Alan Ritchson explains how losing “Smallville” spinoff became the ‘best loss’ for his career

Kathleen PerriconeThu, July 23, 2026 at 9:44 PM UTC

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Alan Ritchson’s acting debut was Aquaman on ‘Smallville’ in 2006Credit: Sergei Bachlakov/The WB; John Nacion/GettyKey Points -

Alan Ritchson’s debut role as Aquaman on Smallville in 2005 led to an opportunity for his own spinoff on The WB.

Ritchson was canned before the pilot, yet it “was the best loss that I could have ever asked for,” he said.

“It just [helped] me navigate this business in a more grounded way,” he explained on the Happy Sad Confused podcast.

Alan Ritchson’s big break in Hollywood opened a door that quickly slammed shut, yet there was a heroic ending.

In 2005, the Reacher star made his acting debut as Arthur Curry aka Aquaman on Smallville, the WB’s Superman series about Clark Kent’s formative teen years. Ritchson’s single episode set a ratings record, prompting network execs to offer the unknown actor his own superhero spinoff — an opportunity that washed away with the subsequent WB-UPN merger.

“What happened behind the scenes for me was the best loss that I could have ever asked for,” he revealed to Josh Horowitz on the Happy Sad Confused podcast. “It was a blessing in disguise.”

Alan Ritchson’s Aquaman saves Lois Lane (Erica Durance) from drowning on ‘Smallville’Credit: Sergei Bachlakov/The WB

When Ritchson first stepped foot on the set of Smallville, a year after he competed on American Idol,  “I didn’t know what I was doing at all,” he admitted.

To help him, the network hired an acting coach who “would fight all the time” with the show’s director. “I was wholly confused the entire time... I didn’t know what I was doing, coasting on instincts.”

That natural intuition kept his head level amid Aquaman negotiations when WB execs assured Ritchson “you’re going to be the next big thing.”

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Once the networks merged into The CW, “The president of UPN took over and he looks at the slate of shows they’re developing and he’s like, ‘who the hell is this guy with no resume getting his own show,’” Ritchson recalled to Horowitz. “Long, long story short they ended up coming back actually at one point because they couldn’t find anybody else.”

Ritchson was cut from Aquaman a second time when soap star Justin Hartley was cast as the young superhero with marine telepathy. A pilot episode was shot, but ultimately never aired.

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The rollercoaster taught Ritchson a valuable lesson about “losing what felt like a sure thing.”

“Until you’re in front of the camera… until it’s done and in the can and in front of audiences, nothing is a sure thing in this business,” he told Horowitz. “I learned to hold so loosely to every opportunity that came to where I would never get too excited, you know… It just [helped] me navigate this business in a more grounded way. And I learned that right out of the gate with a real tough loss.”

Check out Alan Ritchson’s full interview with Josh Horowitz on Happy Sad Confused.

on Entertainment Weekly

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