By Kelsey Dallas
Kelsey is an assistant managing editor for the Deseret News. She covers religion, sports and the Supreme Court.
Alan Ritchson, star of the hit Amazon TV series “Reacher,” is a study in contrasts.
He’s a muscle man who easily and openly cries.
He’s a movie star willing to be candid about where he’s gone wrong.
And he’s an outspoken Christian who dislikes many other members of his religious tribe.
“Christians today have become the most vitriolic tribe. It is so antithetical to what Jesus was calling us to be and to do,” Ritchson told The Hollywood Reporter in a wide-ranging interview last month.
Alan Ritchson calls out Christians
Ritchson’s new comments about Christians will not surprise those who follow his YouTube channel, InstaChurch.
There, in between Bible studies and reflections on why God wants you to smile, Ritchson sometimes calls out his fellow Christians, arguing that they get fired up about all the wrong things.
“It’s funny to me how a lot of people criticize me, supposed Christians especially, criticize me for playing Reacher. As if the only TV that should exist is seeing people silently folding their hands in the pew of a church,” Ritchson said in a January video about why it’s OK for Christian actors to portray sinful characters, as the Deseret News previously reported.
Ritchson told The Hollywood Reporter that, in the past, he’s worried about how such videos will affect his career. He’s wondered if he’ll be shunned for being so candid about his religious beliefs.
Ultimately, sharing his faith feels more important to him than avoiding a backlash.
“I’m a Christian quite simply because of what Jesus calls us to do. Love other people until death. 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,” he told The Hollywood Reporter.
What religion is Alan Ritchson?
Ritchson explained to The Hollywood Reporter that he grew up Catholic in a faith-filled home.
“We went to daily mass. We were altar boys. I was president of the youth group. I was a music minister. We were involved deep,” he said.
Today, however, he doesn’t associate with the Catholic Church, in large part because of its sexual abuse crisis.
In general, he seems to be anti-church despite being pro-faith. He told The Hollywood Reporter that he’s frustrated with most Christian groups’ approach to culture and politics and shared his disdain for Christians who support former President Donald Trump.
Ritchson most recently starred in “Ordinary Angels,” a faith-based film about a woman who helps a single father secure expensive medical treatments for his daughters.
His next project, “The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare,” will be released on April 19.
