Reacher star Alan Ritchson recalls a strange time where his high school bully asked him for a selfie

Last Updated on December 29, 2023

Reacher‘s Alan Ritchson has been through a lot in his life. The star dedicates his time outside of movies and TV by addressing his fans and casual viewers on social media about the trials and tribulations of life. He also offers his advice and perspective on how to navigate certain hardships. Ritchson recently cited people’s frustrations about injustice when discussing the appeal of Jack Reacher, “In Reacher, you have the embodiment of that wish being fulfilled in a single person who’s capable of doing something for us. And that’s exciting for us to think that, maybe somewhere out there someday, we’ll see justice done before we pass. And that is something I think a lot of people are like willing to escape to for a few minutes a week.” According to The Wrap, Ritchson recently spoke with the Wall Street Journal and opened up about a time when he recognized his high school bully when they tried to get a selfie with him. “Before we left Florida, I ran into one of the guys who teased me in high school. He wanted a selfie. I was happy to oblige, but it felt strange. He forgot what he did, but I didn’t.” Ritchson reminisced about growing up Niceville, Florida. An ironic name since the Reacher star said it had “plenty of mean kids.” The Fast X actor had confided, “As a kid who was an artist but didn’t know it yet, I had my share of bullying. Early on, I wasn’t physically built the way I am now, and I loved expressing myself through music, singing and in-line skating. Not ideal for a guy in an area where all the dudes wore mullets and pulled up to school in four wheelers.”

Although he’s now a picture of incredible physicality, Ritchson says he was a late bloomer and would get teased when he hadn’t developed as fast as other high schoolers. “As a very late bloomer, I used to pray that hair would grow on my legs and armpits. One day, I was in the high school cafeteria in my gym shorts when a kid shouted. ‘Hey, everybody, Ritchson doesn’t have any hair on his legs!’ Everyone laughed. I was mortified.”

Lately, with the success of his new show, Ritchson now has eyes of many on him for a completely different reason, although he still has to find a way to get used to it. When inquired about how often he gets recognized, he replied, “All the time. We were just at a Waffle House in a small Georgia town. They couldn’t process why I was there.”