Jack Reacher

Jack Reacher's History

Jack Reacher, or simply - "Reacher", is a fictional character created by British author Lee Child who has written more than 30 novels and short stories with Reacher as the protagonist. Reacher is a former U.S. Army Military Police Officer who is currently wandering around the United States, visiting places he had only heard about while he was growing up. By choice, he has no possessions except for a folding toothbrush, an ATM card and a Passport. He has a strong sense of duty to "do the right thing" which causes him to become involved with people in need. In the Army, he was a Major who was demoted to Captain, but then worked his way back to Major before leaving the service.

Early life

Jack Reacher's father, Stan Reacher, was a United States Marine Captain. His mother was Josephine Moutier Reacher. He had an older brother Joe, who died 4 hours before the start of the first book 'Killing Floor. Reacher was a military brat and grew up in military bases all around the world. Reacher and his brother Joe were described as being big children and got into lots of fights and Jack reminisces that he was the more aggressive of the two. Though they didn't always get along, the scar on Jacks' forehead was a result of one of their disagreements. After Joe went away to West Point, they fell mostly out of contact.

United States Army service

Reacher served 13 years in the U.S. Army. His education consisted of 4 years at West Point, and then he was commissioned as a 2nd Lieutenant. His service included tours of duty in Lebanon and Iraq. Reacher received accelerated promotions up to Major, and then he was charged with assault on a civilian which resulted in his demotion to Captain. He was promoted again to Major before he left the service. Reacher earned numerous medals and awards during his service. The most notable were two Silver Stars, the Defense Superior Service Medal, two Legion of Merit awards, the Soldier’s Medal, the Bronze Star and the Purple Heart.

Post Army service

After his separation from the Army, Reacher felt liberated. He felt that he had been in the Military his whole life and he didn't really have any place to call home. He became a wanderer, and with few exceptions, never stayed in one place for more than a few days.

TV-Series Appearances

Amazon's Prime Video adapted the novel series into a streaming television series with the first season based solely on the acclaimed first novel, Killing Floor, with Alan Ritchson cast in the role of Jack Reacher. He appears in every episode of the series. This adaptation is the first faithful rendition of the character. From the accurate casting to novel-loyal plotlines, Ritchson's character was praised after its release. The television version of Reacher is in his late thirties, having been born in 1986. Despite the shift in birth year, the age of the character remains the same. Additionally, Maxwell Jenkins plays a pre-teen Jack Reacher in the Prime Video series. Young Reacher is 12 years old, living in Okinawa with his family.