It’s not the first time he’s played a Jack, and it’s the second time he’s playing Jack Reacher. This Sunday night Tom Cruise returns as the character created by author Lee Child in the action-packed Jack Reacher: Never Go Back. A sequel to the 2012 film, Cruise is sure to deliver sensational stunts and witty wisecracks.
In honour of Jack Reacher exploding onto M-Net this Sunday, we decided to look at eight more iconic Jacks in movies.
- Jack Bauer – 24
We’re meant to be sticking to movies, but Kiefer Sutherland made the role of Jack Bauer so iconic, it would be wrong to leave him out. Through nine seasons and a TV movie, Bauer kept us on the edge of our seats as he raced against the clock.
- Jack Dawson – Titanic
Leonardo DiCaprio infused Jack Dawson with the perfect amount of wit and charm, sweeping Kate Winslet’s Rose DeWitt Bukater off her feet while wiping the smug smiles off the faces of her rigid mother and conceited fiancé.
- Jack Ryan
Created by author Tom Clancy the fictional character first made the leap from book to big screen in The Hunt for Red October, portrayed by Alec Baldwin. The military man-cum-CIA agent has since been portrayed by Harrison Ford, Ben Affleck and Chris Pine on the big screen, with John Krasinski set to take on the role for TV.
- Jack Shephard – Lost
Another TV Jack to land on our list, we think it’s a combination of exceptional television and exceptional leading man that secures his spot. No stranger to TV, having been an integral cast member in Party of Five in the ‘90s, Matthew Fox made something of a comeback when he crash-landed on the mysterious island as reluctant hero Dr. Jack Shephard.
- Jack Skellington – The Nightmare Before Christmas
When you’re bored with planning Halloween year in and year out, what’s a guy to do but kidnap Sandy Claws and take over Christmas? That’s just what spooky yet sweet Jack Skellington does in this darkly joyous stop-motion animation – packed with festive and freaky songs – created by Tim Burton and directed by Henry Selick.
- Jack Sparrow – Pirates of the Caribbean
It’s Captain Jack Sparrow, and on your own head be it should you forget! Johnny Depp took a clichéd, copy-and-paste pirate and turned him into a work of comedic art, drawing inspiration from Pepe Le Pew and Keith Richards. Depp’s creation – boots, gold teeth, kohl-lined eyes and all – was so unforgettable he went from supporting role in the first film, to carrying the franchise through many sequels.
- Jack Torrance – The Shining
“Here’s Johnny!” screeches Jack Torrance after wreaking havoc on a door in one of the film’s most iconic scenes. Even though Stephen King, who wrote the book upon which the film is based, wasn’t a fan of the adaptation by Stanley Kubrick, the film has cemented its place in cinematic history, thanks in part to Jack Nicholson’s eerily malignant portrayal of Jack Torrance.
- Jack Traven – Speed
Neo, John Wick…there’s no denying these names are synonymous with Keanu Reeves. The name Jack Traven may not be recalled quite as easily, but Speed was definitely one of Reeves’ most important films, so we thought Jack Traven deserved a spot on this list.
Watch Tom Cruise as Jack Reacher in Jack Reacher: Never Go Back, your Sunday night movie on 20 August at 20:05 on M-Net.
Know all the Jacks and want to watch someone with another name? We’ve got two more Sunday night movie selections for you.
At 20:30 on M-Net Movies, watch Bruce Willis as Leonard Turner in Extraction.
At 22:45 on M-Net, watch Dev Patel as Indian mathematician Srinivasa Ramanujan in The Man Who Knew Infinity.