'Jack Reacher' Author On Turning Uncertainty Into Opportunity: I Understand Fear, I Went Through It

It's disheartening to lose one's job but fear can also be an opportunity, believes writer Lee Child, who started writing the best-selling "Jack Reacher" book series, the source behind two films and now a popular series on Prime Video, when he became unemployed.

Child, born Jim Grant in Coventry, England, worked at a popular television channel in the UK for eighteen years before he was let go in a corporate restructuring.

Recalling the life changing moment, the 69-year-old author told PTI, "I understand fear, I completely do because I went through it. But at the same time, you've got to remind yourself that it is also an opportunity."

Now almost 30 years later, Child is known as one of the most accomplished writers with 28 novels based around his wandering protagonist, played by Tom Cruise in films and embodied by Alan Ritchson in the new series.

Child said he took all the life lessons he had learned and used it to find success.

"You've got to think, 'what have I got as a 40 year old?' Well, you're not the idiot that you were when you were 20. You've learned a lot of things. You have developed discipline. You've developed good habits. And so it is your last chance to really use that for something else.

"And I don't mean to be glib about that. I understand it sucks. To lose your job is a worry. But look at the positives. You can do something else based on what you've learned before," he said.

Child debuted as an author with 1997's "Killing Floor", which introduced the readers to Reacher, a former military police major and the accidental hero, tackling crime and corruption across America.

The subsequent books immersed readers in Reacher's nomadic lifestyle and relentless pursuit of justice with the narrative blending intricate plots, intense action sequences, and sharp wit.

The writer is currently working on the 29th book in the long-running series.

"I've done almost 30 books but the character himself is really a universal and historical character, the noble loner, the mysterious stranger. And that character has been around for probably 2,800 years, not just 28 books."

Child said he made a "lucky choice" when he embarked on his writing career -- to not tie Reacher to a particular place and time.

"He doesn't stay in a particular place, he doesn't have a job, a home, a social circle or a dog. Things that tie a character to a time and a place, I left them out because I wanted the loner and the alienated wanderer. He can be anywhere and do anything. Everything is possible for Reacher."

The name Lee Child came from a family nickname based on the mispronunciation of the French word “le”, while the name of his protagonist came from his wife’s observation about the author's height.

She once told him that he would make a good “reacher” in a supermarket.

Now, seeing the character that is so much inspired by his own personality and has the same height (6.5 inches) come alive on the screen feels both surreal and strange to the author.

"All authors put a lot of autobiography into their characters. You have to know him really well, like you know yourself. It's also fun, just like an in-joke. He has the same birthday as me. He has a lot of the same tastes as me.

"But it's very strange because they're in my writing. And I put myself into the character. And then the actor takes the character and gives myself back to me. I can see myself in the actor's performance, which is a very strange and circular feeling."

The character was first played by Hollywood star Tom Cruise in two movies -- 2012's "Jack Reacher" and its 2016 sequel "Jack Reacher: Never Go Back".

Though he was happy with Cruise's performance, the writer has time and again said that the actor never looked the part.

"I was happy with everything... The movies had an actor that was not physically correct for Jack Reacher. And now for the Amazon seasons, we have the perfect physical Reacher.

"Alan Ritchson is just a great actor. He gets it, he understands it instinctively. What I love about him is that instead of wanting to have more dialogue and more scenes, he wants to have less because he understands that Reacher is a quiet man who prefers not to get involved and won't say anything unless he needs to," the author added.

Child said he doesn't believe he has adapted to the changing times.

"All I want to do is tell a story. I don't care about what somebody's going to think of my technique. But it's gotten faster because the whole world has gotten faster in 26 years. And so that's the only change. I use shorter chapters, faster pace because you've got to compete with everything else in the world," he added.

The first season of "Reacher" premiered on Prime Video in February 2022. The second season, written and showrun by Nick Santora, streams from Friday.

The show is produced by Amazon Studios, Skydance, and Paramount Television Studios.