| John Ritter | ||||||||||
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 John Ritter at the 1988 Emmy Awards |
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| Birth name | Johnathan Southworth Ritter[1] | |||||||||
| Born | September 17 1948 Burbank, California |
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| Died | September 11 2003 (aged 54) Burbank, California |
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| Other name(s) | Johnny Ritter | |||||||||
| Years active | 1971 – 2003 | |||||||||
| Spouse(s) | Nancy Morgan (1977–1996) Amy Yasbeck (1996–2003) |
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| Children | Jason Ritter (b.1980) Carly Ritter (b.1982) Tyler Ritter (b.1985) Stella Ritter (b.1998) |
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| Parents | Tex Ritter (1905-1974) Dorothy Fay (1915-2003) |
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Johnathan Southworth "John" Ritter[1] (September 17, 1948 – September 11, 2003) was an Emmy and Golden Globe-award winning American actor and comedian best known for his role of Jack Tripper in the sitcom Three's Company.
Contents |
Early life
The son of singing cowboy matinee star Tex Ritter and American actress Dorothy Fay, Ritter was born in Burbank, California, on September 17, 1948. He attended Hollywood High School, where he was Student Body President. He went on to the University of Southern California, where he was a member of the Phi Gamma Delta (FIJI) fraternity, majored in psychology and minored in architecture.
Career
Three's Company
Ritter headlined several stage performances before he was made a star by appearing in the hit sitcom Three's Company (the Americanized version of the 1970s British Thames Television series Man About the House) in 1977, playing a single ladies' man and culinary student, Jack Tripper, who lived with two female roommates. Jack pretended to be gay to keep the landlords appeased over their living arrangement. The show spent several seasons near the top of the TV ratings in the U.S. before ending in 1984. Ritter went on for one more year on the spin-off Three's a Crowd. The original series has been seen continuously in reruns. It is also available on DVD. During the run of the show, he appeared in the feature films Hero At Large, Americathon, and They All Laughed. In 1978, he played Ringo Starr's manager on the television special Ringo, and in 1982, played the voice of Peter Dickinson in Flight of Dragons. Previous to his role in Three's Company, he occasionally appeared in the first five seasons of The Waltons on CBS as the Reverend Matthew Fordwick (1972-1976). He played a disturbed soldier/patient in one episode of M*A*S*H in 1973. He appeared in the Charles Bronson film The Stone Killer alongside Norman Fell. He also guest starred in one episode of The Cosby Show in 1991.
After Three's Company
When Three's Company ended after eight seasons and 172 episodes produced, he appeared in a number of movies, most notably Problem Child. He appeared in the Oscar-winning Sling Blade (almost unrecognizable as the discount store manager) and Noises Off. He starred with Markie Post in the early-1990s sitcom Hearts Afire and on the 1980s police comedy-drama Hooperman. He starred in many made-for-TV movies including It Came From the Sky in 1999 with Yasmine Bleeth and made guest appearances on TV shows such as Ally McBeal, Scrubs , Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Felicity. He also provided the voice of the title character in the PBS animated children's show Clifford the Big Red Dog, a role for which he received two Emmy nominations. He played Claude Pichon in The Dinner Party (2000) at the Music Box Theatre on Broadway, which was written by Neil Simon. It ran for three hundred and sixty-four performances. Ritter won the Theatre World Award in 2001 for his performance in The Dinner Party. In 2002, he made a TV comeback with the ABC family sitcom 8 Simple Rules for Dating My Teenage Daughter (later renamed 8 Simple Rules following his death). His final two film appearances were as the store manager in Bad Santa (2003), starring personal friend Billy Bob Thornton and Bernie Mac, and Clifford's Really Big Movie. He has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame at 6631 Hollywood Boulevard in Hollywood.
Personal life
He married twice, once to actress Nancy Morgan (married 1977-divorced 1996) and then to actress Amy Yasbeck (married 1999-his death). Yasbeck had played his wife or love interest in the first two Problem Child movies (interestingly, she played a different character in each movie). Yasbeck also played Ritter's wife in two sitcom appearances. In 1991, both were guest stars on The Cosby Show, where Yasbeck played the in-labor wife of Ritter's basketball coach character. In 1996, Ritter guest starred on Yasbeck's sitcom Wings as the estranged husband of Yasbeck's character Casey. Ritter and Morgan had three children: Carly, Tyler, and Jason. He and Yasbeck had one daughter, Stella.
Death
On September 11, 2003, Ritter became seriously ill during rehearsals for an episode of 8 Simple Rules that was to have Henry Winkler as a guest star. He was taken across the street from the studio to Providence Saint Joseph Medical Center, where he died hours later, a week before his 55th birthday, in the same hospital in which he was born. He died from an aortic dissection caused by a previously undiagnosed congenital heart defect. Ritter was interred at Forest Lawn Cemetery in Los Angeles.
Posthumous efforts
8 Simple Rules for Dating My Teenage Daughter was retitled 8 Simple Rules after Ritter's death and continued for two more seasons. The first three episodes of Season 2 had been taped before his death, and were aired as a tribute to him. The fourth episode presented the backstory that his character had collapsed at the grocery store and died. The remainder of the season dealt with the family trying to grapple with their patriarch's death. New male characters, played by James Garner and David Spade, were added to fill the gap. He was posthumously honored with an Emmy nomination for 8 Simple Rules for Dating My Teenage Daughter in 2004. He lost to Kelsey Grammer for Frasier. Upon accepting his trophy, the first remark that Grammer made was in tribute and remembrance of him. His last films, Bad Santa and Clifford's Really Big Movie, were dedicated in his memory. He also played the father of protagonist John Dorian in the TV series Scrubs. He makes one appearance in the 19th episode of Season 1 of Scrubs "My Old Man". The 6th episode of Season 4, "My Cake", revolves around Dorian's father's sudden death and the episode is dedicated to Ritter. He also had an appearance in a flashback scene in the 9th episode of Season 2 entitled "My Lucky Day".His character is mentioned in more recent episodes in relation to Dorian's new son.
Filmography
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006 | Stanley's Dinosaur Round-Up | Great Uncle Stew | |
| 2004 | Clifford's Really Big Movie | Clifford the Big Red Dog | Voice Role |
| 2003 | Bad Santa | Bob Chipeska | |
| Manhood | Eli | ||
| 2002 | Man of the Year | Bill | |
| Tadpole | Stanley Grubman | ||
| 2001 | Nuncrackers | Narrator | |
| 2000 | Terror Tract | Bob Carter | Segment: Make Me an Offer |
| Tripfall | Tom Williams | ||
| Lost in the Perishing Point Hotel | Christian Therapist | ||
| Panic | Dr. Josh Parks | ||
| 1998 | Bride of Chucky | Police Chief Warren Kincaid | |
| I Woke Up Early the Day I Died | Robert Forrest | ||
| Shadow of Doubt | Steven Mayer | ||
| Montana | Dr. Wexler | ||
| 1997 | Hacks | Hank | |
| A Gun, a Car, a Blonde | Duncan/The Bartender | ||
| Nowhere | Moses Helper | ||
| 1996 | Sling Blade | Vaughan Cunningham | Chlotrudis Award (nominated) SAG Award (nominated) |
| 1994 | North | Ward Nelson | |
| 1992 | Stay Tuned | Roy Knable | |
| Noises Off | Garry Lejeune/Roger Tramplemain | ||
| 1991 | Problem Child 2 | Ben Healy | |
| The Real Story of O Christmas Tree | Piney | ||
| 1990 | Problem Child | "Little" Ben Healy | |
| 1989 | Skin Deep | Zachary 'Zach' Hutton | |
| 1987 | Real Men | Bob Wilson/Agent Pillbox, CIA | |
| 1982 | The Flight of Dragons | Peter Dickenson | Voice Role |
| 1981 | They All Laughed | Charles Rutledge | |
| 1980 | Wholly Moses! | Satan (The Devil) | |
| Hero at Large | Steve Nichols | ||
| 1979 | Americathon | President Chet Roosevelt | |
| 1978 | Breakfast in Bed | Paul | |
| 1976 | Nickelodeon | Franklin Frank | |
| 1973 | The Stone Killer | Officer Mort | |
| 1972 | The Other | Rider | |
| 1971 | Scandalous John | Wandell | |
| The Barefoot Executive | Roger |
Television
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2002-2003 | 8 Simple Rules for Dating My Teenage Daughter | Paul Hennessey | Emmy Award (nominated) |
| 2000-2003 | Clifford the Big Red Dog | Clifford the Big Red Dog | Voice Role Daytime Emmy Award (nominated-4) |
| 1997-2003 | King of the Hill | Eugene Grandy | Episode: The Song that Got Away Episode: What Makes Bobby Run? Episode: The Witches of East Arlen |
| 2000-2002 | Felicity | Mr. Andrew Covington | |
| 2002 | Scrubs | Mr. Sam Dorian | Episode: My Old Man Episode: My Lucky Day |
| Breaking News | Lloyd Fuchs | Episode: Pilot | |
| Law & Order: Special Victims Unit | Dr. Richard Manning | Episode: Monogamy | |
| The Ellen Show | Percy Moss | Episode: Gathering Moss | |
| 2001 | Tucker | Marty | Episode: Homewrecker for the Holidays |
| 2000 | Family Law | Father Andrews | Episode: Possession is Nine Tenths of the Law |
| Batman Beyond | Dr. David Wheeler | Episode: The Last Resort | |
| Chicago Hope | Joe Dysmerski | Episode: Simon Sez | |
| 1996, 1999 | Touched by an Angel | Mike O'Connor Tom McKinsley |
Episode: Random Acts Episode: Black Like Monica |
| 1999 | Lethal Vows | Dr. David Farris | |
| It Came from the Sky | Donald Bridges | ||
| Holy Joe | Joe Cass | ||
| Veronica's Closet | Tim | Episode: Veronica's Favorite Year | |
| 1998 | Dead Husbands | Dr. Carter Elston | |
| The World's Greatest Magic 5 | Host | ||
| Ally McBeal | George Madison | Episode: It's My Party Episode: The Story of Love Emmy Award (nominated) |
|
| Chance of a Lifetime | Tom Maguire | ||
| 1997 | Buffy the Vampire Slayer | Ted Buchanan | Episode: Ted |
| Over the Top | Justin Talbot | Episode: The Nemesis | |
| Dead Man's Gun | Harry McDonacle | Segment: The Great McDonacle | |
| A Child's Wish | Ed Chandler | ||
| Mercenary | Jonas Ambler | ||
| Loss of Faith | Bruce Simon Barker | ||
| 1996 | The World's Greatest Magic 3 | Host | |
| For Hope | Date #5 | Uncredited Role | |
| Wings | Stuart Davenport | Episode: Love Overboard | |
| Unforgivable | Paul Hegstrom | ||
| Totally Animals | Host | ||
| 1995 | NewsRadio | Dr. Frank Westford | Episode: The Shrink |
| The Colony | Rick Knowlton | ||
| Gramps | Clarke MacGruder | ||
| 1992, 1994 | Hearts Afire | John Hartman | |
| 1994 | Dave's World | John Hartman | Episode: Please Won't You Be My Neighbor |
| 1993 | The Only Way Out | Jeremy Carlisle | |
| Heartbeat | Bill Grant | ||
| 1992 | Fish Police | Inspector Gil | Voice Role |
| 1991 | Anything But Love | Patrick Serreau | |
| The Summer My Father Grew Up | Paul | ||
| The Cosby Show | Ray Evans | Episode: Total Control | |
| 1990 | The Dreamer of Oz: The L. Frank Baum Story | L. Frank Baum | |
| It | Adult Ben Hanscom | ||
| 1987-1989 | Hooperman | Det. Harry Hooperman | Emmy Award (nominated) Golden Globe Award (nominated) |
| 1989 | My Brother's Wife | Barney | |
| 1988 | Tricks of the Trade | Donald Todsen | Cameo Role |
| Mickey's 60th Birthday | Dudley Goode | ||
| 1987 | Prison for Children | David Royce | |
| The Last Fling | Phillip Reed | ||
| 1986 | A Smoky Mountain Christmas | Judge Harold Benton | |
| Unnatural Causes | Frank Coleman | Golden Globe Award (nominated) | |
| Living Seas | Host | ||
| 1984-1985 | Three's a Crowd | Jack Tripper | |
| 1985 | Letting Go | Alex | |
| 1976-1984 | Three's Company | Jack Tripper | Emmy Award (won-1) (nominated-2) Golden Globe Award (won-1) (nominated-2) |
| 1984 | Pryor's Place | Episode: The Showoff | |
| Love Thy Neighbord | Danny Loeb | ||
| 1977, 1983 | The Love Boat | Dale |
Episode: A Oh Dale... Episode: Japan Cruise...(1) Episode: Japan Cruise...(2) |
| 1983 | Sunset Limousine | Alan O'Black | |
| 1982 | In Love with an Older Woman | Robert | |
| Pray TV | Tom McPherson | ||
| 1981 | Insight | Frankie | Episode: Little Miseries |
| 1980 | The Comeback Kid | Bubba Newman | |
| The Associates | Chick | Episode: The Censors | |
| 1979 | The Ropers | Jack Tripper | Episode: The Party |
| 1978 | Leave Yesterday Behind | Paul Stallings | |
| Ringo | Marty | ||
| 1971, 1977 | Hawaii Five-O | Ryan Moore Mike Welles |
Episode: Two Doves and Mr. Heron Episode: Dealer's Choice--Blackmail |
| 1975, 1976 | Rhoda | Vince Mazuma Jerry Blocker |
Episode: Chest Pains Episode: Attack on Mr. Right |
| 1972-1976 | The Waltons | Rev. Matthew Fordwick | |
| 1976 | Phyllis | Paul Jameson | Episode: The New Job |
| Starsky and Hutch | Tom Cole | Episode: The Hostages | |
| 1975 | The Rookies | Hap Dawson | Episode: Reluctant Hero |
| 1975 | The Mary Tyler Moore Show | Reverend Chatfield | Episode: Ted's Wedding |
| 1975 | The Night That Panicked America | Walter Wingate | |
| The Streets of San Francisco | John 'Johnny' Steiner | Episode: Murder by Proxy | |
| Barnaby Jones | Joe Rockwell | Episode: The Price of Terror | |
| Petrocelli | John Oleson | Episode: Chain of Command | |
| The Bob Crane Show | Hornbeck | Episode: Son of the Campus Capers | |
| Mannix | Cliff Elgin | Episode: Hardball | |
| Movin' On | Casey | Episode: Landslide | |
| 1974 | The Bob Newhart Show | Dave | Episode: Sorry, Wrong Mother |
| Owen Marshall: Counselor at Law | Greg | Episode: To Keep and Bear Arms | |
| Kojak | Kenny Soames | Episode: Deliver Us Some Evil | |
| 1973 | M*A*S*H | Pvt. Carter | Episode: Deal Me Out |
| Bachelor-at-Law | Ben Sykes | ||
| Medical Center | Ronnie | Episode: End of the Line | |
| 1970 | Dan August | Episode: Quadrangle for Death | |
| 1968 | Crazy World, Crazy People | Various Characters |
External links
References
- ^ a b John Ritter, 54, the Odd Man In 'Three's Company,' Is Dead. Retrieved on 2007-11-03.
| Persondata | |
|---|---|
| NAME | Ritter, John |
| ALTERNATIVE NAMES | Ritter, Jonathan Southworth; Johnny Ritter |
| SHORT DESCRIPTION | Actor |
| DATE OF BIRTH | September 17, 1948 |
| PLACE OF BIRTH | Burbank, California, USA |
| DATE OF DEATH | August 11, 2002 |
| PLACE OF DEATH | Burbank, California, USA |
