This ‘Reacher’ actor once had a flirty, shirtless audition on ‘American Idol’ — and the judges loved it
Many artists have graced the stage of 'American Idol', but not all have walked away being singers. One such contestant who appeared for the auditions in the 2004 season 3 of the show, took another route to Hollywood fame, and that's none other than the star of the hit show, 'Reacher ': Alan Ritchson. At the age of 20, Ritchson left a powerful impact on the judges, especially Paula Abdul. Right from the start, Abdula was charmed by his chiselled appearance. But what he delivered was an almost flirtatious and sultry performance on the song, 'You Are the Sunshine of My Life,' Abdula was left beaming with a smile.
Ritchson's talent got him the yeses from Paula Abdul and the other two judges, Simon Cowell and Randy Jackson. At Hollywood week, Ritchson dazzled again, but his playful flair, complete with hip‑swiveling and a towel‑stripping routine, raised eyebrows. Randy Jackson warned him to "tone down the runs," and Simon seemingly questioned his commitment. Though he advanced past the first cut, he was eliminated before the Top 24, ending his Idol dream.
Rather than derail him, the 'Idol' experience redirected his passion. As reported by ScreenRant, in an interview with the Wall Street Journal, Ritchson opened up about his experience on 'Idol' and said, "Even though I was cut, I was enamored of the passion people had there for their art. I decided to stay [in Hollywood] and landed TV commercials and auditions." The outlet also reported that after being booted from the show, Ritchson got his first gig on TV, a year later, when he booked Smallville, and well, the rest is history.
During a friendly chat on 'Jimmy Kimmel Live,' Ritchson reflected on his performance American Idol,' "This was the '90s," he said, staring himself in utter disbelief! He further explained, "People loved the cut-off shirts, and bellies, and people were into stomachs back then." But quick Kimmel couldn't help but say, "It wasn't the '90s, it was the 2000s." Ritchson also revealed that the producers "tricked" him into diving into the pool to create fun and drama for TV. Today’s Jack Reacher fans might struggle to imagine he once bared not only his soul, but also a towel, on the 'American Idol' stage.
Ritchson's story testifies that true talent can not stay hidden for a long time. After his audition was dropped on Youtube, many fans flooded the comment section to praise the actor cum singer. One 'American Idol' viewer gushed, "I admire him, he really tried everything and put himself out there." Despite not making it to the top in the singing competition, fans were impressed by Ritchson's attitude, "I love the fact he never took American Idol so seriously and he was just taking the piss out of it. He knew he was destined for much greater things than American Idol, as he is a great actor. Simply because of his role as Thad Castle in BMS, he is truly ALAN IDOL!" Echoing the sentiment, a fan of the hit series 'Reacher' wrote, "Well, the acting career worked out better anyway."