LEE & ANDREW CHILD | The Making of a Masculine Icon
Order of Man
Ryan Michler
4.8 • 9K Ratings
🗓️ 11 February 2025
⏱️ 75 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
You may not immediately recognize the names, Lee and Andrew Child, but I bet you know the name, Jack Reacher. Lee is the creator of Jack Reacher and Andrew is now the man who will carry on the legacy of the man who all of us want to be like.
Today, I am joined by the iconic and legendary duo and authors of the Jack Reacher series. We talk about so much including the nature of men, the power of good storytelling (whether you’re a fictional author or just want to be a good dad), the “Robin Hood Myth,” the future of good literature in modern times, and how much individual personality goes into creating a character who will last.
SHOW HIGHLIGHTS
00:40 - The Power of 'J' in Protagonist Names
01:35 - Why 'J' Names Dominate Thriller Heroes
02:51 - The Science Behind Compelling Character Names
03:28 - Sherlock Holmes vs. Jack Reacher
04:52 - How Film Adaptations Alter Characters
06:20 - The Challenge of Casting Jack Reacher
07:32 - Tom Cruise vs. Alan Ritchson as Reacher
08:42 - Creating the Physical Presence of Reacher
09:53 - Transitioning the Jack Reacher Series
11:01 - The Natural Evolution of a Character
12:52 - How Personal Experiences Shape Fictional Characters
15:22 - The Organic Transition of Writing Reacher
16:45 - How Readers Shape Character Perceptions
18:54 - Balancing Character Description and Reader Imagination
20:13 - The Power of Storytelling in Fiction
22:07 - The Evolutionary Purpose of Storytelling
23:21 - Showing Virtue Through Action in Fiction
25:09 - Fiction as a Release Valve for Frustrations
27:00 - The Role of Storytelling in Managing Emotions
29:12 - Vigilantism, Justice, and Society’s Reaction
31:45 - The Modern Robin Hood Myth
33:01 - Exploring Moral Ambiguity in Fiction
35:05 - Why Flawed Heroes Are More Compelling
36:33 - Reacher’s Moral Code and the Power of Choice
37:44 - What Sets Reacher Off?
39:12 - Why Not Let Reacher Die?
40:40 - The Author’s Duty to the Readers
42:30 - Balancing Creativity and Reader Expectations
45:03 - How Reader Trends Have Changed Over 30 Years
46:55 - Predicting Cultural Trends in Thriller Novels
49:03 - The Enduring Theme of the Underdog vs. the Bully
51:37 - Avoiding Heavy-Handed Messaging in Fiction
54:01 - Respecting the Reader’s Intelligence
56:11 - The Economic Unfairness Theme in Modern Fiction
58:19 - The Robin Hood Story Still Resonates Today
01:00:17 - Writing Convincing Villains
01:02:29 - Lee Child on Letting Go of Reacher
01:04:26 - Andrew’s Perspective on Taking Over the Series
01:06:39 - The Blue-Collar Work Ethic in Writing
01:07:08 - Final Thoughts and Farewell
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Transcript
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| 0:00.0 | You may not immediately recognize the names Lee and Andrew Child, but I bet you know the name Jack |
| 0:06.0 | Reacher. Lee is the creator of Jack Reacher and Andrew is now the man who will carry on the legacy |
| 0:11.6 | of the man who all of us, frankly, want to be like. Today I'm joined by the iconic and |
| 0:17.8 | legendary duo and authors of the Jack Reacher series. We talk about so much |
| 0:24.1 | including the nature of men, the power of good storytelling, whether you're a fictional |
| 0:29.5 | author or just want to be a good dad, the quote-unquote Robin Hood myth, the future of good |
| 0:35.8 | literature in modern times, and how much individual personality goes |
| 0:40.5 | into creating a character who will last. You're a man of action. You live life to the fullest. |
| 0:46.4 | Embrace your fears and boldly chart your own path. When life knocks you down, you get back up |
| 0:51.6 | one more time, every time. You are not easily deterred or defeated rugged |
| 0:56.4 | resilient strong this is your life this is who you are this is who you will become at the end of the |
| 1:03.7 | day and after all is said and done you can call yourself a man gentlemen welcome to the Order of Man podcast. |
| 1:13.1 | My name is Ryan Mickler. |
| 1:14.5 | I'm your host and the founder of this movement. |
| 1:17.0 | And I want to welcome you here. |
| 1:18.5 | We are off to a very, very good 2025. |
| 1:22.5 | I'm not putting that on me. |
| 1:24.3 | I'm putting that on you. |
| 1:26.3 | I want to thank you for tuning in and listening and |
| 1:28.6 | banding with us and coming to our events and joining the Iron Council and believing in not only |
| 1:33.9 | this mission of reclaiming and restoring masculinity, but most importantly, applying it in your life. |
| 1:40.5 | That is the one thing above everything else that I wanted to do when I started this movement |
... |
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