5. Jack Ryan
Alec Baldwin brought him to the big screen before Harrison Ford immortalised him in the classified records of film, and both Ben Affleck and Chris Pine followed up with their own versions of the classic Tom Clancy character, but there’s little to deny that this is one spy who gets the job done.
Jack Ryan has often been a character whose guile and determination is something that can instantly strike a chord with the audience and create successful multiple outings. The talent providing the personality of Ryan himself have all added that special edge to what are admittedly impressively structured films and have no doubt inspired others that have followed.
When you think of movies such as The Hunt for Red October, Clear and Present Danger and Patriot Games, you are suddenly in the presence in some of the greatest thrillers of the 90s, and Jack Ryan’s persona is central to that success.
