Manganiello Memoir Says Team Suspected Cruise Influenced Reacher Casting
Joe Manganiello's memoir Bloodlines, out October 13, says his team thought Tom Cruise may have swayed the decision to cast Alan Ritchson in Reacher.
Joe Manganiello's memoir Bloodlines, released on October 13, states that his team suspected Tom Cruise may have influenced the decision to cast Alan Ritchson as Jack Reacher instead of him, according to comingsoon.net.
In the book, Manganiello writes that Skydance Media executive Don Granger pursued him aggressively for the Amazon Prime series, and that Granger, writer-producer Nick Santora and Skydance backed him as their unanimous choice for the role. According to the memoir, Amazon Studios CEO Jen Salke resisted and demanded he re-audition against Tom Welling. Manganiello writes that he lost the part, and Ritchson, who stands 6-foot-3, landed the role instead.
Earlier Reacher history
Cruise, who is 5-foot-7, played Jack Reacher in previous films based on the Lee Child novels; the character is 6-foot-5, and the casting drew backlash. Manganiello had already lost a villain role in a Cruise-led Jack Reacher film years earlier, and director Ed Zwick later admitted the actor was perfect but warned, "Tom's never going to let that happen," citing their similar heights.
Elsewhere in the memoir, Manganiello writes that Sofía Vergara said she broke up with him after refusing to take the E-Meter test at the L. Ron Hubbard Celebrity Centre. Cruise briefly dated Vergara in 2005. Manganiello and Vergara married in 2015 and divorced in 2023.
Quick answers
What does Joe Manganiello's memoir say about the Reacher casting?
Bloodlines states that Manganiello's team suspected Tom Cruise may have influenced the decision to cast Alan Ritchson as Jack Reacher instead of him.
When was Bloodlines released?
Bloodlines was released on October 13.
Who was involved in the Reacher casting process according to the memoir?
Manganiello writes that Skydance Media executive Don Granger pursued him, with Granger, writer-producer Nick Santora and Skydance backing him unanimously, while Amazon Studios CEO Jen Salke resisted and demanded he re-audition against Tom Welling.