John Krasinski Did Jack Ryan Helicopter Stunt For Real After SEAL Goaded Him

John Krasinski reveals he did a death-defying Jack Ryan helicopter stunt for real after a Navy SEAL goaded him. The thriller, based on Tom Clancy’s characters, will return to Prime Video this December after a three-year hiatus. Debuting in 2018, the series stars Krasinski in the titular role as budding CIA analyst Jack Ryan, who finds himself thrust into the action as a field agent. After uncovering a series of suspicious terrorist communications, Ryan must work to save the U.S. against a dangerous international threat. In the season 3 trailer, Ryan is seen falling into the ocean from a helicopter, just one of the many action sequences in store for the next season.

As it turns out, John Krasinski performed the helicopter stunt after being goaded by a Navy SEAL, as he revealed on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert while promoting Jack Ryan season 3. According to Krasinski, the plan was to use a stunt double for the scene, as they had been practicing it all day. However, while they were flying, the SEAL suggested Krasinski do the stunt himself. He agreed, and was thrown out of the helicopter into the water by the SEAL. Read Krasinski’s full description of what went down below:

Colbert: “That really looks like you fell out of that helicopter.”

Krasinski: “That is me, that’s me being thrown out of a helicopter. So what happened was, that morning, they had done that stunt with the stunt team over and over and over. And they were flying me out, in a Black Hawk, to get to the middle of the ocean, slowly drop me down into the water, and then just do the shot of the helicopter pulling away. And as we’re going, one of my favorite parts about doing the show is interacting with the military community. And we were in the Black Hawk with all SEALS. And that gentleman right over there is Kevin Kent, he’s a wonderful guy, and I’ve done four seasons with him…

“But as we were flying, he said, “are you going to do this stunt?”. And I was like, no, they shot it this morning. And he was like, “Yeah, it would look a lot cooler if you did it.” And I was like, Yeah, we didn’t plan for that, so I don’t know what that would look like. And he says, “it would look like me grabbing the seat belt, unbuckling you and throwing you out of this helicopter.” And I was like, I don’t know if I’m going to do that, ,and the camera guy was sitting there like, please don’t do this.

“They hadn’t told any of the producers or anything, and I went, all right let’s do it, and the camera guy jumps up, so he unbuckles me and flew me out of the Black Hawk and the camera guy got it.”

Related: Every Jack Ryan Actor Ranked Worst To Best

What To Expect From Jack Ryan Season 3

Based on the initial trailer and Krasinski’s story, it seems Jack Ryan season 3 will deliver its hallmark action sequences, not only with helicopter stunts, but car chases, shootouts, and more, all featured in the trailer. With filming locations across the globe in countries such as Prague and Russia, season 3 will follow suit with its globe-trotting adventures, now with Ryan on the opposite side of the law. Picking up shortly after the events of season 2, season 3 will see Ryan as a fugitive to the U.S., taking sanctuary overseas in Rome. Now in a race against both time and Russia, Ryan will need to expose the truth about the USSR’s Sokol Project, a secret mission to restore the Soviet Empire all while escaping capture from his former allies.

Jack Ryan season 3 will also see the return of Wendell Pierce as James Greer and Michael Kelly as Mike November, along with new cast member Michael Peña. Peña will play Domingo “Ding” Chavez, a key character that appears in Clancy’s novels. Debuting in 1989, Ding is reportedly getting his own spin-off series once Jack Ryan concludes. Peña will begin as a guest star in season 3 and move to a series regular for season 4. While additional plot details are being kept under wraps, it’s clear that Jack Ryan has used its time wisely during its hiatus to ensure the new season will satisfy fans who have been waiting for its return.

As season 4 is confirmed to be its last, season 3 has the opportunity to redeem the series, as its sophomore season was largely regarded as a disappointment for being too predictable in its storyline. However, given Krasinski’s dedication to the role, which extended to jumping out of a helicopter for it, it seems Jack Ryan’s future will be exciting, and, hopefully, unpredictable to watch unfold.

Next: Air Force One Ruined Harrison Ford’s Best Jack Ryan Comeback Idea Source: The Late Show with Stephen Colbert