Hall of Fame: Jack Ryan
Jack Ryan may be the greatest hero in fake American history. He has been protecting the country and the world from the evils of international terrorism and other assholes since his first film appearance back in 1990. Every character wants to be the American James Bond but Jack Ryan isn’t it; he’s something more. He’s Bond with a touch of diplomacy. A Bond with more to lose. And more importantly, a Bond with something very special…a spot in the Bulletproof Action Hall of Fame!
The character of Jack Ryan on film and television is a Who’s Who of popular male actors. It’s a sign of the times, really. Alec Baldwin, Harrison Ford, Ben Affleck, Chris Pine, and John Krasinski have all suited up in their best tie and bulletproof vest to portray the world-traveling American C.I.A. man. No matter which of these white dudes wore that classic hairstyle, the lasting effects of their portrayals has done enough to keep the character relevant for a new generation. And they’ve done that by adhering to the principles as written by Tom Clancy.
Loyalty: The loyalty of Jack Ryan to his country can never be questioned. He has gone through enough craziness, constantly putting himself and his family at risk, to ensure the safety of a country that always seems to screw him over.
Duty: Any person who dedicates themselves enough that they work for the C.I.A. certainly holds the ideal of duty to one’s nation in high esteem. I, myself, have always been happiest knowing that I was serving something greater than myself. I like to remember the words of the assassinated Indian politician Indira Gandhi: “People tend to forget their duties but not their rights.” There is no doubt that Jack Ryan has not forgotten his duties.
Honor: In noun form, honor has a couple of meanings. First off, it means high respect or esteem. The second, which I tend to use more, is privilege. Honorable men such as Jack Ryan are connected with the word honor more as a verb, though. In that case, we’ll say that honor is defined as ‘to regard with high respect’ or to ‘fulfill an obligation’. I’m telling you this because Jack Ryan is an honorable man. He fulfills his obligations and holds his position as a privilege. He also holds that position in high esteem. He’s essentially a walking definition of the word honor.
Integrity: If you learned anything from Clear and Present Danger it has to be that Jack Ryan is a man of great integrity. He puts his own life at risk to correct some of the mistakes by war-mongering politicians and never leaves a dangerous job to be done by others if possible.
Service: I like to think that this is Jack Ryan’s greatest attribute. No matter the incarnation, no matter the film, Jack is a poster boy for his service toward his country. His family probably gets tired of nearly dying every movie but you can’t say that Ryan isn’t dedicated to his profession. Lucky for us, his profession is keeping us safe, and the least that we can do while he waits for his random star on a wall at the C.I.A. headquarters is swear him into the BPA Hall of Fame.
