Summary

Ritchson initially auditioned for Finnick’s role in
Hunger Games
, but told he was too old to break out at 30.
Despite losing out on Finnick, Ritchson found success later in his career, starring in
Reacher.

Ritchson’s rejection as Finnick seems odd since he’s only 4 years older than Sam Claflin, but age was a factor.

Alan Ritchson explains why he lost out on playing a different role in The Hunger Games: Catching Fire. Ritchson played the role of Gloss in The Hunger Games: Catching Fire. His co-stars included Jennifer Lawrence as Katniss, Josh Hutcherson as Peeta, Sam Claflin as Finnick, Liam Hemsworth as Gale, Woody Harrelson as Haymitch, and Jack Quaid as Marvel.

Per Men’s Health, Ritchson’s lost out The Hunger Games: Catching Fire role is explained. While Ritchson does have a role in the film, the actor initially auditioned for the role of Finnick. At the time, Ritchson was turned down for the role, being told that he was too old and unlikely to break out at the age of 30.

How Alan Ritchson Proved The Hunger Games Casting Directors Wrong

The role of Finnick Odair eventually went to Claflin. The casting team’s reason for rejecting Ritchson seems odd, as the actor is less than four years older than Clafin. Still, Claflin does have a younger look, making him a better choice to play the charming and handsome Finnick, whose good looks are a notable element to his character The Hunger Games books.

Related All 5 Hunger Games Movies, Ranked Worst To Best Which is the best Hunger Games movie? From the grime of the first Katniss installment to Snow’s prequel, we rank all five entries in the franchise.

Another interesting part of this casting choice comes in the reasoning that Ritchson would not be able to break out at 30. Looking at Ritchson’s career between then and 2024, this prediction could not have been more off base. Ritchson was put on the map in his late 20s, when he acted in the series Blue Mountain State from 2008 to 2011. Since then, Ritchson got his biggest break at the age of 40, when he began starring as the titular Jack Reacher in the Prime Video series Reacher.

Since acting in Reacher, Ritchson is now a more sought-after actor. A year after Reacher season 1 began, Ritchson landed a supporting role in the action film Fast X. This year, Ritchson played the lead role in Ordinary Angels, a drama co-starring Hilary Swank. The actor is also set to star in the action film The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare among several other films. So, Ritchson may have lost out on Finnick in Catching Fire, but he did not miss his chance for a big break.

The Hunger Games: Catching Fire
is available to stream on AMC+.

Source: Men’s Health

The Hunger Games: Catching Fire The second entry into the Hunger Games film franchise and based on Suzanne Collins’ book of the same name, The Hunger Games: Catching Fire picks up shortly after the events of the first film. Returning home to District 12 after their victory at the 74th Annual Hunger Games, Katniss Everdeen (Jennifer Lawrence) and Peeta Mellark (Josh Hutcherson) begin to sense an imminent rebellion against the oppressive Capitol.Director Francis Lawrence Release Date November 1, 2013 Studio(s) Lionsgate Distributor(s) Lionsgate Runtime 2h 26m Budget 78 million