'My heart was pounding so hard': Alan Ritchson discusses terrifying 'Reacher' audition that nearly costs him iconic role

LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA: Alan Ritchson, the star of the hit series 'Reacher,' revealed that he almost blew his chance to play the iconic character because of his nerves.

He said on the 'Tonight Show' that his heartbeat was so loud during his screen test that it interfered with the sound and made the producer and the showrunner think there was a problem with the microphone.

How Alan Ritchson fought for the role of 'Reacher'

Ritchson informed host Jimmy Fallon that he wasn't initially selected for the role of 'Reacher,' a character who transitions from being a military policeman to a vigilante.

He said that he had to audition several times and compete with the world’s finest actors for the part.

He also said that he was at a disadvantage because he did not meet the exact specifications of the character, who is 6’5" in the books, while he is 6’3".

“It’s been a big success, but it was a really hard-fought win, this one,” Ritchson said. “This was not an easy get. I was never supposed to be Reacher. Big asterisks in this role for me. I feel lucky.”

“I had to audition … you know, they wanted the exact specifications. He’s 6’5”, and I’m 6’3". I’m automatically out! But I fought for this, I fought for this," Ritchson said as reported by Wrap.

How COVID-19 gave Alan Ritchson an edge in the audition process

Ritchson mentioned that the audition process underwent alterations due to the COVID-19 pandemic, providing him with more chances to make an impression on the producers.

He mentioned having set up a professional studio in his basement, where he recorded his scenes using a film camera, lights, and a microphone.

He remarked that he felt he was "cheating" in a sense, as he had an advantage over other actors who lacked access to the same equipment.

"But this was during COVID, so there was ample opportunity to just—where else would I be, on a film set? I'm in my basement," eliciting laughter from the audience. "So was the rest of the world! So they said, 'We're going to have you read one more time, it's pretty good. The executive from Skydance wants to see you.' So I'm like, 'Okay, I'll do it again.'"

"So I arrived all prepared, but I felt like I was cheating because I had this fantastic setup in my house. I had an incredible camera—like a film camera—lights, I was making myself up, doing the whole shebang. I felt like I was cheating," he shared with Fallon, who responded, "Yeah, you have to."

How Alan Ritchson's heartbeat almost ruined his screen test

Ritchson said that he was so nervous during his screen test that his heartbeat was audible to the producer and the showrunner, who were watching his performance remotely.

He recounted that they initially thought there was an issue with the microphone and asked him to redo the scene. Quickly, he discreetly removed the microphone and pretended as if he wasn't wearing one at all.

“You’re competing against the world’s finest actors for this part,” Ritchson said. “So I get near the end, we’re screen testing for this thing - this like, this is the most crucial step. And I mic myself up, do my little pat myself dry, we get in there and I do a scene. And it went really well, I made no mistakes. It was solid.”

“And Don Granger of Skydance - been Tom Cruise’s partner for a long time, the guy’s a legend - he goes, ‘Yeah, um, that was a little distracting.'"

"Were you guys... did you guys hear that? It sounded like drums or something," Alan Ritchson recalled. "And Nick Santora, the showrunner, said, 'Yeah, it almost sounded like a heartbeat to me, it was all I could hear. We need to do it again.'"

“And I was like, ‘Oh my God,’” Ritchson said. “They go, ‘Are you wearing a microphone?’ I was like, ‘Oh my God.’ I was that nervous! My heart was pounding so hard that it distracted the entire screen test.”

“So I go, ‘No,’ and I snuck off camera like this and ripped the microphone off,” Ritchson said, imitating his sneaky off-camera lean.

“And I went back in and they were none the wiser. And I ended up with the part, and I got lucky. But almost lost it,” he concluded.