Hollywood star Tom Cruise starred in the 2012 action thriller Jack Reacher, but one thing that is noticeable between the film and the book character is their heights. Jack Reacher is based on the 2005 novel One Shot by Lee Child, a New York Times Bestseller, one of 27 novels of the series. The book and film differ in the storyline in a few ways, but the fundamental premise is that it follows the journey of Reacher, who gets involved in an investigation of the shooting of five people. The supposed guilty party is an ex-colleague of Reacher’s from his time in the U.S. Army, who upon his arrest leaves a note on a piece of paper reading “Get Jack Reacher.”
Across the almost 30 Jack Reacher books, detailed descriptions of Reacher have been provided. In the book series, Reacher is long-legged, broad-chested, an expert marksman, and weighs around 210–250 pounds. He’s well-known for being a big man, physically imposing in his stature, which he uses to his advantage in the books. The first on-screen Jack Reacher actor, however, is a far cry from how the books portrayed him. Here’s how the heights of Tom Cruise and Jack Reacher compare.
Tom Cruise Is Around 5’7″, But Jack Reacher Should Be 6’5″
Tom Cruise doesn’t let his relatively short stature get in the way of playing an array of action heroes. Cruise’s height comes in at around 5’7″, which is slightly under the height of the average American male. The average is 5’9″, which Cruise was listed as when starting out his career in the 1980s. The discrepancy isn’t an odd one – it’s a common practice to list actors as taller than they are, especially when first starting out. In the Jack Reacher book series, however, Reacher is described as being a towering 6’5″, a whole 10 inches taller than Cruise’s actual height.
Tom Cruise’s Jack Reacher Casting Was Divisive Because Of His Height
At the time of casting, many were concerned about Cruise’s ability to play the large, musclebound protagonist of Jack Reacher. Despite Cruise previously having starred in numerous action films, prior leading man experience was not enough for some, who felt that there was a height requirement to play the role. At the very least, the argument was that the physicality of the actor should match that of the character.
Lee Child, the author of the Jack Reacher series, jumped to Cruise’s defense initially, arguing that “[Reacher’s height] is a metaphor for an unstoppable force, which Cruise portrays in his own way.” (via Deadline) However, while Childs still loves Cruise’s portrayal, he more recently expressed that he understands why book fans are happier with the casting of the towering Alan Ritchson in the Amazon series. “I think that the size thing is important to certain parts of the narrative,” he said. “Reacher has got to scare people, and you can do that so much easier with one glance of this huge animal rather than a normal-sized actor.” (via Metro UK)
Did Tom Cruise Being Too Short For Jack Reacher Really Matter?
Despite being unable to grow to the correct height of the character, Tom Cruise was able to fit the bill of Reacher in several other ways. Like several of his other roles, Cruise did his own stunts on set, including the film’s famous car chase sequence. Critics were content with the first Jack Reacher film, scoring an approval rating of 63% on Rotten Tomatoes, and initially, it was announced there was no plan for a sequel. There are no further plans for more films starring Cruise, and with the Amazon Reacher series currently ongoing, more Cruise movies aren’t necessary.
Surprisingly, the Jack Reacher movies may have been different. Dwayne Johnson auditioned for the role of Jack Reacher before the role went to Cruise, and that would have been a very different film. Choosing between two strong action leads must have been a difficult decision for production, but Cruise’s performance was applauded by many at release. Regardless of the height of the character, Cruise personified the lone wolf agent in Jack Reacher as blunt and with a strong sense of justice – a perfect characterization.
