Alan Ritchson Says He Faces Criticism from Fellow Christians Over His ‘Unmarried’ Sex Scenes in Reacher

Alan Ritchson is revealing how his faith intersects with his acting career.

The actor, 42, hasn’t shied away from talking about his religion in the past, making it known that he is a devout Christian. Ritchson told GQ Magazine that his fans who also practice the religion often have conflicting feelings about the roles he plays on TV — particularly when it comes to his Prime Video series Reacher.

“People have this weird relationship with fictional characters and sort of equate that to the real human being,” he explained. “I don’t have that problem, making that distinction. I get criticized a lot by Christians who are like, ‘How dare you have an unmarried sex scene on TV and then talk about Jesus?’”

“I’m sorry — I doubt that’s going to be part of the conversation when I’m standing at the pearly gates!” he added.

Ritchson, who has been starring as titular character Jack Reacher in the action series since 2022, opened up to The Hollywood Reporter last year about his faith. 

“I’m a Christian quite simply because of what Jesus calls us to do,” he said. “Love other people until death. It doesn’t mean we’re all to be hung on a cross, but how can I suffer for you? That is a beautiful thing.”

Reflecting on his decision to start sharing how he lives his life as a Christian several years ago, Ritchson said he remembered telling his wife “that it could be the last time I worked in this business.”

Now, given the current political climate, Ritchson admitted that his personal values do not always align with those of his fellow Christians. He said he believes some people who practice the religion have “become the most vitriolic tribe,” which he feels is “so antithetical to what Jesus was calling us to be and to do.”

Ritchson’s brutal honesty doesn’t just apply to his personal life. Maria Sten, who also stars in Reacher, told GQ that Ritchson is just as straightforward on set.

“He says what he means and he means what he says, very much like Reacher in a lot of ways,” she revealed, comparing him to his character. “A lot of people try to sugarcoat things to make it sound pretty or correct. But, Reacher’s gonna Reacher and Alan’s gonna Alan.”

Never miss a story — sign up for PEOPLE’s free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer​​, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.

The first three episodes of Reacher season 3 are now streaming on Prime Video. New episodes drop every Thursday at 3 a.m. ET/12 a.m. PT.