Ranking the Jack Ryan actors: Who played the CIA agent the best?

Since his debut in The Hunt For Red October, Jack Ryan has been one of the most notable heroes of fiction. The late, great Tom Clancy crafted Ryan as a different type of hero, a former soldier whose true gift lay in analyzing data for the CIA. Despite how he preferred being in the office, Ryan would soon find himself in various adventures around the world to defend America and often trying to stop World War III.

Ryan has outlived his creator and risen up to even becoming President of the United States. It’s no surprise he’s appeared in some live-action adaptations with five movies and a TV show. Five actors have played Ryan, each bringing something unique to the part. From worst to best, here’s how they rank in how good they were making a live-action Ryan as compelling as he is in books. 

5. Ben Affleck, The Sum of All Fears

Today, Ben Affleck is well-regarded as a terrific actor and director. However, in 2002, he wasn’t quite as capable at the acting game, mostly relying on his looks and charisma. That made him a tough choice for Ryan in The Sum of All Fears. He lacked the charm and ease his predecessors had given Ryan and was ill-fitted for an intellectual writing reports. He just couldn’t pull off the dramatic scenes well, throwing off what was meant to be a top thriller.

The movie wasn’t awful, but Affleck’s performance as Ryan lacked the energy needed to keep the audience enthralled. Ironically, Affleck today would likely be able to pull off a President Ryan, but he wasn’t quite up to snuff for that role in his younger days. 

4. Chris Pine, Jack Ryan: Shadow Recruit

Jack Ryan: Shadow Recruit can be seen as a waste of potential. It was an original story rebooting the franchise with Chris Pine as Ryan who starts as a soldier before being badly wounded. Pine is great at the action sequences and actually tones it down a bit for the more scholarly agent Ryan. He’s a more action-oriented Ryan with some great set pieces and fine chemistry with co-stars Kiera Knightley and Kevin Costner.

Pine is well-suited for the action scenes even if the stakes don't rise as high as expected. Pine doesn’t try to ape other actors but puts his own stamp on Ryan, and while it may come off as more of a standard action hero, he’s still quite convincing, making this role as much his own as following others. 

3. Alec Baldwin, The Hunt For Red October

As the first actor to play Ryan, Alec Baldwin did a decent job in the role. Granted, The Hunt For Red October was more Sean Connery’s show yet Baldwin fit the part with his handsome looks and intensity. He had a good wit and not bad showing Ryan’s smarts as he figures out what’s happening. The downside is that Baldwin may be just too good-looking for Ryan and went too much into action antics in the finale.

Baldwin was better as the thinking man Ryan, yet with his charisma and good performance, it’s a bit surprising that he only played the role once. Still, he set the tone for all who followed in Ryan being a more “down to Earth” action hero than some expected. 

2. Harrison Ford, Patriot Games & Clear and Present Danger

Compared to Han Solo and Indiana Jones, Jack Ryan may not be as iconic in Harison Ford’s filmography, yet it’s little wonder he so ably played the hero taking on the role in Patriot Games. Ford, of course, played Ryan as much more into action and still a good family man caring for his wife and children in danger. Clear and Present Danger had Ryan delving into a political conspiracy with his big moment not an action piece but telling off the President of the United States in the Oval Office.

The only issue is that Ford is such a huge star that it’s hard to see Ryan as his own character but rather a typical Ford hero. He also seemed a bit older than expected handling the action scenes. Oddly, his Air Force One character was much like the President Ryan of the books as Ford was a great actor in the role, yet it felt more like playing himself than Ryan. 

1. John Krasinski, Jack Ryan

John Krasinski has a distinct advantage over other Jack Ryan actors in that he’s not forced into one film but a Prime Video series. Thus, he gets more time to delve into Ryan and show the man blossoming into a top agent. He handles the action scenes well but where Krasinski truly shines is in the intellectual aspect of Ryan. Some of the best scenes aren’t dodging gunfire but going over data and piecing together reports to figure out what’s really happening.

Krasinski is wonderful, showing Ryan slowly coming out of his “desk jockey” persona into a top action hero yet still relatable. That’s the key to it all; you really get into the character and his struggles, and Krasinski is closest to the book Ryan of any other version to top the list. 

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