“They were so bad to us.” The star of Reacher regrets his participation in this cult saga

Many actors hope that appearing in a well-known series will make them famous. But if the movies they’re in don’t live up to what fans want or aren’t as good as expected, it can lead to a lot of disappointment.

Alan Ritchson experienced a frustrating situation. He was let down when promises weren’t fulfilled, and he felt his hard work on a film didn’t benefit his career because the movie wasn’t widely seen and his involvement went unnoticed.

Ritchson was hesitant to join the *Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles* films at first. He explained to Collider that the initial salary offer was low, and he worried being hidden behind a mask wouldn’t help his career.

I feel like I’m dedicating the most valuable years of my professional life to a project that will go unnoticed and unappreciated.

Alan Ritchson as Raphael | Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Jonathan Liebesman, Paramount Pictures, 2014

I was so excited to hear Alan Ritchson was going to be part of the project! Apparently, getting him on board wasn’t easy. The producers actually used Andy Serkis and his work in *The Lord of the Rings* – how he played a motion-capture character and *still* got a lot of attention – to convince him. But sadly, once he agreed and filming started, it sounds like the studio didn’t keep their promises. It’s really disappointing to hear that happened.

The actor worked very long days on set, but apparently wasn’t paid extra for it. He explained that things became unbearable when, after a particularly exhausting day of filming, the production didn’t even provide transportation home for him and the other actors – that was a breaking point for him.

I was really frustrated and called my team in L.A., saying, “This is unacceptable! After working for fourteen hours, we deserve a ride home! What kind of operation are we running?” I just wanted to get everyone home after a long day of shooting.

Alan Ritchson didn’t enjoy filming Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. He was disappointed with the experience, feeling that many commitments weren’t kept after he agreed to the role. He went so far as to say that time was the worst of his career and that he “hated” it.

I hated life on that show. They were so bad to us. They broke so many promises. It was rough.

The *Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles* movies starring Alan Ritchson didn’t do well with audiences or critics and ended in 2016. After that, he gained widespread recognition for his role as Jack Reacher in the Prime Video series.

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2025-10-09 14:03