Alan Ritchson Addresses Christian Backlash to His ‘Reacher’ Character’s ‘Unmarried Sex Scenes’

Reacher star Alan Ritchson has no qualms about acting in “unmarried sex scenes” despite his devout faith.

“People have this weird relationship with fictional characters and sort of equate that to the real human being,” Ritchson, 42, told GQ Hype in a profile published on Wednesday, February 19. “I don’t have that problem, making that distinction. I get criticized a lot by Christians who are like, ‘How dare you have an unmarried sex scene on TV and then talk about Jesus?’”

He added, “I’m sorry — I doubt that’s going to be part of the conversation when I’m standing at the pearly gates!”

Ritchson is a devoted follower of Christianity and has been outspoken about his beliefs.

“I’m a Christian quite simply because of what Jesus calls us to do. Love other people until death,” he previously told The Hollywood Reporter in April 2024. “It doesn’t mean we’re all to be hung on a cross, but how can I suffer for you? That is a beautiful thing.”

At the time, he condemned a handful of practicing Christians for becoming “the most vitriolic tribe.”

“It is so antithetical to what Jesus was calling us to be and to do,” Ritchson added.

The actor’s Reacher, meanwhile, returns for its third season later this week. The series, based on Lee Child’s novels of the same name, follows a retired military police officer after he’s falsely arrested for murder.

“Reacher and I are most similar in this way. Reacher leans in, right? He leans into violence, he leans into trouble, and I’m the same way,” Ritchson told GQ of his titular character. “But in real life, it’s hard to walk away unscathed.”

Ritchson also does most of his stunts, especially after he overhauled his fitness regimen to get into peak physical shape.

“I just built a gym in my house, and I worked my ass off,” he told the outlet. “I got on [testosterone replacement therapy] a month after we wrapped season 1, and I did notice that it made maintaining those gains much, much easier. But I got there on my own. It wasn’t until season 2 when I got a call from the studio that said, ‘We’re not happy with your size.’ Bro! Do you know how confusing that was for me? I was kind of put in a tailspin. I was like, ‘Hold on. I’m in the best shape of my life. I’m the biggest I’ve ever been, and I’m being told it’s not enough?’”