Jack Ryan Power Rankings: The Ultimate Matrix

Jack Ryan is back! America’s tweedy, Irish Catholic, boy scout answer to James Bond rides again — this time in a brand new Prime Video series called Tom Clancy’s Jack Ryan. The show? I won’t even bother reviewing it. Because the show doesn’t matter as much as John Krasinski‘s go as Jack Ryan does. The Office alum is the fifth actor to take on the role of Jack Ryan — after The Hunt For Red October‘s Alec Baldwin, Patriot Games and Clear and Present Danger‘s Harrison Ford, The Sum of All Fears‘ Ben Affleck, and Jack Ryan: Shadow Recruit‘s Chris Pine — but is he the best? I’m here to find out.

Okay, so I have never read a Jack Ryan book, but I have seen all the movies and I have a lot in common with the fictional character. Like Jack Ryan, I am a scrappy Irish Catholic nerd from the mid-Atlantic, raised by a veteran father and a nurse mother, and educated in Boston. (Though I went to Boston University, not Boston College. Go Terriers.) Between the ages of 18 and 29, my brother-in-law, a high-ranking intelligence officer based in DC, kept trying to sell me on quitting writing to sign up as a CIA analyst. I guess he thought I’d be good at it because I have so much in common with a Tom Clancy character or something. But I gave up the opportunity to be the female Jack Ryan to write goofy blogposts about superhero butts, and now here we are.

When I watch a Jack Ryan adaptation, I know what I’m looking for in the character: I want him to be just like me, but a guy, and perfect. He’s got to be recognizably Irish American, crippled by Irish Catholic guilt, nerdy, “marine”-y, heroic, “good at running,” sexy, wholesome, normie, and able to believably take the office of President after a horrifying terrorist attack. (Yes, Jack Ryan becomes President that way in the books.)

With that in mind, I went through the five live-screen versions of Jack Ryan and assessed each actor’s ability to inhabit all of Jack Ryan’s Jack Ryan-ness.

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Most Irish American?

As a mostly proud Irish American, I am allowed to appraise actors based on how well they portray the classic cultural nuances of my people. Contrary to popular belief, most Irish Americans aren’t redheaded drunks with Boston accents. They are, in my experience, usually closer to what we call “Black Irish,” with pale skin, dark hair, and beady eyes, or Irish-German mutts. (REMEMBER I CAN SAY ALL THIS BECAUSE I’M IRISH AMERICAN.) Irish Americans also usually have a fascination with WASP culture, but intense pride for the boys back home, and “back home” doesn’t mean Ireland, but the local volunteer fire department that your uncle hangs out at instead of being at home.

WHICH JACK RYAN IS THE MOST IRISH AMERICAN?

For me, it’s neck and neck between Alec Baldwin and Ben Affleck. Both have that blowsy Black Irish thing going for them. I’m going to give the edge to Alec Baldwin though. His Jack Ryan is the most recognizably Irish American.

Most Irish Catholic?

Note: this is very different than being just Irish American!!! Being Irish Catholic is a hyper-specific mood. It’s a mood cloaked by the scent of midnight mass incense and defined by crippling guilt. Irish Catholics are defined by a self-immolating sense of honor, and a propensity to stick up too much for their drunk friends and embarrassing family members. This is where you get the Father O’Malleys and Sister Mary Francises of stereotypical Irish Catholic storytelling, along with a lot of Catholic graveyards and Hail Marys. I want to believe these Jack Ryans were altar servers and that they were good at it. Amen.

WHICH JACK RYAN IS THE MOST IRISH CATHOLIC?

I think this is John Krasinski, hands down. It’s not because we see him pray or anything, but because the self-loathing jumps off the screen. Plus, he’s the one Jack Ryan I can see narc-ing on his fellow altar servers for taking an extra communion wafer.

Most Nerdy?

Jack Ryan is supposed to be super smart, almost annoyingly so. You could almost say he’s supposed to be a nerd.

WHICH JACK RYAN IS THE MOST NERDY?

This is tough because we’re usually told how smart Jack Ryan is on screen as opposed to being shown how smart he is, but I’m going to go with Chris Pine‘s Jack Ryan. We meet him at the super nerdy London School for Economics. That’s a nerd school, yo.

Most “Marine”-y?

In addition to being a CIA analyst and Wall Street stock broker, Jack Ryan is a former marine. That means he’s tough. That means he’s all-American, too. He’s a tough, American patriot who won’t back down.

WHICH JACK RYAN IS THE MOST “MARINE”-Y?

I’m going to be completely honest and say that none of the actors playing Jack Ryan exude the careful self-discipline I associate with the former marines in my personal life, but Ford’s gruff, “take no shit” attitude comes the closest. >Harrison Fordwins this round.

Most Heroic?

In my opinion, this is one of the easiest Jack Ryan attributes to define. He’s a hero. He always catches the bad guy and he always saves the day.

WHICH JACK RYAN IS THE MOST HEROIC?

To wit, this is also a no-brainer. Harrison Ford is the most heroic Jack Ryan in my estimation. In both Patriot Games and Clear and Present Danger, he is a man of action who is always physically up in the villain’s business. Go Harrison Ford, go.

Most “Good At Running?”

Maybe this isn’t that important, but I remember Chris Pine running a bunch in the last Jack Ryan movie. Krasinski also runs. Harrison Ford is running in half the promo photos for both his Jack Ryan movies. There’s a lot of running and rushing involved when you’re Jack Ryan.

WHICH JACK RYAN IS THE MOST “GOOD AT RUNNING?”

I have to give it to Chris Pine because he made me think of this category. Plus, as a runner, I have to admire his runner’s stride. He’s got some good form.

Most Sexy?

Oof. This is where we get personal. The thing is that sex appeal is a deeply quirky thing, and it comes down to aesthetics, styling, swagger, and…okay, fine, I’ll say it: 1990 Alec Baldwin was a fox. He was a stone cold dirty fox and he has a sleazy sensuality that none of these other guys exhibit in their turns as Jack Ryan.

WHICH JACK RYAN IS THE MOST SEXY?

It’s Alec Baldwin! Like I said! Are you happy? Should I shrink away and live in a ditch forever with my secret shame?!?

Most Wholesome?

Jack Ryan is a nice man, okay? He’s a nice man who will stand up for what’s right and do things the old fashioned way. You can count on Jack Ryan. He’s a solid guy who loves his wife, his kids, and his country. He is Mr. Wholesome.

WHICH JACK RYAN IS THE MOST WHOLESOME?

Honestly, all of the actors do a good job of selling us on Jack Ryan’s utter boy-next-door-grown-up schtick, but I have to give the edge to Harrison Ford. Sure, he’s the only one who gets to be Jack Ryan: family man, but he’s also the only one I can believe as a family man. (There’s something archaically wholesome about having to protect your kids.)

Most Normie?

This is a category proposed by my illustrious editor, Mark Graham, because he believes the most “Jack Ryan” part of Jack Ryan is his utter normalcy. Like, this is just supposed to be a boring dude caught up in all these adventures. He’s someone you see at Starbucks or he holds the elevator door open for you when you’re running a little behind. He’s just a dude, dude.

WHICH JACK RYAN IS THE MOST NORMIE?

With his standard-issue lanyard and bike route to work, John Krasinski‘s Jack Ryan is by far and away the most normie of the bunch.

Most Likely To Passably Be President of the United States After a Terrorist Attack?

So a funny thing about Jack Ryan…he becomes President of the United States after a terrorist attack in the books. Later, he’s elected to the position. That’s right: Jack Ryan was a political leader of men. He has the poise and bearing to protect America and preserve the Constitution.

WHICH JACK RYAN IS THE MOST LIKELY TO PASSABLY BE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES AFTER A TERRORIST ATTACK?

To me, there’s only one answer: Air Force One‘s Commander-in-Chief, Harrison Ford.

Most…Jack Ryan?

So which actor is the “Ultimate Jack Ryan?” Well, we tallied the scores and the answer is clear. Harrison Ford, your dad’s favorite actor, is our favorite Jack Ryan.

Tom Clancy’s Jack Ryan premieres on Prime Video tomorrow. 

Where to Stream Tom Clancy's Jack Ryan