand Forks, along with its twin city o ...
He is the son of Vickie Ritchson, a high school teacher and David Ritchson, a retired
U.S. Air Force
The United States Air Force (USAF) is the air service branch of the United States Armed Forces, and is one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. Originally created on 1 August 1907, as a part of the United States Army Signal ...
chief master sergeant. He is the second of three boys. During his childhood, his family moved to
Rantoul, Illinois
Rantoul is a village in Champaign County, Illinois, United States. The population was 12,371 at the 2020 census.
History
The community was named after Robert Rantoul, Jr., a U.S. representative from Massachusetts, and a director of the Illino ...
. At age 10, Ritchson's family settled in
Niceville, Florida
Niceville is a city in Okaloosa County, Florida, United States, located near Eglin Air Force Base on Boggy Bayou that opens into Choctawhatchee Bay.
The population was 11,684 at the 2000 census. The 2010 census population for Niceville was 12,7 ...
.
He attended
Niceville High School
Niceville Senior High School (NHS) is a public high school in the city of Niceville, Florida. It is ranked as the top high school within its high-performing Okaloosa County School District. In 1996 NHS was selected as one of 226 secondary schools ...
and graduated in 2001. In a 2013 interview with Indonesian magazine ''
Da Man
''Da Man'' is an English language Indonesian bimonthly men's fashion and lifestyle magazine, catering to male readers aged between 20 and 40. The magazine was first published in May 2007. It is published in Jakarta by the DestinAsian Media Grou ...
'', he stated that he once obtained a full music scholarship. From 1999 to 2003, he attended as a dual-enrollment student and graduated with an
Associate of Arts
An associate degree is an undergraduate degree awarded after a course of post-secondary study lasting two to three years. It is a level of qualification above a high school diploma, GED, or matriculation, and below a bachelor's degree.
The fi ...
degree at Okaloosa Walton Community College, now
Northwest Florida State College
Northwest Florida State College is a public college in Niceville, Florida. It is part of the Florida College System and is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools to award associate and baccalaureate degrees. Northwest Flo ...
. He was a member of the Fine Arts division's Soundsations and Madrigal Singers.
Career
Modeling
He began his modeling career in the
Abercrombie & Fitch
Abercrombie & Fitch (A&F) is an American lifestyle retailer that focuses on casual wear. Its headquarters are in New Albany, Ohio. The company operates three other offshoot brands: Abercrombie Kids, Hollister Co., and Gilly Hicks. As of Februar ...
catalogue.
Television
Alan Ritchson first came to the attention of the public in 2004 when he appeared on ''
American Idol
''American Idol'' is an American singing competition television series created by Simon Fuller, produced by Fremantle North America and 19 Entertainment, and distributed by Fremantle North America. It aired on Fox from June 11, 2002, to Ap ...
'' as one of the top 87 contestants in the
third season before being cut in
Hollywood
Hollywood usually refers to:
* Hollywood, Los Angeles, a neighborhood in California
* Hollywood, a metonym for the cinema of the United States
Hollywood may also refer to:
Places United States
* Hollywood District (disambiguation)
* Hollywood, ...
. His appearance on the show was noted for his striptease in one episode in which he wooed judge
Paula Abdul
Paula Julie Abdul (born June 19, 1962) is an American singer, dancer, choreographer, actress, and television personality. She began her career as a cheerleader for the Los Angeles Lakers at the age of 18 and later became the head choreograph ...
.
His television acting credits include a recurring guest star role on the television series ''
Smallville
''Smallville'' is an American superhero television series developed by writer-producers Alfred Gough and Miles Millar, based on the DC Comics character Superman created by Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster. The series was produced by Millar Gough ...
'' as Arthur Curry, a.k.a.
Aquaman
Aquaman is a superhero appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. Created by Paul Norris and Mort Weisinger, the character debuted in ''More Fun Comics'' #73 (November 1941). The character is a pastiche of Namor. Initially ...
,
a small role as an army officer in the 2006
Hallmark Channel
The Hallmark Channel is an American television channel owned by Crown Media Holdings, Inc., which in turn is owned by Hallmark Cards, Inc. The channel's programming is primarily targeted at families, and features a mix of television movies and ...
movie ''
Though None Go with Me
''Though None Go with Me'' is a 2006 American made-for-television drama film that premiered on Hallmark Channel. It is directed by Armand Mastroianni, and stars Cheryl Ladd. The film is based on the best-selling book by Jerry B. Jenkins.
Plot ...
'' alongside
Cheryl Ladd
Cheryl Ladd (born Cheryl Jean Stoppelmoor; July 12, 1951) is an American actress, singer, and author best known for her role as Kris Munroe in the ABC television series ''Charlie's Angels'', whose cast she joined in its second season in 1977 to ...
, and the role of Lucian Manet in the 2009
Lifetime original film ''Nora Roberts' Midnight Bayou''. His role in Smallville marked the first time that an actor portrayed Aquaman in an officially licensed live-action production.
His ''Smallville'' co-star,
Justin Hartley
Justin Scott Hartley (born January 29, 1977) is an American actor. He has played Fox Crane on the NBC daytime soap opera ''Passions'' (2002–2006), Oliver Queen/Green Arrow on The CW television series ''Smallville'' (2006–2011), and Adam New ...
, has since portrayed Aquaman in an
unaired pilot of the same name. Ritchson reprised his role as Aquaman in the final season. In 2009, he appeared on a third-season episode of
Starz
Starz (stylized as STARZ since 2016; pronounced "stars") is an American premium cable and satellite television network owned by Lions Gate Entertainment, and is the flagship property of parent subsidiary Starz Inc. Programming on Starz consist ...
's ''
Head Case
''Head Case'' is an American sitcom starring Alexandra Wentworth as Dr. Elizabeth Goode, a therapist who treats Hollywood stars. Celebrities appear on the show as themselves. The show ran for three seasons, airing on the Starz TV Network, Wednesd ...
'' in which he played a male stripper. Ritchson also made an appearance on ''
CSI: Miami
''CSI: Miami'' (''Crime Scene Investigation: Miami'') is an American police procedural drama television series that ran from September 23, 2002 until April 8, 2012 on CBS. Featuring David Caruso as Lieutenant Horatio Caine, Emily Procter as Dete ...
'', in which he played a dead victim in episode 19 of season 8. In 2011, he appeared in an episode of season 3 of ''
90210'' as a love interest for main character
Teddy Montgomery
Theodore "Teddy" Montgomery is a fictional character on The CW television series '' 90210'', the fourth series in the ''Beverly Hills, 90210'' franchise. Portrayed by Trevor Donovan, Teddy Montgomery was introduced in the second season premiere ...
(
Trevor Donovan
Trevor Donovan Neubauer (born October 11, 1978), known professionally as Trevor Donovan, is an American actor and model. He is best known for his role as Teddy Montgomery on the hit teen drama television series '' 90210.''
Life and career
Donova ...
).
In 2010, he started playing the main role of Thad Castle, the captain of a college football team, in
Spike TV
Paramount Network is an American basic cable television channel owned by the MTV Entertainment Group unit of Paramount Media Networks. The network's headquarters are located at the Paramount Pictures studio lot in Los Angeles.
The channel was o ...
's ''
Blue Mountain State''. He stayed on the show until it was cancelled after its third season in February 2012. He also appeared in a number of television shows, including ''
Hawaii Five-0
Hawaii Five-O or Hawaii Five-0 may refer to:
* Hawaii Five-0 (2010 TV series), ''Hawaii Five-0'' (2010 TV series), an American action police procedural television series
* Hawaii Five-O (1968 TV series), ''Hawaii Five-O'' (1968 TV series), an Ame ...
''. In 2015, Ritchson became a regular on the
NBC
The National Broadcasting Company (NBC) is an Television in the United States, American English-language Commercial broadcasting, commercial television network, broadcast television and radio network. The flagship property of the NBC Enterta ...
variety show ''
I Can Do That'' (based on the
Israeli
Israeli may refer to:
* Something of, from, or related to the State of Israel
* Israelis, citizens or permanent residents of the State of Israel
* Modern Hebrew, a language
* ''Israeli'' (newspaper), published from 2006 to 2008
* Guni Israeli ...
variety show) alongside
Nicole Scherzinger
Nicole Scherzinger (; born Nicole Prascovia Elikolani Valiente, June 29, 1978) is an American singer, songwriter, dancer, actress, and television personality. She is best known as the lead singer of the Pussycat Dolls, one of the best-selling g ...
,
Ciara
Ciara Princess Wilson ( ; Harris; born October 25, 1985) is an American singer, songwriter, actress, model and entrepreneur. She released her debut studio album, '' Goodies'' in 2004, which spawned four singles: " Goodies" (featuring Petey Pa ...
,
Joe Jonas
Joseph Adam Jonas (born August 15, 1989) is an American singer, songwriter, and actor. He rose to fame as a member of the pop rock band the Jonas Brothers, alongside his brothers Kevin Jonas, Kevin and Nick Jonas, Nick. The group released their ...
,
Cheryl Burke
Cheryl Burke (born May 3, 1984) is an American dancer, model, and television host. She is best known for being a professional dancer on ABC's '' Dancing with the Stars''. She was the first female professional to win the show and the first prof ...
and
Jeff Dye
Jeffrey Dye (born February 4, 1983) is an American stand-up comedian and actor.
Early life
Dye was born in 1983 in Seattle and raised in Kent, Washington. He attended Kentwood High School in Covington. Dye is of Spanish, French-Canadian, German ...
, and hosted by
Marlon Wayans
Marlon Lamont Wayans (born July 23, 1972) is an American actor, comedian, writer, and producer. Wayans began his career portraying a pedestrian in ''I'm Gonna Git You Sucka'' (1988). He went on to regularly collaborate with his brother Shawn Wa ...
. In 2016, he appeared in "
Nosedive", an episode of the
anthology series
An anthology series is a radio, television, video game or film series that spans different genres and presents a different story and a different set of characters in each different episode, season, segment, or short. These usually have a differ ...
''
Black Mirror
''Black Mirror'' is a British anthology television series created by Charlie Brooker. Individual episodes explore a diversity of genres, but most are set in near-future dystopias with science fiction technology—a type of speculative fictio ...
''.
In 2017, he played the main character in the
Syfy
Syfy (formerly Sci-Fi Channel, later shortened to Sci Fi; stylized as SYFY) is an American basic cable channel owned by the NBCUniversal Television and Streaming division of Comcast's NBCUniversal through NBCUniversal Cable Entertainment. Lau ...
series ''
Blood Drive
Blood Drive may refer to:
Donation
*Blood drive, campaigns and special events to solicit blood donations Games
* ''Blood Drive'' (video game), a 2010 vehicular combat video game for Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3
*'' Corpse Party: Blood Drive'', a 2 ...
''. In 2018, Ritchson played the recurring role of
Hank Hall / Hawk in the
DC Universe
The DC Universe (DCU) is the fictional shared universe where most stories in American comic book titles published by DC Comics take place. Superheroes such as Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman, Robin, Martian Manhunter, The Flash, Green Lant ...
series ''
Titans
In Greek mythology, the Titans ( grc, οἱ Τῑτᾶνες, ''hoi Tītânes'', , ''ho Tītân'') were the pre-Olympian gods. According to the ''Theogony'' of Hesiod, they were the twelve children of the primordial parents Uranus (Sky) and Ga ...
''. His initial deal was for just two episodes but he was promoted to a series regular for the
second season. Producers decided to reduce the number of characters and Ritchson was written out of the series.
In 2020, Ritchson was announced to be portraying
Jack Reacher
Jack Reacher is the protagonist of a series of crime thriller novels by British author Lee Child. In the stories, Jack Reacher was a major in the US Army's military police. Having left the Army at age 36, Reacher roams the United States, t ...
in an
eponymous series on
Amazon Prime
Amazon Prime is a paid subscription service from Amazon which is available in various countries and gives users access to additional services otherwise unavailable or available at a premium to other Amazon customers. Services include same, one- ...
.
Films
Movie credits include a role in the 2006 film ''
The Butcher'', as well as a minor role in 2009's ''
Fired Up!
''Fired Up!'' is a 2009 American teen sex comedy film directed by Will Gluck (in his directorial debut) who is also credited with writing the film under the pseudonym Freedom Jones. The film's plot revolves around two popular high school footba ...
'' In 2007, director
Robert Zemeckis
Robert Lee Zemeckis (born May 14, 1952) is an American filmmaker. He first came to public attention as the director of the action-adventure romantic comedy ''Romancing the Stone'' (1984), the science-fiction comedy ''Back to the Future'' film tr ...
used Ritchson for his facial image, physique and movement for actor
Ray Winstone
Raymond Andrew Winstone (; born 19 February 1957) is an English television, stage and film actor with a career spanning five decades. Having worked with many prominent directors, including Martin Scorsese and Steven Spielberg, Winstone is perha ...
of the
title character
The title character in a narrative work is one who is named or referred to in the title of the work. In a performed work such as a play or film, the performer who plays the title character is said to have the title role of the piece. The title of ...
of ''
Beowulf
''Beowulf'' (; ang, Bēowulf ) is an Old English epic poem in the tradition of Germanic heroic legend consisting of 3,182 alliterative lines. It is one of the most important and most often translated works of Old English literature. The ...
''.
Ritchson portrayed Gloss, a tribute in the 75th Hunger Games, in ''
The Hunger Games: Catching Fire'' (2013). Ritchson also portrayed
Raphael
Raffaello Sanzio da Urbino, better known as Raphael (; or ; March 28 or April 6, 1483April 6, 1520), was an Italian painter and architect of the High Renaissance. List of works by Raphael, His work is admired for its clarity of form, ease of ...
in ''
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles
''Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles'' is an American media franchise created by the comic book artists Kevin Eastman and Peter Laird. It follows Leonardo (Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles), Leonardo, Michelangelo (Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles), Miche ...
'', a reboot to
the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles film series after the four previous films. Ritchson would later criticize producers of the new ''TMNT'' live-action films, claiming they mistreated him and other actors portraying the turtles during and after filming.
He returned to his role as Thad Castle in the
Blue Mountain State movie, ''
Blue Mountain State: The Rise of Thadland''. Ritchson co-starred in
Rooster Teeth Production's first feature-length movie—the science fiction comedy ''
Lazer Team
''Lazer Team'' is a 2015 American Science fiction film, science fiction action comedy film directed, produced, and co-written by Matt Hullum. The first feature film produced by Rooster Teeth, it stars Burnie Burns, Gavin Free, Michael Jones (acto ...
'' in January 2016. He also played a medium role in ''The Wedding Ringer''.
In 2018, Ritchson was announced as the director, co-writer, and producer of ''
Dark Web: Cicada 3301'', a comedy-thriller film inspired by the
eponymous organization.
He also co-starred as an
NSA
The National Security Agency (NSA) is a national-level intelligence agency of the United States Department of Defense, under the authority of the Director of National Intelligence (DNI). The NSA is responsible for global monitoring, collectio ...
agent.
The film will be the first original project of Phreaker Films, a film fund run by Ritchson.
The rights for ''Dark Web: Cicada 3301'' were acquired by
Lionsgate
Lions Gate Entertainment Corporation, doing business as Lionsgate, is a Canadian-American entertainment company. It was formed by Frank Giustra on July 10, 1997, domiciled in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada and is currently headquartered ...
in 2020,
who released the film digitally on March 12, 2021.
Personal life
Ritchson resides in Florida with his wife Catherine and their three children. Ritchson has spoken openly about his struggles with bipolar disorder.
Other work
Other projects include an independent album called ''This Is Next Time'', released in late 2005 and appearing in a Russian commercial for
Orbit gum.
Ritchson also appears in a web series entitled, ''Enormous Friends''
with his ''Blue Mountain State'' co-star,
Rob Ramsay
Robert James Ramsay is a Canadian actor. Ramsay is known for his roles as Donnie Schrab in Blue Mountain State, Percy Budnick in Aaron Stone, Barnabis in XIII: The Series and Jay Jay in Nickelodeon’s The Thundermans.
Personal life
'Rob' ...
.
Filmography
Film
Television
Video games
* ''
Beowulf: The Game'' (2007), as
Beowulf
''Beowulf'' (; ang, Bēowulf ) is an Old English epic poem in the tradition of Germanic heroic legend consisting of 3,182 alliterative lines. It is one of the most important and most often translated works of Old English literature. The ...
(character model)
Discography
Albums
* ''This Is Next Time'' (2006)
References
External links
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Ritchson, Alan
21st-century American male actors
American Idol participants
American male film actors
Male models from North Dakota
American male singers
American male television actors
American male voice actors
Songwriters from North Dakota
Aquaman
1982 births
Living people
Male actors from Florida
Male actors from North Dakota
People from Rantoul, Illinois
People from Grand Forks, North Dakota
People from Niceville, Florida
American people of Czech descent