Just finished season 1 of Reacher and Ritchson nailed the role. He obviously looks the part, but I was impressed with his acting. He has all the qualities of Reacher and the supporting actor roles were very complementary. Waiting for season 2.
I did not expect Mr. King to be so good at the interview process as the interviewer….. he really draws Mr. Child out with some very insightful questions, both these guys are funny as heck too. I’ve always gotten the humor in their books nice to see it in person. Thanks for keeping this up.
One of the joys of turning Reacher into a streaming TV show instead of a movie is having space for the small asides like helping and later rescuing a dog. And they've got the right actor for the part at last, plus two dozen books to provide the material, so there will be more. There MUST be more.
Two great authors, I enjoyed the Jack Reacher movies and I'm a big Tom Cruise fan, but it was an odd choice. The Reacher show is great and the actor nails it.
I didn't know anything about Reacher when I saw the first movie, so I had no problem accepting Tom Cruise, but there was one line that jolted me out of the story. When they're framing Reacher for Sandy's murder, the bent cop asks the motel clerk which of her guests could have broken that girl's neck with one punch. And she immediately thinks of Tiny Tom? Why the hell didn't they change that line?
Check out the Amazon series 'Reacher'. I was hesitant, but it was really good. The series covers the first book, so it isn't rushed! And the actor looks more like the Reacher described in the books!
Odd choice? Tom Cruise obviously bought the rights to the series, as a vehicle for himself. You’re absolutely right, the series and the guy playing Reacher, is Reacher. Tom Cruise is a little guy pretending to be a big guy with what seems to be a case of hemorrhoids or early onset ulcerative colitis.
Stephen King is so beautifully human. Listening to him in this interview, I get a sense of having a conversation with someone a few barstools over, or on a long bus stop wait. It just like regular everyday jawing. There is zero air of fame-headedness about him. Love this guy.
7 years late but my 2 favorite authors. About 10-12 years ago I was in a small town in Norway working. There was no cell service, no internet, and no TV in the hotel so I went to a tiny corner store that had one of those little metal turning racks full of paperback books. Only 3 of the books were in English. One was "Gone Tomorrow". I was never a "mystery" reader but it had a blurb on the back from my favorite author Stephen King. With my options limited I went with Steves recommendation. Well, that was it, I read through "Gone Tomorrow" twice and when I got home I picked up "Killing Floor" and never looked back. Have read every Reacher book and anxiously await the yearly release of Reachers next adventure. Thought the movies were just ok but love the new series and next season is my favorite Reacher book "Bad Luck and Trouble". Thanks for posting this!
@@davidhuston6677 , I have to disagree. Reacher's background comes from Caucasian roots. His mother is established as a white French woman and his father as a white American. Dwayne Johnson has a bit too much of the Pacific roots in his appearance to work as a faithful version of Reacher.
What the hell does that feel like, to have an absolute living legend, as a fan? I mean really, I can't think of anyone, in any art, that can top Stephen King's status.
@Winslow Neither will King be when he pops his clogs. Irrespective he'll never 'top' old Willie boy, which is the salient point I make, and the issue of whether they're alive or dead is therefore rendered irrelevant. Where's your question mark and opening capital letter, by the way? Tut tut. :-)
@Winslow Ah! I've touched a raw nerve I note, and you've been furiously looking things up on Grammarly haven't you, oh naughty person. Bluster, sunshine, and evading the main point. Have a nice day, and note this: I'm kicking you back under that stone from where you emerged . Don't reply, you're muted. 'Rhetorical' LOLOLOLOLOLOLOL
This was wonderful to watch. Thank you for this ! Mr. King and Mr. Child both sure are likeable guys. I haven't read a Jack Reacher novel before, I ought to pick one up .
I don't watch 45-minute videos, but this was great! I've been a Stephen King fan forever, and recently started reading the Reacher books. Two brilliant guys.
+Breann Neal You sound just like me...a Stephen King fan forever and recently started reading the Reacher books ( I have only read Killing Floor but plan on collecting and reading the rest). I agree they are two brilliant guys. =)
Bravo, gentlemen. I'm currently reading my 12th Jack Reacher novel, "Bad Luck and Trouble" by Lee Child, so its happenstance that I accidentally bumped into this conversation at Harvard between Lee and Stephen.
Having been a big fan of Lee Child’s man-mountain of a character that Jack Reacher is, I honestly was furious when I heard Tom Cruise was going to play him.
I saw the movies before I read the books. I've read about half of them by now. But even without knowing how big he was supposed to be on the printed page - Cruise still seemed an odd choice. Fighter pilots are rather small so as to fit in those cramped cockpits. So Cruise looked sensible in "Top Gun". But he isn't the kind of guy who beats up hordes of brutes in every bar. I couldn't do that and I'm bigger than Reacher in the books. I was also college heavyweight judo champ. Reacher is a great character but hardly plausible. He's more like Superman but impervious to Kryptonite.
@@Agorante You said it Sir,,, "Like Superman, but impervious to Kryptonite" Reacher is impossible for all the human reasons, but in all of our lives, we have situations where we just need to believe there's someone among us who COULD have triumphed,,, Reacher fills that spot. Besides the fact that I grew up on Army bases from Augsburg Germany to Ft. Knox KY and was exposed to allot of regular government employees, the MP's I had exposure to, were EXACTLY the kind of people who support Reacher in the books, loyal, fierce, and more often than not, hard as nails. So it's even easier to fantasize that Reacher is possible. I hated my Stepdad for being a violent drunk, but I now, cherish my days on base, and in the base school systems and base hobby shops. Some of the best memories of my life come from those days. This was a great watch, even to catch it so long after it happened.
I'm tha same way. I've been reading the books for over 20 years. And I enjoyed both movies. But i think they should have started either the movies or especially the series based on the novel. The Enemy. Where reacher was still on active duty. He could have solved that case and then show him getting retired and riding off in the sunset on a bus to start the next episode. That would have made more sense to me as opposed to start in the middle of the series
What a treat! I'd never heard of Reacher until the Tom Cruise movie. I enjoyed the first one. He did as great a job as he could. I'm glad they found a big guy for the Amazon Prime series though.
As a failed sci-fi writer I learned early on that making the story realistic was hard. It's more than futuristic gadgets, rocketships, aliens, exotic locals, and exciting adventures. You need realistic characters. And that typically means fully fleshing out all the characters NOT just the good guy, his love interest, and the bad guy. It's super easy to set up all the descriptive specifics of the local, the plot, the conflict, and the rest of the mundane aspects of a story, but when the protagonist meets other people in the story it's easy to gloss over them by giving them stereotypical characteristics that everybody recognizes without effort. Those attributes are always one-dimensional cliches (the professor with the wrinkled shirt and jacket arm patches, the Chicano with the handkerchief headband, the mother holding a baby with children tugging at her skirt, the frazzled secretary delivering coffee to her boss, the bullies ganging up on the small kid, the college students racing to classes, and the most cliched character of them all, the used car salesman). Every single one of those characters can be seen on TV at any given moment. The real challenge is to create a living, breathing character that leaps off the page and into the imagination of the reader as a real person with hopes, dreams, and a purpose. I could never do that and that is why I failed at a writing career. If you want to make your story real, like a good meal, fill it with delicious extras that complement the experience that people can sink their teeth into. Most of the time the dialog of secondary characters is also filler except for the tiny bit of key information that they provide. If the character seems real it's because they have a back story and their dialog isn't like elevator music. That's why Stephen King and Lee Child are successful, their main characters are well fleshed out but their subsequent characters are 3D as well and they will haunt you long after you've finished reading the book.
is that so hard to make a realistic character with their past and future or dream? and what's the difference between writing character in short story and novel?
Tom cruise could play the reacher character except for size. But because of his portrayal, you didn’t think about the size issue that much. It does make a difference. I’ve seen both actors do the role now and I can appreciate them both. Tom cruise is older and you can tell he’s seen a lot of life. Alan ritcherson is younger. There are moments when he appears older looking in different episodes. They don’t make younger majors but he is from West Point. That speaks to tradition and career choices. Reacher shows the price you pay to remain true to decency, integrity, and a strong personal sense of honor through out your life.
Anytime I can hear an author speak, at signings, readings, etc, I take that opportunity. Whether it's insight on characters or on the individual's writing process, it's worth it. Looking for similar content on UA-cam right now.
Just started reading One Shot after watching the films. I didn't realise the Mr Grant is English. His immersion into American culture is superb, the way he describes directions of travel and layout in towns; I really struggle imagining the layout of urban scenes that he takes great pains over because we English use completely different descriptions. It is only because of seeing the films that the positioning of the car park and the bridge make any sense. This is not a criticism, just admiration at that level of immersion.
Lee Child is a fascinating understated character. Probably a Myers-Briggs introvert with radar observation and an ability of wit and facile storytelling which endears him to us. His years at Granada television developing such things as The Jewel in the Crown and Prime Suspect! Yes, he knows how to weave an interesting tale! The downside for him is that as an introvert he probably has to do book signings with mobs of people hearing the same thing over and over; he would of course be a gentlemen and non-dismissive. Appreciative even. Wish we had more guys like him around.
I appreciated Mr. Child's "defense" of Tom Cruise. And I agree that Tom is a very talented and very physical actor. He brought a lot of nuance and feeling to the role. But he still stank as Reacher. All the apple boxes in the world can only get you so far. At least for the first few episodes I've seen, the new Amazon series "Reacher" is doing a much better job. And the actor playing Reacher, Alan Ritchson, is doing a fantastic job, even if he is only six foot three.
He didn't stink. It was pretty good I think. I know that Reacher's size is a big part of that character but for what it was I thought Cruise's Reacher was pretty badass. Which is probably harder to do being 5'7" and probably the prettiest dude in a 100 mile radius than being an already 6'5" gruff guy. That said YES. Richson is the total package. He's big, he's smart, he's charisma and presence in boots. Not to mention Amazon can go all out with the gore and nudity which reinforces stakes in the story they're telling.
I hated Tom Cruise as Reacher. I've read every book and TC wasn't convincing as Reacher. He really sucked.. He was also the producer of the movies, so he casted himself. Just my thoughts on how he was able to play a role he had no business playing.
@@thomaschristopherwhite9043 For me it's not just the height it's that Cruise is great at intensity and Reacher for the most part is pretty laid back when he's beating people up. Cruise is really working, which is great in Mission: Impossible, but that's not what Reacher is about. Cruise is Ad-Rock, Ritchie is MCA.
Stephen King talking about the late Michael Clarke Duncan, who was cast in a movie adaptation of his book The Green Mile: "He was incredibly buffed out, but he was short. He had to stand on an apple box, and to look smaller, Tom Hanks had to stand in a hole. The movie is shot with high angles to make him appear taller." The dude, God rest is soul, was 6'5", Steve... I'm gonna go with, he didn't need an apple box. Or a pear one. There goes King writing fiction again :)
After watching Reacher on Amazon and watching Alan on podcasts and hearing his story all this Jack Reacher stuff is coming up on my YT feed and I don’t mind it one bit.
At 32:14 Steve king starts talking About late actor Michael Clarke Duncan being short...but he is listed as being 6' 5". Tom Hanks is listed as being 6 feet.
12:00 “Sounds real enough to me”. That’s why I love fiction and have a deep appreciation of the crafters of stories. Good storytelling and a fearless imagination are talents many of us wish we had. Paper has always been my drug of choice.
@Evan Hodge I was a loner child that was never lonely. I happily escaped into the world of fantasy from earliest life on. Remembering waking up to the smell of a paperback on my face makes me feel so happy and content. I’d dog-ear it and tuck it under my pillow like a talisman (haha) and go back to sleep knowing friends were close by.
Tom Cruise is literally a guy that Reacher would melt in real life! How about a book with Reacher tearing through Scientology rescuing people that are held hostage psychologically? THAT would be awesome
I’ve been in love with Reacher since he hit the bookshelf. How Tom Cruise was selected to play Reacher, instead of someone like Duane Johnson, I have no idea.
Cruise bought the movie rights to about ten of Child's books...of course he, however inappropriately, would chose to be the lead...As long as you didn't know Jack Reacher, it would have been fine, but those of us who have been reading about him for years...well it was wrong.
I am astounded that otherwise intelligent people still cannot fathom how movies get made. Cruise has a production company that won the bidding for the film rights for several Reacher novels. If Cruise has the film rights, which he paid big bucks for, Cruise stars in the film. Period. Every movie he has ever made since becoming a producer has been the same. So he was not somehow “selected” or cast by someone else. If Duane Johnson was cast, he would not have the character nuance that Cruise brings to the screen. He’d just have the physical presence. The films would have been very different.
Great presentation. Hard to believe it was shot on a single camera, though; a back-up wide angle camera is normally considered essential. Good job with just one camera, though--thanks!
24:32 ... I think that's why Agatha Christie remains such a popular writer, nearly all her mystery novels had a different approach, all the Poirot novels were written a bit differently, same with the Miss Marple. There was never "same old same old" with her...
@@sarahhiggins7285 Oh I don't know 38, Reacher could quite easily be that age in the earlier books, my problem with the casting is he's far too handsome and not tall or wide enough. I have an inch on this guy and am not as handsome, so I'm a better fit for for the role on two counts :) - Reacher is an implacable 6'5" slab of muscle and definitely not pretty, shame.
I have watched this new Jack Reacher Season about 5 times. I can't get enough. Ritchson IS Jack Reacher. I'm so in love I'm gonna read the books now cause I got all his expressions and mannerisms down. I CANNOT WAIT til the next season. And watching my favorite author with I suspect my next favorite author has been DIVINE❤🙌
If you don't read all the time and write everyday with discipline, don't plan on getting anywhere. Same goes for acting, directing, dancing, painting, singing, anything that keeps you in flow with your true self. Even if you don't get published, because many don't, instead, give readings at the library, at meetups, on-line, so people hear you, as you will resonate with someone. Even if you get published, you'll more than likely not have many buy your book, especially nowadays. But, main thing is, you've freed your heart and spirit.
I think Stephen maintains his thinness deliberately d/t weight-bearing stress issues ever since he was hit by that guy in the van and almost lost his leg.
@@Elphaba1952 ~ True. And, long before that, King always made a habit of walking 5 miles a day. He was on just such a walk when he was hit by that van in June 1999.
OMG! I am over the moon! I have read Under The Dome THREE times, more than any book I've EVER read. It is so GREAT! However, after the 1st TV episode of it I quit watching it. It turned the book upside down. And to hear SK even ALLUDE to the fact that it was not to be confused with the tv show made me feel so vindicated. Yes film truly served The Shawshank Redemption and The Green Mile beautifully, no doubt about that, but it really bombed with UTD and I am so happy that SK seems to know that.
+Violet Miller Oh yes, SK hated the way CBS treated UTD... but he acknowledged that turning a book with a beginning, middle, and end, into a series with no real time frame, is very hard... but the things CBS did to that poor book should never have happened...
+AntiHoplophobia Thank you! I watched the first episode and I was like WTF? A main character who was INSIDE the dome they had OUTSIDE and it was SO messed up. I have Hulu and I hear thy are doing a serial or some kind of treatment of 11-22-63, which I have also read THREE times. I am so hoping they'll do it justice. Under The Dome could have been SO GREAT. Look how wonderful Shawshank and The Green Mile turned out. Shame on CBS.
Violet Miller Well, a movie is easier to do from a novel than a TV series is... but still, you're right... I'm reading "The Bazaar of Bad Dreams" right now, it's damn good of course... although I do prefer his novels to his short stories... can't WAIT for 11/22/63 to come out... and WHEN is The Dark Tower movie(s) gonna get made?? If Jim Caveziel isn't cast as Roland, I'm gonna have a hard time watching "The Gunslinger"...
Violet Miller Yes, it just came out in early November, and it's a collection of short stories and two poems... some of them have been previously published, though, like "Blockade Billy"... and there's also "Afterlife", which SK read in one of the UA-cam videos out there (it's really good)... but overall, I prefer his novels (as I said before)... his short stories always start well, then end before the plot can be developed... there are some Dark Tower references in the story "Ur", which made it the best of the lot, IMO... so go get it! Time's a'wastin! And let me know what you think, okay?
Jack Reacher: the Lone Ranger, Robin Hood, and Batman all combined. Reacher is fictional character that simply 'feels' real to me; like a guy I just haven't been fortunate to meet outside the pages of one of Mr. Child's novels. I like to think that there really IS a guy like Jack Reacher somewhere out there who wanders around the country like a highly skilled, extremely intelligent, and lethal vagbond rescuing regular folks in need; defending the weak and vulnerable. A character who, if he isn't 'real'? He should be. I've read them all. And they were all fabulous. Thanx Lee!
What a voice Lee Child has! I doubt I’ve ever heard him before. Very cool discussion. I’ve read probably three or four of the Reacher books, while not ‘high literature’ they are good books and Reacher is a really good character. I liked Cruise in the films, while he’s not tall, duh, I get over that easily - he acted well and captured the character.
@@BSFree-es5ml Yes. David Morse is a big guy. I was just taken aback a bit when he called Duncan short. I remember Duncan when he used to bounce at the Century Club--and he was a big guy.
@@BSFree-es5ml Actually, he was taller than David Morse by 3cm. Morse stands at 193cm and Duncan stood at 196cm. Duncan just looked so much bigger even without the special affects used in The Green Mile because he really had a big body frame.
@@Vinnie-pu9vw But I read yesterday that they have cast some other guy as the new Reacher. He is supposed to be 6'4" and 230 pounds so he's a bit smaller than the literary Reacher. In Hollywood there seems to be a rule that male stars can be 6'4" at most. If you're taller than that you get cast as a monster. The fine actor Paul Bethany is in fact 6'4" but claims to be shorter. He wanted to not be a casting problem in his early career. Many female leads are tiny. The cameramen and directors can make the tall small or the short big but it takes more effort. If you are just starting out it's simpler to be tall but not too tall. There will always be another young hopeful screen actor who fits in the camera's frame with less trouble.
@@Agorante, I’m sure I read somewhere, it was a while ago that Dwayne Johnson was up for the Reacher role, I think this was before they spoke about making a series,
@@Vinnie-pu9vw Johnson is sadly the wrong race. Otherwise he would be fine. He plays white men but is half Polynesian and half African. He has had some "work' done on his face especially his nose. He's a really good actor - much better than Arnold or the other wrestlers in action flicks. But he is no more a Caucasian than Charlie Chan (Warner Oland) was Chinese. I watch his movies whenever I can. I think he's the number one male actor in Hollywood now. BTW I'm 6'4". I liked Bruce Lee but Jet Li and Donny Yen are just too tiny for my taste. Johnson requires less "suspension of disbelief". He looks like an athlete and moves like an athlete. Actually the role of Reacher doesn't require a particularly good actor, so this new one is likely going to be OK.
Just finished season 1 of Reacher and Ritchson nailed the role. He obviously looks the part, but I was impressed with his acting. He has all the qualities of Reacher and the supporting actor roles were very complementary. Waiting for season 2.
And Lee's cameo was fun.
Couldn’t agree more. I’m waiting with great anticipation for the next season. .
@@messybench yes, I thought that somewhat puzzled look back as he walked past was golden.
Yes he did looking forward to more Alan was also the best part of Titans
Except when he shot those guys in the back . . .
I did not expect Mr. King to be so good at the interview process as the interviewer….. he really draws Mr. Child out with some very insightful questions, both these guys are funny as heck too. I’ve always gotten the humor in their books nice to see it in person. Thanks for keeping this up.
One of the joys of turning Reacher into a streaming TV show instead of a movie is having space for the small asides like helping and later rescuing a dog. And they've got the right actor for the part at last, plus two dozen books to provide the material, so there will be more. There MUST be more.
Two great authors, I enjoyed the Jack Reacher movies and I'm a big Tom Cruise fan, but it was an odd choice. The Reacher show is great and the actor nails it.
I didn't know anything about Reacher when I saw the first movie, so I had no problem accepting Tom Cruise, but there was one line that jolted me out of the story. When they're framing Reacher for Sandy's murder, the bent cop asks the motel clerk which of her guests could have broken that girl's neck with one punch. And she immediately thinks of Tiny Tom? Why the hell didn't they change that line?
Check out the Amazon series 'Reacher'. I was hesitant, but it was really good. The series covers the first book, so it isn't rushed! And the actor looks more like the Reacher described in the books!
Odd choice? Tom Cruise obviously bought the rights to the series, as a vehicle for himself. You’re absolutely right, the series and the guy playing Reacher, is Reacher. Tom Cruise is a little guy pretending to be a big guy with what seems to be a case of hemorrhoids or early onset ulcerative colitis.
@@KelliRocks Yes, really enjoying it. At last a Reacher that actually fits Child's Reacher.
@@yeekasoose I was just fine with Cruise till that scene. For the frak sake.
Stephen King is so beautifully human. Listening to him in this interview, I get a sense of having a conversation with someone a few barstools over, or on a long bus stop wait. It just like regular everyday jawing. There is zero air of fame-headedness about him. Love this guy.
🤮
Alan Ritchson is simply perfect casting . He is the epitome of a written character come to life that more than exceeds the persona Lee Child created.
E
Season 2 is really great so far. (Saw the first 4 episodes so far as they are spacing them out)
I was in the audience, loved the talk, both extraordinary gentlemen. Fan for life.
Amy Chevalier proof.. didn’t think so
didn't think so either!
@@jesscooney8443 I don't think the allow wolves in the audience for these things, but as long as he made it about himself I think it's a win for him.
Awesome
Sounds about right! The 45min video is so easy and entertaining to watch..
I am a serious Lee Child fan and was impressed with Stephen King, especially his humor.
7 years late but my 2 favorite authors. About 10-12 years ago I was in a small town in Norway working. There was no cell service, no internet, and no TV in the hotel so I went to a tiny corner store that had one of those little metal turning racks full of paperback books. Only 3 of the books were in English. One was "Gone Tomorrow". I was never a "mystery" reader but it had a blurb on the back from my favorite author Stephen King. With my options limited I went with Steves recommendation. Well, that was it, I read through "Gone Tomorrow" twice and when I got home I picked up "Killing Floor" and never looked back. Have read every Reacher book and anxiously await the yearly release of Reachers next adventure. Thought the movies were just ok but love the new series and next season is my favorite Reacher book "Bad Luck and Trouble". Thanks for posting this!
As a women I started reading Lee Child from the beginning and love the Jack Reacher character. I wait baited breath for a new book.
Lee Child rocks!!! I have all the Reacher novels & just love every one of them
I think the Rock would have been a perfect Reacher .
@@davidhuston6677 , I have to disagree. Reacher's background comes from Caucasian roots. His mother is established as a white French woman and his father as a white American. Dwayne Johnson has a bit too much of the Pacific roots in his appearance to work as a faithful version of Reacher.
@@jcp1984again ?? I guess I have to agree --- the bald head shows how wrong I was too .
Steve Austin would be a good Reacher…
Two legends and both fantastic writers.
Its 2022 and we now have a Reacher Amazon TV series that has been a smash hit
Where is that series?
@@camillecarter179 Amazon prime
Wonderful to have two literary success stories on stage with engaging dialogue. Love that last anecdote about the snake! Great stuff.
The snake story was likely untrue
@@BSFree-es5ml Makes it an even better story then, eh 😉
What the hell does that feel like, to have an absolute living legend, as a fan? I mean really, I can't think of anyone, in any art, that can top Stephen King's status.
+ALEXANDER NUCKEL are you not a bigger legend then? :P i havent read either author, just love hearing such interviews
WRITERS are HUMAN....and always fans of other writers because they know how difficult the job can be.
Shakespeare? Just a thought ...
@Winslow Neither will King be when he pops his clogs. Irrespective he'll never 'top' old Willie boy, which is the salient point I make, and the issue of whether they're alive or dead is therefore rendered irrelevant. Where's your question mark and opening capital letter, by the way? Tut tut. :-)
@Winslow Ah! I've touched a raw nerve I note, and you've been furiously looking things up on Grammarly haven't you, oh naughty person. Bluster, sunshine, and evading the main point. Have a nice day, and note this: I'm kicking you back under that stone from where you emerged . Don't reply, you're muted. 'Rhetorical' LOLOLOLOLOLOLOL
This was wonderful to watch. Thank you for this ! Mr. King and Mr. Child both sure are likeable guys. I haven't read a Jack Reacher novel before, I ought to pick one up .
I would personally suggest Echo Burning to start the series with, its my favorite of Jack Reacher series
Superb! and a lot of insight and good laughs. These two guys are rock stars. Thank you.
Just stumbled across this little surprise. What a great interviewer Steven King is. Never seen him on that side of the fence.
A couple of weeks of really good fun has turned into 40 years... THAT IS AWESOME!
I don't watch 45-minute videos, but this was great! I've been a Stephen King fan forever, and recently started reading the Reacher books. Two brilliant guys.
+Breann Neal You sound just like me...a Stephen King fan forever and recently started reading the Reacher books ( I have only read Killing Floor but plan on collecting and reading the rest). I agree they are two brilliant guys. =)
Try Echo Burning, probably one of his best.
Mark Raishbrook Thanks for the recommendation, I will definitely look that one up. =)
You don't watch 45-minute videos? Can you read 100+ page books?
Breann Neal yeah i love Stephen King me to he is very great and one day i will be like him later because i want to become a writer
I like people like Lee Child whose sense of humor is kind-of hard to bring out. You appreciate their jokes more and their laughter more.
Thanks for posting and sharing. Great to see these two together.
Bravo, gentlemen. I'm currently reading my 12th Jack Reacher novel, "Bad Luck and Trouble" by Lee Child, so its happenstance that I accidentally bumped into this conversation at Harvard between Lee and Stephen.
This was wonderful on so many levels. Thanks!!
Two of my all time favorites! Have read every novel by each...and love the new Reacher series. Thank you both for so much pleasure in my life.
Having been a big fan of Lee Child’s man-mountain of a character that Jack Reacher is, I honestly was furious when I heard Tom Cruise was going to play him.
I saw the movies before I read the books. I've read about half of them by now.
But even without knowing how big he was supposed to be on the printed page - Cruise still seemed an odd choice. Fighter pilots are rather small so as to fit in those cramped cockpits. So Cruise looked sensible in "Top Gun". But he isn't the kind of guy who beats up hordes of brutes in every bar. I couldn't do that and I'm bigger than Reacher in the books. I was also college heavyweight judo champ.
Reacher is a great character but hardly plausible. He's more like Superman but impervious to Kryptonite.
@@Agorante You said it Sir,,, "Like Superman, but impervious to Kryptonite" Reacher is impossible for all the human reasons, but in all of our lives, we have situations where we just need to believe there's someone among us who COULD have triumphed,,, Reacher fills that spot. Besides the fact that I grew up on Army bases from Augsburg Germany to Ft. Knox KY and was exposed to allot of regular government employees, the MP's I had exposure to, were EXACTLY the kind of people who support Reacher in the books, loyal, fierce, and more often than not, hard as nails. So it's even easier to fantasize that Reacher is possible.
I hated my Stepdad for being a violent drunk, but I now, cherish my days on base, and in the base school systems and base hobby shops. Some of the best memories of my life come from those days.
This was a great watch, even to catch it so long after it happened.
But now, with the Amazon series, we can all celebrate.
Tom Hanks vs Forrest Gump was the same issue. There needs to be more man-mountain actors :-)
I was too. It was almost insulting.
How sharp is Stephen King?! His mind is incisive and he did a great job as interviewer.
What a delightful pair of gentlemen.
You can see how much Stephen respects Lee Child...love it.
I love the Reacher series!! I've read every book in order, of course... what a great character. He's such a cool man.
I'm tha same way. I've been reading the books for over 20 years. And I enjoyed both movies.
But i think they should have started either the movies or especially the series based on the novel. The Enemy. Where reacher was still on active duty. He could have solved that case and then show him getting retired and riding off in the sunset on a bus to start the next episode. That would have made more sense to me as opposed to start in the middle of the series
What a treat! I'd never heard of Reacher until the Tom Cruise movie. I enjoyed the first one. He did as great a job as he could. I'm glad they found a big guy for the Amazon Prime series though.
can you imagine Steven King talking about how good your books are?
Especially since they are poorly written.
@@kevgh3869 Who are you again? Oh, right.
@@TheKrazyLobster I'm nobody. I just don't like Lee child's writing... at all.
@@TheKrazyLobster He's a reader and that is enough.
That’s like Willie Nelson telling you that your country songs are great.
As a failed sci-fi writer I learned early on that making the story realistic was hard. It's more than futuristic gadgets, rocketships, aliens, exotic locals, and exciting adventures. You need realistic characters. And that typically means fully fleshing out all the characters NOT just the good guy, his love interest, and the bad guy. It's super easy to set up all the descriptive specifics of the local, the plot, the conflict, and the rest of the mundane aspects of a story, but when the protagonist meets other people in the story it's easy to gloss over them by giving them stereotypical characteristics that everybody recognizes without effort. Those attributes are always one-dimensional cliches (the professor with the wrinkled shirt and jacket arm patches, the Chicano with the handkerchief headband, the mother holding a baby with children tugging at her skirt, the frazzled secretary delivering coffee to her boss, the bullies ganging up on the small kid, the college students racing to classes, and the most cliched character of them all, the used car salesman).
Every single one of those characters can be seen on TV at any given moment. The real challenge is to create a living, breathing character that leaps off the page and into the imagination of the reader as a real person with hopes, dreams, and a purpose. I could never do that and that is why I failed at a writing career. If you want to make your story real, like a good meal, fill it with delicious extras that complement the experience that people can sink their teeth into. Most of the time the dialog of secondary characters is also filler except for the tiny bit of key information that they provide. If the character seems real it's because they have a back story and their dialog isn't like elevator music. That's why Stephen King and Lee Child are successful, their main characters are well fleshed out but their subsequent characters are 3D as well and they will haunt you long after you've finished reading the book.
is that so hard to make a realistic character with their past and future or dream? and what's the difference between writing character in short story and novel?
The only books I ever read. I love Jack Reacher and have read every book and hopes it never stops
I've read nearly all of the reacher books. I was very impressed with the cast and how the series honoured the book Killing Floor.
Two of my favourite authors. Funny stories, insightful questions and great conversation. The only thing I can think about now is the snake story. 😯
Two of my favorite authors.probably at the top of my list.
Tom cruise could play the reacher character except for size. But because of his portrayal, you didn’t think about the size issue that much. It does make a difference. I’ve seen both actors do the role now and I can appreciate them both. Tom cruise is older and you can tell he’s seen a lot of life. Alan ritcherson is younger. There are moments when he appears older looking in different episodes. They don’t make younger majors but he is from West Point. That speaks to tradition and career choices. Reacher shows the price you pay to remain true to decency, integrity, and a strong personal sense of honor through out your life.
Wonderful. Loved the last two minutes, and Stephen King’s delight in that anecdote. Right up his street.
Anytime I can hear an author speak, at signings, readings, etc, I take that opportunity. Whether it's insight on characters or on the individual's writing process, it's worth it. Looking for similar content on UA-cam right now.
Just started reading One Shot after watching the films. I didn't realise the Mr Grant is English. His immersion into American culture is superb, the way he describes directions of travel and layout in towns; I really struggle imagining the layout of urban scenes that he takes great pains over because we English use completely different descriptions. It is only because of seeing the films that the positioning of the car park and the bridge make any sense. This is not a criticism, just admiration at that level of immersion.
Mr. Grant? Huh?
@@davidowens5898 Hi David, it is his real name en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lee_Child
Essential viewing for aspiring writers and fans of Messrs King & Child. Wonderful.
Finally got round to reading Jack Reacher. Really enjoying it ao far.
Two of my favorite authors together at the same place, same time.
Lee Child is a fascinating understated character. Probably a Myers-Briggs introvert with radar observation and an ability of wit and facile storytelling which endears him to us. His years at Granada television developing such things as The Jewel in the Crown and Prime Suspect! Yes, he knows how to weave an interesting tale! The downside for him is that as an introvert he probably has to do book signings with mobs of people hearing the same thing over and over; he would of course be a gentlemen and non-dismissive. Appreciative even. Wish we had more guys like him around.
Two excellent compelling story tellers! Much respectable n eloquent summary of a formidable hero!
Brilliant conversation!
Two very gifted writers and likable individuals
I appreciated Mr. Child's "defense" of Tom Cruise. And I agree that Tom is a very talented and very physical actor. He brought a lot of nuance and feeling to the role. But he still stank as Reacher. All the apple boxes in the world can only get you so far.
At least for the first few episodes I've seen, the new Amazon series "Reacher" is doing a much better job. And the actor playing Reacher, Alan Ritchson, is doing a fantastic job, even if he is only six foot three.
He didn't stink. It was pretty good I think. I know that Reacher's size is a big part of that character but for what it was I thought Cruise's Reacher was pretty badass. Which is probably harder to do being 5'7" and probably the prettiest dude in a 100 mile radius than being an already 6'5" gruff guy.
That said YES. Richson is the total package. He's big, he's smart, he's charisma and presence in boots. Not to mention Amazon can go all out with the gore and nudity which reinforces stakes in the story they're telling.
I hated Tom Cruise as Reacher. I've read every book and TC wasn't convincing as Reacher. He really sucked.. He was also the producer of the movies, so he casted himself. Just my thoughts on how he was able to play a role he had no business playing.
@@jeanelleperez6280 TC is a serious nutcase who is a scientology creep.
In the US people start churches just to avoid taxes.
@@thomaschristopherwhite9043 For me it's not just the height it's that Cruise is great at intensity and Reacher for the most part is pretty laid back when he's beating people up. Cruise is really working, which is great in Mission: Impossible, but that's not what Reacher is about. Cruise is Ad-Rock, Ritchie is MCA.
Excellent interview. Very entertaining!
Man that was amazing! So much warmth and wit . Awesome 👏
Love this discussion and both authors!
Stephen King talking about the late Michael Clarke Duncan, who was cast in a movie adaptation of his book The Green Mile:
"He was incredibly buffed out, but he was short. He had to stand on an apple box, and to look smaller, Tom Hanks had to stand in a hole. The movie is shot with high angles to make him appear taller."
The dude, God rest is soul, was 6'5", Steve... I'm gonna go with, he didn't need an apple box. Or a pear one. There goes King writing fiction again :)
This is a dream come true. Just showed up in my feed.
went through the series in a couple of days. Absolutely brilliant casting of Jack
After watching Reacher on Amazon and watching Alan on podcasts and hearing his story all this Jack Reacher stuff is coming up on my YT feed and I don’t mind it one bit.
The Merc Cafe in Jamestown, Colorado needs Lee Child to speak there !
Wow! What a treat. Thank you.
@18:00 Child says “Gone Tomorrow” is his Reacher subway book. It’s actually “The Hard Way”.
um no
At 32:14 Steve king starts talking About late actor Michael Clarke Duncan being short...but he is listed as being 6' 5". Tom Hanks is listed as being 6 feet.
12:00 “Sounds real enough to me”. That’s why I love fiction and have a deep appreciation of the crafters of stories. Good storytelling and a fearless imagination are talents many of us wish we had. Paper has always been my drug of choice.
@Evan Hodge I was a loner child that was never lonely. I happily escaped into the world of fantasy from earliest life on. Remembering waking up to the smell of a paperback on my face makes me feel so happy and content. I’d dog-ear it and tuck it under my pillow like a talisman (haha) and go back to sleep knowing friends were close by.
I loved the time Reacher got upset, because the baddies broke his toothbrush!!
"Now I own nothing..."
Too much literary genius on one stage.
Yet still.....Reacher said nothing.
+Benjamin Bertrand That's for damn sure.
+Benjamin Bertrand : He did shrug, though.
Nice!
Benjamin Bertrand Reacher hasn’t said anything since getting breakfast at the diner.
@@edmontonboy99 😂😂😂
Tom Cruise is literally a guy that Reacher would melt in real life! How about a book with Reacher tearing through Scientology rescuing people that are held hostage psychologically? THAT would be awesome
Reacher rescues Shelly Miscaviage.
basketca2 I love it, Leah Remini could be his female sidekick in the story!
Right! Tom Cruise is NO Jack Reacher. Lee Child should be insulted.
Lucy Rickard unfortunately Lee Child saw that Hollywood money and sold Jack Reacher down the river
Id fn read that
I’ve been in love with Reacher since he hit the bookshelf. How Tom Cruise was selected to play Reacher, instead of someone like Duane Johnson, I have no idea.
Cruise bought the movie rights to about ten of Child's books...of course he, however inappropriately, would chose to be the lead...As long as you didn't know Jack Reacher, it would have been fine, but those of us who have been reading about him for years...well it was wrong.
I am astounded that otherwise intelligent people still cannot fathom how movies get made. Cruise has a production company that won the bidding for the film rights for several Reacher novels. If Cruise has the film rights, which he paid big bucks for, Cruise stars in the film. Period. Every movie he has ever made since becoming a producer has been the same. So he was not somehow “selected” or cast by someone else. If Duane Johnson was cast, he would not have the character nuance that Cruise brings to the screen. He’d just have the physical presence. The films would have been very different.
Great entertainment! Thank you 🌟
Lee Child+Alan Ritchson=Perfect Reacher🥇💪🏻💯
Fell in love with jack reacher Amazon series. Just started reacher books. Currently on book 2 die trying
This talk was wonderful over my morning breakfast.
Great presentation. Hard to believe it was shot on a single camera, though; a back-up wide angle camera is normally considered essential. Good job with just one camera, though--thanks!
I just gone through 10 Jack Reacher audio books, love them
Sorry....can u send me some of them please
Yep doing the same
Great chat!
2:18 Lee Child pronouncing Antigua correctly. Love this guy twice as much now.
24:32 ... I think that's why Agatha Christie remains such a popular writer, nearly all her mystery novels had a different approach, all the Poirot novels were written a bit differently, same with the Miss Marple. There was never "same old same old" with her...
Love Lee Child novels
Fast forward to 2019 and Lee Child is on board with his readers re: the actor who will portray Reacher in the upcoming TV series. NOT TCruise!
@Richard Burke Alan Ritchson has been cast. Looks just like I imagined Reacher to look! 👍
@@Ozefan2580 too young... :(
@@sarahhiggins7285 Oh I don't know 38, Reacher could quite easily be that age in the earlier books, my problem with the casting is he's far too handsome and not tall or wide enough. I have an inch on this guy and am not as handsome, so I'm a better fit for for the role on two counts :) - Reacher is an implacable 6'5" slab of muscle and definitely not pretty, shame.
I loved the first Jack Reacher movie. It was my first experience of Reacher. It was great :D
I noted the press your pants under the mattress. It's been talked about for many years before his book hit the shelves. Love the Reacher series.
I have watched this new Jack Reacher Season about 5 times. I can't get enough. Ritchson IS Jack Reacher. I'm so in love I'm gonna read the books now cause I got all his expressions and mannerisms down. I CANNOT WAIT til the next season. And watching my favorite author with I suspect my next favorite author has been DIVINE❤🙌
Tom Cruise will always be Reacher.
Oh wow this is great! I would love to have been there at Sanders to see this pair! What a great video!
One of the best one on ones I ever saw....
I wish I had not already read all the Jack Reacher books so I could read a new one.
I for one, have no plan to see the reacher movies played by Cruise. I'm looking forward to the new one coming in February.
Watching Alan Ritchson right now in Reacher. This is exactly what I've been waiting for. Brilliant 👍
If you don't read all the time and write everyday with discipline, don't plan on getting anywhere. Same goes for acting, directing, dancing, painting, singing,
anything that keeps you in flow with your true self.
Even if you don't get published,
because many don't, instead,
give readings at the library, at meetups, on-line, so people hear you, as you will resonate with someone.
Even if you get published, you'll more than likely not have many buy your book, especially nowadays.
But, main thing is, you've freed your heart and spirit.
Both very thin genius guys - considering the amount of sitting and writing they must do.
I think Stephen maintains his thinness deliberately d/t weight-bearing stress issues ever since he was hit by that guy in the van and almost lost his leg.
@@Elphaba1952 ~ True. And, long before that, King always made a habit of walking 5 miles a day. He was on just such a walk when he was hit by that van in June 1999.
OMG! I am over the moon! I have read Under The Dome THREE times, more than any book I've EVER read. It is so GREAT! However, after the 1st TV episode of it I quit watching it. It turned the book upside down. And to hear SK even ALLUDE to the fact that it was not to be confused with the tv show made me feel so vindicated. Yes film truly served The Shawshank Redemption and The Green Mile beautifully, no doubt about that, but it really bombed with UTD and I am so happy that SK seems to know that.
+Violet Miller Oh yes, SK hated the way CBS treated UTD... but he acknowledged that turning a book with a beginning, middle, and end, into a series with no real time frame, is very hard... but the things CBS did to that poor book should never have happened...
+AntiHoplophobia Thank you! I watched the first episode and I was like WTF? A main character who was INSIDE the dome they had OUTSIDE and it was SO messed up. I have Hulu and I hear thy are doing a serial or some kind of treatment of 11-22-63, which I have also read THREE times. I am so hoping they'll do it justice. Under The Dome could have been SO GREAT. Look how wonderful Shawshank and The Green Mile turned out. Shame on CBS.
Violet Miller Well, a movie is easier to do from a novel than a TV series is... but still, you're right... I'm reading "The Bazaar of Bad Dreams" right now, it's damn good of course... although I do prefer his novels to his short stories... can't WAIT for 11/22/63 to come out... and WHEN is The Dark Tower movie(s) gonna get made?? If Jim Caveziel isn't cast as Roland, I'm gonna have a hard time watching "The Gunslinger"...
+AntiHoplophobia Have I missed something? What is The Bazaar of Bad Dreams? Does he have a new short story collection out? I enjoy those too. Thanks.
Violet Miller Yes, it just came out in early November, and it's a collection of short stories and two poems... some of them have been previously published, though, like "Blockade Billy"... and there's also "Afterlife", which SK read in one of the UA-cam videos out there (it's really good)... but overall, I prefer his novels (as I said before)... his short stories always start well, then end before the plot can be developed... there are some Dark Tower references in the story "Ur", which made it the best of the lot, IMO... so go get it! Time's a'wastin! And let me know what you think, okay?
Jack Reacher: the Lone Ranger, Robin Hood, and Batman all combined. Reacher is fictional character that simply 'feels' real to me; like a guy I just haven't been fortunate to meet outside the pages of one of Mr. Child's novels. I like to think that there really IS a guy like Jack Reacher somewhere out there who wanders around the country like a highly skilled, extremely intelligent, and lethal vagbond rescuing regular folks in need; defending the weak and vulnerable. A character who, if he isn't 'real'? He should be. I've read them all. And they were all fabulous. Thanx Lee!
The trousers under the mattress is an old military trick. I learned it in the Navy in the '70's and it's been going on much longer than that.
What a voice Lee Child has! I doubt I’ve ever heard him before. Very cool discussion.
I’ve read probably three or four of the Reacher books, while not ‘high literature’ they are good books and Reacher is a really good character.
I liked Cruise in the films, while he’s not tall, duh, I get over that easily - he acted well and captured the character.
"That couple of weeks, just last month, turned into forty years." Delightful.
So happy seeing this now after binge watching the new Reacher series two book writing geniuses their discourse cracked me up
King called Michael Clarke Duncan short....Duncan was roughly 6'5".
They still used tricks to make him appear taller.
He looked way taller than David Morse in the movie, and in fact he wasn't.
@@BSFree-es5ml Yes. David Morse is a big guy. I was just taken aback a bit when he called Duncan short. I remember Duncan when he used to bounce at the Century Club--and he was a big guy.
@@BSFree-es5ml Actually, he was taller than David Morse by 3cm. Morse stands at 193cm and Duncan stood at 196cm. Duncan just looked so much bigger even without the special affects used in The Green Mile because he really had a big body frame.
Joe Manganiello for Jack Reacher, guy's an absolute unit at 6' 5".
That actually makes some sense.
Good call.
@@Vinnie-pu9vw But I read yesterday that they have cast some other guy as the new Reacher. He is supposed to be 6'4" and 230 pounds so he's a bit smaller than the literary Reacher. In Hollywood there seems to be a rule that male stars can be 6'4" at most. If you're taller than that you get cast as a monster. The fine actor Paul Bethany is in fact 6'4" but claims to be shorter. He wanted to not be a casting problem in his early career. Many female leads are tiny. The cameramen and directors can make the tall small or the short big but it takes more effort. If you are just starting out it's simpler to be tall but not too tall. There will always be another young hopeful screen actor who fits in the camera's frame with less trouble.
@@Agorante, I’m sure I read somewhere, it was a while ago that Dwayne Johnson was up for the Reacher role, I think this was before they spoke about making a series,
@@Vinnie-pu9vw
Johnson is sadly the wrong race. Otherwise he would be fine. He plays white men but is half Polynesian and half African. He has had some "work' done on his face especially his nose. He's a really good actor - much better than Arnold or the other wrestlers in action flicks. But he is no more a Caucasian than Charlie Chan (Warner Oland) was Chinese. I watch his movies whenever I can. I think he's the number one male actor in Hollywood now.
BTW I'm 6'4". I liked Bruce Lee but Jet Li and Donny Yen are just too tiny for my taste. Johnson requires less "suspension of disbelief". He looks like an athlete and moves like an athlete.
Actually the role of Reacher doesn't require a particularly good actor, so this new one is likely going to be OK.
I have been a steven king fan since I read his 1st book
I started My Reacher Read-a-thon at One Shot. Can't put them down, til I finished it. Love every one so far.
Just watched this, after my father died I discovered he was a big Lee Child fan. And I now totally understand! Just so incredibly views on things.
Why
I liked the first person vs. third person chat. Good on Stephen King for asking about it.
I so much love this. My favorite writers.
So ironic, SK starts talking about a George Carlin bit and they start censoring (7 dirty words)
👍🏽👍🏽