Alan Ritchson’s forgotten American Idol audition has resurfaced and is now going viral.

Alan Ritchson American Idol

Instead of starring in Reacher, Alan Ritchson could be having a very different career right now as a pop star if his attempt to win on American Idol had worked out.

While he’s best known for playing Jack Reacher in Amazon’s hit series Reacher these days, Alan Ritchson found his first taste of fame as a contestant on American Idol in 2004.

Using his charm to serenade Paula Abdul during his audition, Ritchson did well enough to earn an invite to Hollywood, though he was cut soon after. Viewers at the time would’ve had no way of knowing Ritchson would be one of pop culture’s most popular action stars two decades later, and looking back, fans of the actor are finding it surreal to watch the resurfaced footage from his American Idol run.

The third season of American Idol was won by Fantasia Barrino, and it was also notable for introducing future EGOT winner Jennifer Hudson. As for Ritchson, it may have still helped to get his foot into the door with his small screen appearance, as he made his acting debut the following year.

Ritchson played Arthur Curry (aka Aquaman) in Smallville, making sporadic appearances as that character over the next five years. He followed that up with a main role in the TV show Blue Mountain State, which he will revisit for an upcoming sequel series.

Alan Ritchson’s Television Debut Was on American Idol

With his Reacher fame making him more popular than ever, Ritchson is also getting involved with some high-profile feature films. He had a role in 2023’s Fast X, the tenth installment of the Fast and Furious movie series. In April, he will be back on the big screen by co-starring with Henry Cavill in Guy Ritchie’s newest movie, The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare.

It’s been quite a remarkable journey for the actor, who has come a long way since wooing Paula Abdul in the early years of American Idol.

Alan Ritchson is Anders Lassen in The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare Alan Ritchson as Aquaman in Smallville
Alan Ritchson as Jack Reacher in Prime Video's Reacher Reacher Season 2 promo featuring Alan Ritchson as Jack Reacher

Meanwhile, Alan Ritchson is also preparing to return for a third season of Reacher. Season 3 is currently in development following high viewership and immense praise for the previous two seasons. While Ritchson is still popping up in other projects, he could be playing Jack Reacher for some time to come.

“If audiences are still showing up 10 years in, why stop?” Ritchson said of how long his run in the role might last, per /Film. “I don’t know what the future holds or where my head will be at that point, if I’ll be bored at that point, but I’m … So far I’m anything but bored. I thoroughly enjoy the character and I really want to see a lot of these books that I love brought to life as a fan.”