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Following the same impressive success ofReacherSeasons 1 and 2, the third season of the series broke onto screens with aperfect Rotten Tomatoes score. The highly anticipatedReacherSeason 3 premiered on August 04, 2025, with its first three episodes. With a somewhat disappointing second season that saw Reacher veer away from one of his core characteristics, Season 3 had a lot to make up for.
If the first three episodes of the season are anything to go by, it appears as if the new season is doing everything right, especially in adhering to a narrative that sticks more faithfully to Reacher’s lone wolf, solitary persona. Season 3 has introduced new challenges, new villains, and thrilling action, with Reacher left on his own to tackle it all. While the season has established that the series' protagonist willface off against multiple foes,one of the most interesting and impressive antagonists of the latest season is the towering giant Paulie.
Who Plays Paulie in ‘Reacher’ Season 3?
Taking on the role ofthe formidable PaulieinReacherSeason 3 is former bodybuilder Olivier Richters. Acting as a bodyguard and henchman to Zachary Beck (Anthony Hall), one of the antagonists of the season, Paulie is first introduced to viewers at the front gates of Beck’s mansion. From the get-go,viewers are led to understand that Paulie will not, in any way or form, be a friend to Reacher. In fact, within only the first three episodes of the season, the duo had butted heads multiple times.
Although starring on screens now,Paulie’s Olivier Richters first gained fame in the bodybuilding field. Regarded as one of the tallest in the history of the sport, Dutch-born Richter is now widely known as ‘The Dutch Giant,’ even being certified as the world’s tallest professional bodybuilder by Guinness World Records in 2021. However, the bodybuilder’s journey has not been easy.
At the start of his career, doctors discovered that Richters had a condition that caused his rib cage to develop with an inward curve, making his heart smaller than it should have been. Corrective surgery involved breaking his ribs. Coming out of his ordeal, Richters was severely underweight but refused to let this deter him. Now one of the most renowned names in the sport, the bodybuilder reportedly eats between 6000 and 7000 calories to fuel his massive frame.
Where Have Audiences Seen Olivier Richters Before?
Richters' life trajectory has seen him go from humble beginnings in the Netherlands to the glittering lights of Hollywood. Now, in addition to his stellar reputation in bodybuilding, Richters also has a promising career.Having first entered the acting industry in the late 1990s, Richters held minor roles in TV series. Despite this, his acting career did not truly take off until 2018 when he took on a role inRavers.
Since starring in the horror-comedy in 2018, Richters has gone on to take on more substantive roles, which may be why the actor seems so familiar toReacherviewers. Richters has previously appeared in films such asKnuckledust(2020) as the character Rawbone,Black Widow(2021) as Ursa Major,The King’s Man(2021) as Huge Machinery Shack Guard, andIndiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny(2023) as Hauke. To date, his role as Hauke is Richters' biggest in a film. The actor took on the role of a Neo-Nazi enforcer of Mads Mikkelsen’s Jürgen Voller in the film.
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In 2024, Richters appeared in the action/sci-fi filmBorderlandsas Krom, the leader of the bandits ruling Pandora. However, unfortunately for the Dutch Giant, the film was abox office bomb, scoring a meager 10% on Rotten Tomatoes. In addition to his roles in films, Richters has also appeared in an episode ofGangs of London,where he played the character Duncan. However,ReacherSeason 3 is Richters' biggest TV series role to date. His performance as Paulie will undoubtedly open many more lucrative doors in the entertainment field for the former bodybuilder.
Paulie Takes Away One of Reacher’s Biggest Trump Cards in ‘Reacher’ Season 3
Richter’s size is what gives his character, Paulie, the ability to take away one of Reacher’s biggest strengths inReacherSeason 3. In the previous seasons of the show, Reacher had an advantage over his adversaries owing to his stature. Standing at 6 feet 3 inches, Ritchson’s Reacher dwarfed many of the villains he faced off. However, with the introduction of Richter’s Paulie, this trump card is taken away from the series' protagonist. With Richter being 7 feet and 2 inches, his character stands close to a foot taller than Reacher, making Reacher the smaller opponent, size-wise, in the latest season. Speaking of putting Ritchson and Richters together,author Lee Child said:
“When I saw them together, there was zero CGI and zero clever camera angles. That is exactly what Olivier looks like. The guy is enormous, and I wanted to give Reacher a challenge and immediately it’s a visual challenge.”
However, size is not the only advantage that Paulie has over Reacher. The character also has a military background, albeit not having a stellar career. Chapman Duke (Donald Sales), Beck’s head of security, reveals that Paulie, similarly to Reacher, served in the army. He also states that Paulie hates officers, indicating that Paulie did not serve as an officer. This is supported by the source text, withPersuaderestablishing that Paulie was a soldier. Although dishonorably discharged from the army for reportedly punching a captain’s eye out of its socket, Paulie’s military background makes him a strong opponent to Reacher in terms of combat skills.
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Despite Paulie’s strengths, Reacher holds his own, relying not on his stature but his wit to do so. Reacher establishes his dominance by mocking Paulie’s intellect. For example, when Duke confirms that Paulie was not an officer in the army, Reacher comments that it is likely that Paulie did not pass the Officer Candidate Exam or, in fact, may not have even been able to spell out OCS at all. Evidently, Reacher’s tactic against Paulie is to continuously imply that the character is all brawn and no brain. This is a tad ironic as Reacher steadfastly defended Neagley when officers discriminated against her.Reacheris available to stream onPrime Video, with new episodes airing every Thursday at 12 AM PT/3 AM ET.
