Sydelle Noel Almost Portrayed Neagley Before Landing Her Role in Season 4 of Reacher
Season 4 of Prime Video’s popular series Reacher features Sydelle Noel as Tamara Green, although the actress originally auditioned for a different significant role.
“I hadn’t watched Reacher before [season 4], but I was aware of the Tom Cruise connection with the [Jack Reacher] films. I had previously auditioned for a role in Reacher and didn’t land it,” Noel, 41, shared exclusively with Us.
Noel disclosed that she was in the running for the character Neagley, which ultimately went to Maria Sten. Neagley is a skilled former U.S. Army master sergeant and private investigator, known as Reacher’s dependable ally in challenging situations.
Reacher, which airs on Wednesdays, is adapted from the Jack Reacher book series by Lee Child. The show stars Alan Ritchson as the main character, who is a self-styled drifter and ex-U.S. Army military police officer with exceptional strength, intelligence, and skills. As he travels, Reacher encounters dangerous criminals and confronts them head-on.
“Honestly, it was probably a tough choice for the casting directors,” Noel remarked about the competitive selection process. “I didn’t watch it, but I heard good things. When season 4 came, I received a call from [creator] Nick Santora to read for this role, and I thought, ‘Do I really want to go through this again?’”
After reading the script, Noel had a change of heart and said, “I realized it was sort of made for me, so it was exciting.”
Season 4 draws inspiration from the 2009 novel Gone Tomorrow, which follows Reacher as he witnesses a suicide on a New York subway. The official synopsis reveals that Reacher “soon discovers that the woman who took her own life was Pentagon staffer Susan Mark, entangled in a larger deadly conspiracy involving a corrupt politician, Al Qaeda terrorists, and numerous murders.”
“When I auditioned for my role, I thought, ‘This is me,’” Noel remarked about portraying Tamara Green, a detective with the Philadelphia Police Department. “Nick said, ‘Yeah, remember how much you ran? You told me you ran track!’ And I was like, ‘I actually prefer this role.’ I’m thrilled to have been cast as Tamara.”
Alongside Noel and Ritchson, 43, season 4 features Christopher Marquette, Agnez Mo, Anggun, and Kevin Corrigan. Noel was excited to challenge herself on screen as her character takes to the field with Reacher.
“I have a motto: ‘Stay ready so you don’t have to get ready.’ I truly believe in that. I tweaked my routine since once I received all the scripts, I thought, ‘This is going to be intense,’” she continued, reflecting on the physical demands of her character. “I work out daily, and I adjusted my workout regimen. I had nearly two months — or maybe a month and a half — to get ready before heading to Toronto. I started lifting heavier weights and restructured my meal plan. I returned to CrossFit, increased my weightlifting, and incorporated running, but overall, I just made minor adjustments.”
Noel was also inspired by the opportunity to work alongside Ritchson.
“It posed a great challenge because, like him, I strive for perfection. Alan doesn’t mind how many takes a scene needs; if it’s not right, we’ll redo it,” she explained. “I’m very much the same way. Watching Alan perform, particularly with his stunts and fight scenes, was motivating — I felt I needed to match his level and deliver the same quality.”
Reacher airs on Wednesdays on Prime Video.
