If you have Amazon Prime, I am going to wager that you have watched at least one season of "Jack Ryan."
The title character is played by John Krasinski, who at one time would have been the last person you would have expected to fill this role.
That all changed after he co-started in "13 Hours," showing off his range and ability to crush it in a military-combat role.
Time to Study
Krasinski had some decent roles before "The Office," but it was Jim Halpert that put him on the map… as a comedy star.
The wiry figure and sloppy haircut, not to mention very bullyable persona, became his calling card.
That perception of Krasinski changed when he bulked up for the "13 Hours" role of Jack Silva, a former Navy SEAL that was working as a contractor at the time of the Benghazi debacle.
All of a sudden, Krasinki was considered a hunk and at the top of the list for action roles, and he landed a great one in "Jack Ryan."
If you have read the books, you know Ryan is an analyst who somehow always gets himself tangled up in operations, only the TV show purposely throws him into the action as an operative, a role that Krasinski had to research with real-life CIA agents, reported Entertainment Weekly.
Prior to the series premiere, Krasinski explained, "I have to say, I completely nerded out when I went to see them. I will say I also thought that it would be the most uneventful interview I've ever had in my life because I thought every answer would be 'We can't talk about that,' and instead they were the most unbelievably diverse, intelligent, giving and generous group and we are so lucky to have them," reports Slash Film.
He continued, "I went in there wanting to meet spies and wanting to meet officers, and instead I met incredibly dedicated people and very honorable people and people who are putting their lives on the line in a whole different way. And, if chosen to do that selfishly — I don't know, there's nothing more heroic than that for me."
Some would say that Krasinski has done the best job of bringing Jack Ryan to life, but I think he got one aspect of that role wrong.
In the books, Ryan is very loyal to his friends, family, and bosses. In "Jack Ryan," the main character is ultra-focused on the mission, rules and careers be damned.
