Alan Ritchson Shows Off Jaw-Dropping Underwater Stamina in New ‘War Machine’ Clip
Netflix’s action film War Machine is making waves, thanks to Alan Ritchson’s incredible physical performance. Ritchson stars as “81,” an Army Ranger hopeful, and a new behind-the-scenes clip shared by Men’s Journal shows just how far the actor went for the role.
Early in the movie, 81 participates in a grueling training exercise where he and other recruits walk along the bottom of a pool while holding heavy weights. The original plan, according to director Patrick Hughes, was for Ritchson to walk just a short distance underwater.
“They said walk as far as you can, but we can cut around you if you need to come up for air,” Ritchson told Men’s Journal. He added, “I said I don’t think I can do this for more than 10 seconds. And I just kept trucking in that shot.”
What happened instead amazed the crew. Ritchson ended up walking the full length of the pool underwater, holding the weights and his breath the entire time. Hughes recalled that during filming, “We had a camera operator who was sort of three-quarters all the way down, and was walking back as Alan walked forward. It was literally an almost two-minute take. Alan ended up walking into the camera operator because he had nowhere to go. That’s when I knew Alan had embodied 81.”
Alan Ritchson really held his breath underwater for 2 minutes while shooting this WAR MACHINE scene 😱 pic.twitter.com/wuII3wMlmB
— Netflix (@netflix) March 11, 2026
Ritchson described the training scenes in War Machine as unlike anything he had experienced before. “We were pushing the envelope with what we were going to put a body through,” he said.
The clip released by Netflix highlights not just the intensity of the scene but also Ritchson’s dedication to performing stunts himself, showing audiences that the film’s action isn’t just special effects, it’s grounded in real physical endurance.
What Ritchson did is insane and incredibly impressive. Walking underwater with weights for nearly two minutes takes serious stamina and focus. What do you think about his underwater stunt in War Machine? Share your thoughts in the comments.