Why Reacher's Alan Ritchson chose to be homeless years before fame

Alan Ritchson now lives his life on the road, taking his family with him wherever filming for Reacher takes them.

But years before he was famous he opted for a unique living situation which equated to him being homeless.

Alan told the Hollywood Reporter that he grew up in a strict home where his parents sent him to daily mass.

As a teen, Alan didn't enjoy the constraints and ran away.

Fiercely independent

"I was fiercely independent and didn’t want my parents paying for anything for me because I felt like it gave them power over me," he said. "I wanted to make my own decisions."

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The actor saved money from working various jobs and bought himself a "crappy" Toyota truck. 

Alan purchased an air mattress and set up home in the truck bed. 

He told the outlet: "I felt like I deserved it because I paid for my phone, insurance and I put gas in my car. I went and lived behind a grocery store in my truck. I slept out there for a long time."

Going home

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Alan eventually returned to his family home but struggled to find work to pay the bills for many years. 

Nowadays he's the star of the Reacher and is financially "very well taken care of."

Family life

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He and his wife, Catherine — who he met in high school — live a nomadic lifestyle with their three boys, Calem, Edan and Amory.

They called Florida their home for the longest time but when he landed his most recent role, things changed. 

On the road

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The couple made a huge decision for the sake of their family and sold up their home for an alternative lifestyle. 

Alan opened up to Men's Health and explained he and Catherine wanted to stay together, no matter where filming for Reacher took him. 

They stay in vacation rentals and hotels when he's working.

"Today, my wife, Cat, and I live with our three boys on the road," he said in 2023. "Being away from my family for long stretches on location was hard on them and me. "So, Cat and I recently sold our Florida house and we now live in Airbnbs and hotels while I'm set."

Their homelife seems a far cry from Alan's childhood with the pair home-schooling their kids and giving them plenty of life lessons. 

One look at their social media pages and it's clear they are loving their travels.