During a conversation with The Hollywood Reporter, Ritchson shared that his childhood idol was the iconic comedian Jim Carrey. Fascinated by Carrey’s performance in “Ace Ventura: Pet Detective,” Ritchson was captivated by the character’s outrageous antics and fearless humor. “I was in sixth grade, and I was mesmerized,” he reminisced. “Carrey was so animated, silly, and bold. I’d never seen anything quite like it.” Ritchson embraced this admiration by frequently mimicking Carrey. “I dressed as Ace Ventura for three consecutive Halloweens,” he admitted. “I’d attend school in character, complete with the distinctive hairstyle and business card, approaching classmates with, ‘Excuse me, I’d like to ask you a few questions.’”

Before the age of viral memes, middle schoolers often echoed punchlines from hit comedies. “People found it annoying,” Ritchson confessed, “yet I loved making most of them laugh. Jim Carrey had that unique ability, and it’s truly a gift.”

Ritchson’s deep admiration for Jim Carrey eventually led to a near-encounter with his hero. Growing up in Florida near the filming location of “The Truman Show,” Ritchson persuaded his mother to take him to the set. There, he and his brother eagerly awaited a chance to meet Carrey and secure an autograph for their poster.

This fleeting interaction stayed with Ritchson, inspiring his eventual pursuit of a career in entertainment. It took years for him to find his niche as an action star, winning over fans of “Reacher.” His “American Idol” audition remains a highlight, and it wasn’t long before he carved a path reminiscent of his hero, Jim Carrey.

“My mom spotted him and went, ‘There he is!’” Ritchson told The Hollywood Reporter decades later. “I unveiled my poster and said, ‘Hey, Jim!’ He looked over and did this big belly laugh by arching his spine backwards.” Unfortunately for the young Ritchson, he didn’t get the signature he was hoping for. “My brother and I ran over to him, but a security guard was there,” Ritchson continued. “He put his hand on a gun and said, ‘Don’t go any closer.’ Jim was caught in this place where he wanted to sign it but had to go to work, so he just wandered off.”

Ritchson never forgot the moment. In the decades that followed, he would try to find his own place in the entertainment industry, and it would take a while before he landed on the action-star persona that has endeared him to millions of “Reacher” fans. Ritchson’s “American Idol” audition is a must-watch, for example, but soon after, he’d have a chance to prove that he deserved to follow in Carrey’s footsteps.

Alan Ritchson would probably like you to forget about his first movie, a horror film from 2006 called “The Butcher.” In 2010, however, he landed a starring role on “Blue Mountain State.” The raunchy sitcom, which aired on the now-defunct Spike TV, centered on a college football team. Ritchson played Thad Castle, the star linebacker; though he starts the series as a villain of sorts, Ritchson’s gonzo performance quickly softened Thad into one of the most lovably stupid characters on television. Though he was a hard-partying, fiercely-misogynistic, gym-rat frat-bro idiot, Ritchson played Thad as a guy who just fundamentally wanted to be liked. And we did.

His particular comedic sensibility owed a lot to his favorite comedian, including and especially the way Ritchson is able to contort his face to look utterly ridiculous in the best way. Fans noticed, too. Praising his performance on “Blue Mountain State,” one fan wrote on Reddit, “I would go as far as describing him as the muscular version of Jim Carrey in a sense, when it comes to his comedic range!” 

Though the football sitcom only lasted three seasons, Ritchson himself secured permission to crowdfund a 2016 movie called “The Rise of Thadland.” In 2025, Ritchson confirmed that Thad would be coming out of retirement once more by showing off those Carrey-esque chops in a reboot of “Blue Mountain State.”