Alan Ritchson is the man of the moment. Success and the spotlight have not come to him overnight. Despite his professional and personal struggles, he never gave up on his dream of becoming a star one day. He might be one of the most in-demand action heroes now but his resilience as an actor is truly commendable.
As a young boy, Ritchson used to perform in school musicals and improv around the cafeteria. His inspiration behind this was Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Minds star Jim Carrey. He got the chance to meet his idol once, but things turned out to be a little awry.
Alan Ritchson Was a Huge Fan of Jim Carrey
It is not uncommon for artists to have grown up with another artist as their idol. Considering Jim Carrey has made some of the best movies, it does not come as much of a surprise that Ritchson was a fan of his work.
In the interview, the Dark Web: Cicada 3301 star opened up about his appreciation for Carrey, saying:
“He was my hero. When Ace Ventura came out [in 1994], I was in sixth grade, and I was enamored. He was so physical, goofy and unafraid. I’d never seen anything like it.”
Ace Ventura left such a lasting impression on him that he dressed up as the character for three Halloweens in a row.
Alan Ritchson’s Dream of Meeting His Idol Got Him into Danger
Growing up, his family was always on the move because of his father’s job, so he found solitude in performing. He was largely inspired by Carrey and luckily, got the chance to meet him when Carrey was in Seaside Florida filming Peter Weir’s 1998 dramedy The Truman Show.
In an interview with The Hollywood Reporter, he recounted that he went to meet Carrey with his mother and older brother. They waited for him to come out of his trailer, but were stopped by the security guard when he finally came out. He said:
“I unveiled my poster and said, ‘Hey, Jim!’ He looked over and did this big belly laugh by arching his spine backwards. My brother and I ran over to him, but a security guard was there. He put his hand on a gun and said, ‘Don’t go any closer.’”
Ritchson further claimed that although the Man on the Moon star wanted to sign his poster, he had to choose between doing this and going to work, and he chose the latter.
Alan Ritchson Has Appeared in Numerous Projects
Alan Ritchson first gained recognition in 2004 when he appeared as one of the contestants in the third season of American Idol and yet, it wasn’t until his portrayal of the lead hero in the Amazon Studios action series Reacher that he gained wider recognition.
Ritchson’s first acting role came in 2005 when he landed the role of Arthur Curry whose alter-ego is the DC superhero Aquaman on the CW series Smallville. He guest-starred in the show from the fifth through the tenth seasons. After headlining the Spike TV sitcom Blue Mountain State and the SyFy action series Blood Drive, he returned to the superhero genre as Hank Hall/Hawk in the DC Universe series Titans.
