Warning: Spoilers for Reacher season 1 and Lee Child's Killing Floor.
Amazon's Reacher season 1 retells the story of Lee Child's novel Killing Floor, but how does the Reacher cast measure up to the book character counterparts? Reacher follows the eponymous Jack Reacher, Lee Child's protagonist star of his award-winning novel series of the same name. While the earlier Jack Reacher film adaptations starring Tom Cruise reworked books from later in the series, Reacher season 1 draws almost all of its narrative from Lee Child's very first Jack Reacher novel, Killing Floor, borrowing only a few details from other Jack Reacher novels to help flesh out the character and his fictional world.
Providing a faithful adaptation of Killing Floor, Amazon Prime's Reacher series acts as a whirlwind introduction to Jack Reacher and his ethos. Both Reacher and Killing Floor open with the retired military police major, Reacher, arriving in the fictional town of Margrave, Georgia, with nothing by the clothes on his back for no other reason than having remembered that his brother once told him a rumor that the blues musician Blind Blake had died there. This snap decision quickly turns sour for Reacher as he is arrested for a murder he did not commit and becomes embroiled in a tale of local police corruption and conspiracy that leaves the nomad fighting against the odds to take down his newfound enemies as his vendetta becomes personal.
Lee Child vividly paints his Killing Floor characters, making it inevitable that the Reacher cast are compared to their novel counterparts even more than with other book adaptations. The problems that can arise from this were seen with audiences' distaste for Tom Cruise's casting as the six-foot-five-inches Reacher, but Alan Ritchson's casting proved that the Reacher series was not going to make that mistake again. Here's a guide to the cast of Reacher, as well as how each character compares between the Reacher TV series and their Killing Floor counterparts.
Alan Ritchson As Jack Reacher
The titular hero of both Lee Child's long-spanning franchise and Reacher's protagonist, Jack Reacher is essentially a tough-as-nails modern allegory for the Knight Errant. This is especially true of his initial appearances in the novels Killing Floor, Night School, and The Affair, in which Reacher appears in a strange locale and sets about enacting his own brand of righteous justice. Described by his author as a six-foot-five-inches behemoth of man, he is as rugged in his appearance as he is savage in combat. Dark Web: Cicada 3301's Alan Ritchson could have been born for the title role in Amazon's Reacher. The actor boasts an impressive, foreboding physique that makes his action sequences and his military background believable. Ritchson's striking looks and blonde crop of hair, coupled with his stature, already seemed to fit the physical nature, but there is a deeper side to Jack Reacher. An important element of Jack Reacher, and one that helped him to remain a mainstay of Child's writing so long, is his ability to be likable while telling people where they can shove it and beating villains black and blue. Alan Ritchson's stint as Hank Hall/Hawk on DC's Titans proved that he could walk that line and his performance in the Reacher TV series cements him as the quintessential Jack Reacher.
Malcolm Goodwin As Oscar Finley
Oscar Finlay, in Killing Floor, represents one of the few good men left in the town of Margrave, as Reacher becomes unfairly persecuted by the police department. Finlay himself is a detective whose career-derived instincts quickly ally him with Reacher in his battle against corruption. Finlay is played by Malcolm Goodwin, who is best known for his role as Clive Babineaux in The CW comedy-drama iZombie. While Goodwin might be known for his earnest career portrayals, Reacher adds a new side to both Finlay and Goodwin as the honest chief of detectives takes a more active role in the fighting during the final showdown and ends up bearing a striking resemblance to Die Hard's John McClane in the season finale. Finlay (and other characters listed below) are only seen in certain lights within Killing Floor because the first-person perspective limits the scope of what can be shown, with his independent actions being reported by Child's narrator instead. In Amazon's Reacher, several of the characters are fleshed out more and are given more agency, but all in keeping with their Killing Floor characteristics, no doubt aided by Lee Child serving as an executive producer on the series.
Willa Fitzgerald As Roscoe Conklin
The other half of Jack Reacher's short list of allies is the tenacious Officer Roscoe, who also becomes Killing Floor's primary love interest as the narrative progresses. The character's name has been altered from the books, in which Roscoe is her last name, whereas in Reacher season 1 it is made her first name, making her Officer Roscoe Conklin (though everyone still calls her Roscoe). Roscoe's appearance and determined attitude catch Reacher's attention before she joins him on his crusade to rid Margrave of corruption. Willa Fitzgerald's turn as Roscoe in Reacher manages to convey the nuance of the character from Killing Floor who is dogged in the face of repeated tragedy, but she also holds her own on-screen ensuring that the character's strong personal identity shines through without being subsumed by the role of "love interest." Previously, Willa Fitzgerald garnered many plaudits for her turns as Emma Duval in MTV's Scream and Emma Miller in the USA Network show Royal Pains.
Maria Sten as Frances Neagley
Frances Neagley plays an important role in Amazon's Reacher, helping Reacher out with information and combat situations when the need arises. Interestingly, Neagley does not appear in Killing Floor, but is introduced in Without Fail and appears in several other Jack Reacher books. Neagley was a U.S. Army Master Sergeant and was one of Reacher's first choices when he put together the U.S. Army 110th MP Special Investigations Unit. Neagley is portrayed accurately to her appearances in the books, and bringing her into Reacher season 1 might signal that she will be a recurring character in future seasons, helping to tie the series together when it would otherwise only have Alan Ritchson's Reacher as a repeat cast member. Reacher's Neagley is played by Maria Sten, who is known for her role Liz Tremayne in Swamp Thing.
Currie Graham as Kliner
The head of the Kliner family and benefactor of the Kliner Foundation is set up as a villainous figure early on in Killing Floor and his motivations are shrouded in mystery for much of the novel. While the Kliner Foundation is beloved by Margrave for the money that it pumps into the town, there is clearly something amiss with this apparently charitable organization. The eerie Kliner is played by Currie Graham, whose illustrious television career stretches back to a first Law and Order appearance in 1992 and has more recently included roles such as Calvin Chadwick in Agent Carter and he pulls off the charming but villainous role perfectly in Reacher.
Bruce McGill As Mayor Grover Teale
In Killing Floor, Grover Teale is the obviously corrupt mayor of Margrave, eager to sweep investigations under the rug to ensure that his own shady business dealings throughout the town go unnoticed. Grover Teale is played by the incomparable Bruce McGill, who first rose to prominence as D-Day in John Landis's lauded comedy classic Animal House. McGill's inherent menace perfectly fits the bill to play Mayor Teale, as he works as the brains behind the operation and demonstrates his true callous nature.
Reacher Supporting Cast & Characters
Martin Roach as Picard: Picard is an FBI agent who appears in both Killing Floor and Reacher. While he works with Reacher and Finlay at first, he is later revealed to be in league with the counterfeiting operation. He has a similar but expanded role in Reacher. Martin Roach is known for his role as Brewster Fuller in The Shape Of Water Detective Daniel Matuku in Locke & Key.
Hugh Thompson as Officer Baker: In Killing Floor, Baker is one of the cops assigned to first keep tabs on Reacher. In both Killing Floor and Reacher, Officer Baker is revealed to be corrupt and his story remains much the same in the adaptation, although his death comes more violently. Baker is played by Hugh Thompson, best known for his turn in the harrowing Canadian drama series Forgive Me.
Jonathan Koensgen as Officer Stevenson: Officer Stevenson represents one of the biggest changes from Killing Floor to Reacher. Stevenson is the one honest cop outside of Roscoe and Finlay in both, but he survives Killing Floor instead of meeting a tragic and gruesome end the new Jack Reacher adaptation. Jonathan Koensgen is known for his role as Tucker in Jett.
Willie C. Carpenter as Mosley: In Killing Floor, the Margrave Barber Shop is run by two old barbers who remain unnamed. In Reacher, these characters have become the single figure of Mosley and his role has been extended to serve as another ally for Reacher and the gang. Mosley is played by Willie C. Carpenter, who has had an extensive acting career, including as Elijah Roper in Hard Target.
Marc Bendavid as Hubble: A banker living in Margrave with his wife and children, there is far more than meets the eye to Paul Hubble, whose personal dirt is unceremoniously churned up by Reacher over the course of Killing Floor. The Reacher portrayal doesn't stray far from the book and Hubble is played by Marc Bendavid, who has held stints on Degrassi, Dark Matter, and How To Buy A Baby.
Kristin Kreuk as Charlie: Known affectionately around town as Charlie, Charlene is the wife of Paul, who also gets caught up in her husband's illicit dealings. While Charlie's role in Killing Floor is relatively small as she is kidnapped by Picard, her extended appearance in Reacher hits many of the same beats. Charlie actor Kristin Kreuk rose to fame in the early 2000s, with simultaneous TV runs starring in the cultural phenomena Edgemont and Smallville.
Harvey Guillén as Jasper: In Killing Floor, the medical assistant who did the work on Joe Reacher's body is never given a name. In Reacher, he is given a bigger part and has been named Jasper. Jasper is played by Harvey Guillén who has become well known for his role in the What We Do In Shadows TV series, having played the vampire hunter Guillermo across the show's three seasons to date.
Maxwell Jenkins as Young Jack Reacher: Maxwell Jenkins plays Jack Reacher's younger self in a series of flashbacks throughout Reacher season 1 which help to establish Reacher's relationship with his brother, Joe. While the books allude to Reacher's younger years at times, little is known about him before enlisting in the army, leaving Amazon's Reacher artistic freedom to portray young Reacher on their own terms. Maxwell Jenkins is known for his role as Will Robinson in Lost In Space.
Christopher Russell as Joe Reacher: Joe Reacher is referenced by Reacher in Killing Floor but does not appear while alive. Christopher Russell plays the adult Joe in flashbacks in Reacher, and while some stories have been embellished for the TV show, the changes are consistent with what is mentioned in Killing Floor. Christopher Russell previously played Trey Bowman in the Day of the Dead TV series.
Gavin White as Young Joe Reacher: Much as with the young Jack Reacher, the relationship that Joe Reacher had with his brother as a child is alluded to in Killing Floor, but not explored explicitly. In Reacher, the young Joe Reacher is played by Gavin White in flashbacks who will play the young Michael Ford in The First Lady.
Chris Webster as Kliner Junior, "KJ": In Killing Floor, Kliner's son is only ever referred to dismissively as "the Kliner kid" by Reacher's narration. While Reacher's Kliner Junior gets a final showdown with Reacher at the warehouse, in Killing Floor, he is drowned in a swimming pool by Reacher before the final act. Reacher's Kliner Junior is played by Chris Webster, previously known for playing Nixon in the TV series Most Dangerous Game.