"You better be good"- When Alan Ritchson shared his experience of working with Hilary Swank

Alan Ritchson has been acting professionally for over two decades, but it was his role in Prime Video’s Reacher that marked a significant turning point in his career. Stepping into the role of Jack Reacher, he successfully met the high expectations of fans of Lee Child’s beloved novel series. The show became an instant hit, firmly establishing Ritchson's status as a prominent star in the industry.

The next project Alan Ritchson worked on was the drama film Ordinary Angels (2024), which starred Hilary Swank as his co-star. During his appearance on an interview Q with Tom Power on February 28, 2024, Ritchson opened up about working with Swank. He said:

"I was on the movie, we got it set up, we got it greenlit, needed a strong female protagonist. Hilary was gracious enough to come on, not really knowing who I was, but when we met on set, she was very polite."

He further said:

"Don't get me wrong, she was not a diva, and she was not mean. It was just, that there was just this attitude of like, 'I don't know who you are, and you better be good.'"

Ritchson went on to say that after they shot their first scene together, Swank was quite impressed with him and let him know the same.

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Alan Ritchson got candid about why he decided to star in Ordinary Angels

Alan Ritchson at Lionsgate's Ordinary Angels' New York Premiere (Image via Getty)

Alan Ritchson stars as Ed, a widowed father with a critically ill daughter in the Christian drama film, Ordinary Angels. Hilary Swank plays the role of Sharon Stevens, a hairdresser struggling with alcoholism, determined to help Ed in saving his daughter.

As the family faces medical and financial challenges, Sharon brings the community together to help Ed significantly. The movie is based on true events that happened during the 1994 North American cold wave.

During an interview with Forbes dated February 22, 2024, Ritchson opened up about the reason he decided to star in Ordinary Angels. He said:

"It was an easy one for me. Coming out of the first season of Reacher, I think we had about 40 offers for action films and this one script slipped through the cracks, Ordinary Angels, that was different than all the others."

He continued:

"It was a heartbreaking true story that inspires us, and I think calls us to connect to one another. I just knew I had to have this, so I fought really hard to get in this space and I feel very lucky that I did."

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Hilary Swank was not aware of Alan Ritchson's work in Reacher when they first met

Hilary Swank is one of the most acclaimed actresses in Hollywood. Throughout her career, she has won numerous accolades including two Oscars and two Golden Globe Awards.

In the aforementioned interview with Forbes, Swank stated that she was not aware of Ritchson's role as Jack Reacher. However, once she learned about it, she thought:

"Oh wow! What a great opportunity for him to be able to showcase this other side of him that is so talented in a different way. That’s rare, right? It’s rare when people can do both."

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Ordinary Angels is available for streaming on Starz.