A chat with JOHN KIRASINSKI: A look at Tom Clancy’s Jack Ryan: Ghost War

(Image courtesy of Prime Video)

1. QUESTION: How does it feel to play Jack Ryan again?

   
   

JOHN KRASINSKI: It’s incredible. Honestly, I think this is the time I’ve enjoyed playing this role the most. It’s been a completely different experience. The series had a different narrative approach; it was a long-form series and took longer to shoot. With the film,

we felt that the audience already knows the characters, and we’ve been able to play around more with the classic three-act structure.

2. What do you like about this character that made you want to play him again?

   
   

   JOHN KRASINSKI: I’ve always liked the idea that Jack Ryan exists, that there’s someone human, principled and real out there, on the front line, being a true hero, rather than someone in a cape or with superpowers. It’s inspiring to think that, whatever happens in the world, for better or for worse, there’s always someone fighting for justice and order.

   
   

3. QUESTION: Tell us a bit about Jack and Greer’s story in the film.

   
   

JOHN KRASINSKI: My favourite part of making this series is working with this cast. They are the best actors, without a doubt. They are the most decent, kind and brilliant people I have ever met. For me, the real love story of Jack Ryan has always been, at its core, that of Greer and Jack. It’s an almost brotherly bond that has been forged over the course of the four seasons. There has been a lot of affection, and also many shared lessons and insights. At this point in their lives, they both feel quite secure in their convictions. And in this film, you realise that those convictions come into conflict. For the first time, we see Jack and Greer fully express how they feel and openly disagree on how things should be done.

4. How have you raised the bar for the action sequences in this

   film?

   
   

   JOHN KRASINSKI: In many ways, we’ve raised the bar in every single aspect of the narrative. In a feature-length format, no matter how much action there is, you still have eight hours of story to tell. So the action is spread out over the entire season. In a film, you get that sense of a countdown, like a ticking time bomb, where the action sequences are woven into the story in a more dynamic, frenetic and intense way. I think, in a way, our action sequences are better than ever because we can concentrate them into a more compact story.

   
   

5. What do you hope will resonate with the audience as they watch this film?

   
   

   JOHN KRASINSKI: I hope the audience connects with Jack Ryan for the same reasons I do: because he’s a real person on the front line. It’s inspiring to know that there are people willing to risk their lives and face danger head-on, and that they do it for us.

   And the people who are brave enough to do that, well, they deserve a great deal of gratitude.

(This interview was made possible thanks to an invitation from Prime Video’s press office, as part of a joint session for the media and specialist press)