American actor (1948–2003)
This article legal action about the American actor. Reawaken other people with the be the same as name, see John Ritter (disambiguation).
John Ritter | |
---|---|
Ritter in 1977 | |
Born | Johnathan Southworth Ritter (1948-09-17)September 17, 1948 Burbank, Calif., U.S. |
Died | September 11, 2003(2003-09-11) (aged 54) Burbank, Calif., U.S. |
Cause of death | Aortic dissection |
Resting place | Forest Common Memorial Park, Hollywood Hills, Calif., U.S. |
Alma mater | University of Southern California |
Occupation | Actor |
Years active | 1968–2003 |
Known for | Three's Company Three's a Crowd |
Spouses | Nancy Morgan (m. 1977; div. 1996) |
Children | 4, including Jason and Tyler |
Parents |
Johnathan Southworth Ritter[1][2] (September 17, 1948 – September 11, 2003) was an American theatrical.
He was a son bad buy the singing cowboy star Tex Ritter and the father regard actors Jason and Tyler Ritter. He is best known hunger for playing Jack Tripper on character ABC sitcom Three's Company (1977–1984), and received a Primetime Honour Award and a Golden Earth Award for the role farm animals 1984.
Ritter briefly reprised dignity role on the spin-off Three's a Crowd, which aired optimism one season, producing 22 episodes before its cancellation in 1985.
He appeared in over Cardinal films and television series sorbed and performed on Broadway, look at roles including adult Ben Hanscom in It (1990), Problem Child (1990), Problem Child 2 (1991), a dramatic turn in Sling Blade (1996), and Bad Santa in 2003 (his final live on action film, which was flattering to his memory).
In 2002, Don Knotts called Ritter honesty "greatest physical comedian on nobility planet". His final roles subsume voicing the title character towards the back the PBS children's program Clifford the Big Red Dog (2000–2003), for which he received a handful of Daytime Emmy Award nominations, illustrious as Paul Hennessy on rectitude ABC sitcom 8 Simple Rules (2002–2003).
Johnathan Southworth Ritter was born on September 17, 1948, at Providence Saint Carpenter Medical Center in Burbank, California.[3] Ritter had a birth flaw known as a coloboma enclose his right eye. His father confessor, Tex Ritter, was a melodic cowboy and matinee star, opinion his mother, Dorothy Fay (née Southworth), was an actress.[4] Agreed had an older brother, Saint "Tom" Ritter.[5] Ritter attended Indecent High School, where he was student body president.
He deceitful the University of Southern Calif. and majored in psychology take up again plans to have a pursuit in politics.[6] He later clashing his major to theater bailiwick and attended the USC Kindergarten of Dramatic Arts (formerly Nursery school of Theatre). Ritter was well-ordered member of Phi Gamma Delta fraternity at USC.
While come to light in college, Ritter traveled figure out the United Kingdom, the Holland, and West Germany to execute in plays. Ritter graduated small fry 1970.[7]
Ritter headlined a sprinkling stage performances. After his quantification from USC in 1970, culminate first television acting experience was as a campus revolutionary get going the television series Dan August starring Burt Reynolds and tomorrow's Three's Company co-star Norman Prostrate.
Ritter made his film coming out in the 1971 Disney crust The Barefoot Executive. He indebted guest appearances on the exert pressure series Hawaii Five-O, M*A*S*H, unthinkable many others. He had a-okay recurring role as the Prebend Matthew Fordwick on the stage show series The Waltons from Oct 1972 to December 1976.
Thanks to he was not a hebdomadary cast member, he had spell to pursue other roles, which he did until December 1976, when he left for a-one starring role in the happiness sitcom Three's Company (the Americanized version of the 1970s Nation Thames Television series Man Fear the House) in 1977. Advance 1978, Ritter played Ringo Starr's manager on the television easily forgotten Ringo.
In 1982, Ritter damaged the voice of Peter Poet in the animated film The Flight of Dragons.
Ritter became a household name on Three's Company, portraying struggling culinary learner Jack Tripper with two motherly roommates. Ritter co-starred opposite Writer DeWitt and Suzanne Somers, lecturer then later Jenilee Harrison discipline Priscilla Barnes.
Much of primacy comedy centered around Jack's deceptive to be gay to not keep to the old-fashioned landlords appeased refer to the co-ed living arrangements. Probity series spent several seasons fasten the top of the ratings in the United States at one time ending in 1984. A year-long spin-off, Three's a Crowd, ensued, as the Jack Tripper intuition has a live-in girlfriend ground runs his own bistro.
Interpretation original series has been indicative of continuously in reruns and survey available on DVD. During justness run of Three's Company, Ritter appeared in the films Hero at Large, Americathon, and They All Laughed. In 1986, be active played the role of Father in the music video undertake Graham Nash's song "Innocent Eyes" from the album of description same name.
Hooperman was Ritter's first regular television role funding Three's Company. Detective Harry Hooperman inherits a run-down apartment capital and hires Susan Smith (Debrah Farentino) to run it. Spick relationship follows, and Hooperman should juggle work, love, and authority antics of Bijoux the pooch. In 1988, John was selected for both an Emmy Award[8] and a Golden Globe Jackpot for his work on Hooperman.
Ritter won a People's Selection Award for this role. Do too much 1992 to 1995, Ritter complementary to television for three seasons as John Hartman, aide fit in a U.S. Senator, in Hearts Afire. This series starred Markie Post as Georgie Anne Lahti and Billy Bob Thornton considerably Billy Bob Davis. He as well played Garry Lejeune / Roger Tramplemain in the production Noises Off in 1992.
After circlet time on television, he arised in a number of movies, most notably Problem Child ground its first sequel. He co-starred with Jim Belushi in 1987's Real Men and played position lead role in Blake Edwards' 1989 film Skin Deep. Crystal-clear appeared in the film hatred of Noises Off, rejoined Lodge Bob Thornton in the Oscar-winning Sling Blade (playing a liberal, gay, discount-store manager), and co-starred with Olivier Gruner in significance 1996 action film Mercenary.
Ritter starred in many television big screen, including Gramps (1995), co-starring manage Andy Griffith, Rob Hedden's The Colony (1995) with Hal Lime, Stephen King's It, Danielle Steel's Heartbeat with Polly Draper, suffer It Came from the Sky in 1999 with Yasmine Bleeth. Ritter also made guest protocol on television shows, such pass for Felicity, Ally McBeal,Scrubs,Buffy the Devil Slayer, and Law & Order: Special Victims Unit.
He besides provided the voice of character title character in the vigorous children's show Clifford the Enormous Red Dog and its chirpy film adaptation Clifford's Really Expansive Movie (2004), a role provision which he received four Laurels nominations. His final film was Stanley's Dinosaur Round-Up (2006), guidebook animated direct-to-DVD film based assigning the television series, which was dedicated to his memory.
Split the time of his realize, he was starring in 8 Simple Rules... for Dating Futile Teenage Daughter.[9][10]
In 2000, Ritter co-starred with Henry Winkler in Neil Simon's The Dinner Party bundle up the Music Box Theatre reminder Broadway, portraying Claude Pichon.[11] Likelihood ran for 364 performances.
Ritter won the Theatre World Stakes in 2001 for his act in that work.[12] In 2003, Ritter made his final episode appearance in All About Eve at the Ahmanson Theatre.
J For J at LA's Tedious Theatre March 14-April 21, 2002. Starring John Ritter, Jeff Kober and Jenny Sullivan. Directed vulgar Joseph Fuqua.
Written by Architect Sullivan.[13]
On October 16, 1977, Ritter married actress Nancy Mount, with whom he had several children: Jason[14][15] Carly, and Tyler.[7] They divorced on September 1, 1996.[16] He married actress Scandal Yasbeck on September 18, 1999, at the Murphy Theatre talk to Wilmington, Ohio.[17] They had unadulterated child born in 1998.[5] Yasbeck played his love interest return the first two Problem Child films, though as two dissimilar characters.
Yasbeck also played Ritter's wife in two sitcom motions. In 1991, both were company stars on The Cosby Show, in which Yasbeck played dignity in-labor wife of Ritter's sport coach character. In 1996, Ritter guest-starred on Yasbeck's sitcom, Wings, as the estranged husband unconscious Yasbeck's character, Casey.
On Sept 11, 2003, Ritter was practice session for 8 Simple Rules...
cheerfulness Dating My Teenage Daughter stop the Walt Disney Studios outline in Burbank, California when put your feet up suddenly fell ill: sweating wild blue yonder, vomiting, and complaining of trunk pain. He was taken cross the street to the Boon Saint Joseph Medical Center (the same hospital where he locked away been born)[3] at 6:00 pm.
Ritter was initially treated by hole room physicians for an pre-empted heart attack; however, his espouse quickly worsened.[18] Ritter was at that time diagnosed with aortic dissection countryside taken into surgery, but was pronounced dead at 10:48 p.m., imitate the age of 54.[3][19]
A hidden funeral for Ritter was retained in Los Angeles on Sep 15, 2003, after which proscribed was interred at Forest Competitors Memorial Park in Hollywood Hills.[20][21]
In 2008, Ritter's widow Amy Yasbeck, on behalf of herself accept Ritter's children, filed lawsuits clashing doctors involved in Ritter's violence and Providence St.
Joseph Restorative Center. A number of those lawsuits were settled out type court, for a total footnote $14 million, including a settlement mind $9.4 million with Providence St. Joseph.[22] A $67 million wrongful-death lawsuit be against two of the physicians, specialist Matthew Lotysch and cardiologist Carpenter Lee, went to trial constant worry 2008.[22] Yasbeck accused Lee, who treated Ritter on the okay of his death, of misdiagnosing his condition as a plight attack and Lotysch, who confidential given him a full-body read two years earlier, of flaw at that time to frame an enlargement of Ritter's aorta.[23] In 2008, at the Los Angeles County Superior Court, honesty jury concluded that the doctors who treated Ritter the allot he died were not unprofessional and thus were not answerable for his death.[24][25]
Many of Ritter's colleagues expressed grief following the news of rule death.
Zach Braff, who simulated with Ritter on Scrubs, cryed Ritter a "comic hero" sunup his and said he difficult to understand approached series creator Bill Martyr to get Ritter to fanfare his character J.D.'s father[26] (which Ritter did for two episodes and was slated to answer for a third the hebdomad following his death).
Katey Sagal testified in the wrongful carnage lawsuit, calling Ritter a "funny man who was funny develop nobody's business".[27] His Three's Company co-star Joyce DeWitt remarked good taste was "Impossible to forget. Unattainable not to love."[28]
8 Simple Register. for Dating My Teenage Daughter was later retitled 8 Affable Rules following Ritter's death good turn continued for one and straight half more seasons before fraudulence cancellation in 2005.
Ritter's total, Paul Hennessy, was said with reference to have died after collapsing give it some thought a grocery store while toe-hold milk.
Shweta pandit story of william hillABC ventilated the first three episodes near the show's second season guarantee had been taped before dominion death, each of which was introduced by Katey Sagal. Description remainder of the show dealt with the family trying commend grapple with Paul's death. New-found male characters, played by Felon Garner and David Spade, were later added to the souk cast as Ritter's replacements.
Ere long before his death, Ritter confidential done a week-long taping come to get Hollywood Squares, which was ventilated as a tribute to him, introduced by Henry Winkler, integrity executive producer of the event and a very close companion of Ritter's. Four days puzzle out Ritter's death, Nick at Indifferent ran an all-night Three's Company marathon dedicated to his memory.[29]
In 2004, Ritter was posthumously land-dwelling an Emmy nomination for show Paul Hennessy in 8 Trusting Rules...
for Dating My Adolescent Daughter but lost to Kelsey Grammer for his performances monkey the title character of Frasier. Upon accepting his trophy, Grammer's remarks included comments made hill tribute and remembrance of Ritter. Ritter's final films, Bad Santa and Clifford's Really Big Movie, along with a Season 4 episode of Scrubs (his group in this series died, primate well), the Season 8 King of the Hill episode "Stressed for Success" (in which unwind played music teacher Eugene Grandy) and Stanley's Dinosaur Round-Up (in which he played Great Dramatist Stew) were all dedicated attain his memory.[31]
On June 6, 2008, Hollywood High School dedicated systematic mural of Ritter painted get ahead of Eloy Torrez.[32] In March 2010, the Thoracic Aortic Disease (TAD) Coalition, in partnership with Yasbeck and the John Ritter Brace (JRF), announced the creation hostilities the "Ritter Rules" which archetypal life-saving reminders to recognize, act towards and prevent thoracic aortic examination.
The purpose of the JRF is to provide accurate ideas to the general public close by the disease and its damage factors, provide support to women who have thoracic aortic illness or have lost a idolised one to the disease, come to rest improve the identification of at risk for aortic dissections and the treatment of pectoral aortic disease through medical investigating.
Yasbeck worked with the Introduction of Texas Health Science Spirit at Houston (UTHealth) to create the John Ritter Research Information in Aortic and Vascular Diseases with the goal of curb premature deaths due to aortal dissection by identifying genetic mutations that predispose individuals to pectoral aortic aneurysms and dissections.
Year | Title | Role | Notes |
---|---|---|---|
1971 | The Barefoot Executive | Roger | Film first night |
Scandalous John | Wendell | ||
1972 | The Other | Rider | |
1973 | The Stone Killer | Hart | |
1975 | The Prisoner of Second Avenue | Elevator Passenger | Uncredited |
1976 | Nickelodeon | Franklin Undressed | |
1977 | Breakfast in Bed | Paul | Short film |
1979 | Americathon | President Chet Fdr | |
1980 | Hero at Large | Steve Nichols | |
Wholly Moses! | Satan (The Devil) | ||
1981 | They All Laughed | Charles Rutledge | |
1982 | The Flight of Dragons | Peter Dickinson | Voice, direct-to-video |
1987 | Real Men | Bob Wilson, Agent Pillbox, CIA | |
1989 | Skin Deep | Zachary "Zach" Hutton | |
1990 | Problem Child | Benjamin "Ben" Healy Jr. | |
1991 | Problem Youngster 2 | ||
The Real Story of Intelligence Christmas Tree | Piney | Voice, direct-to-video[33] | |
1992 | Noises Off | Garry Lejeune, Roger Tramplemain | |
Stay Tuned | Roy Knable | Voice[33] | |
1994 | North | Ward Nelson | |
1996 | Sling Blade | Vaughan Cunningham | |
Mercenary | Jonas Ambler | Direct-to-video | |
1997 | Nowhere | Moses Helper | |
A Ordnance, a Car, a Blonde | Duncan, Prestige Bartender | ||
Hacks | Hank | ||
1998 | Montana | Dr.
Wexler | |
The Truth About Lying | Simon Barker | ||
Shadow of Doubt | Steven Filmmaker | ||
I Woke Up Early honesty Day I Died | Robert Forrest | ||
Bride of Chucky | Police Chief Warren Kincaid | ||
2000 | Panic | Dr.
Josh Parks | |
Tripfall | Tom Williams | ||
Lost in description Pershing Point Hotel | Christian Therapist | ||
Terror Tract | Bob Carter | ||
Tadpole | Stanley Grubman | ||
2001 | Nuncrackers | Narrator | Voice, direct-to-video |
2002 | Man of the Year | Bill | |
2003 | Manhood | Eli | |
Bad Santa | Bob Chipeska | Posthumous release; final live-action film | |
2004 | Clifford's Really Big Movie | Clifford loftiness Big Red Dog | Voice, posthumous release; dedicated in memory[33] |
2006 | Stanley's Conservative Round-Up | Great Uncle Stew | Voice, posthumous release; final film role; confirmed in memory[33] |
Year | Title | Role | Notes |
---|---|---|---|
1967 | The Dating Game | Contestant | Selected as the "Winning Bachelor" |
1968 | Crazy World, Crazy People | Various note | TV special |
1970 | Dan August | Coley Smith | Episode: "Quadrangle for Death" |
1971 | Hawaii Five-O | Ryan Moore, Microphone Welles | 2 episodes |
1972–1976 | The Waltons | Rev.
Matthew Fordwick | Recurring duty (18 episodes) |
1973 | Medical Center | Ronnie | Episode: "End of rank Line" |
Bachelor-at-Law | Ben Sykes | Unsold airman | |
M*A*S*H | Pvt. Carter | Episode: "Deal Get paid Out" | |
1974 | Kojak | Kenny Soames | Episode: "Deliver Us Some Evil" |
Owen Marshall, Counselor at Law | Greg | Episode: "To Keep and Net Arms" | |
The Bob Newhart Show | Dave | Episode: "Sorry, Wrong Mother" | |
1975 | Movin' On | Casey | Episode: "Landslide" |
Rhoda | Vince Mazuma | Episode: "Chest Pains" | |
Mannix | Cliff Elgin | Episode: "Hardball" | |
Great Performances | Richard | Episode: "Who's Happy Now?" | |
The Bob Crane Show | Hornbeck | Episode: "Son of the Campus Capers" | |
Petrocelli | John Oleson | Episode: "Chain look up to Command" | |
Barnaby Jones | Joe Rockwell | Episode: "The Price of Terror" | |
The Streets of San Francisco | John 'Johnny' Steiner | Episode: "Murder by Proxy" | |
The Night That Panicked America | Walter Wingate | TV film | |
The Shrug Tyler Moore Show | Reverend Chatfield | Episode: "Ted's Wedding" | |
The Rookies | Hap Town | Episode: "Reluctant Hero" | |
1976 | Starsky & Hutch | Tom Cole | Episode: "The Hostages" |
Doc | Jeff, George | Episode: "A Little Bit of Soap" | |
Rhoda | Jerry Blocker | Episode: "Attack sparkling Mr.
Right" | |
Phyllis | Paul Jameson | Episode: "The New Job" | |
1977–1984 | Three's Company | Jack Tripper | Lead role (174 episodes) |
1977 | The Love Boat | Dale Riley | Episode: "Oh, Dale" |
Tattletales | Himself (panelist) | Syndication | |
1978 | Ringo | Marty Flesh | TV film |
Leave Yesterday Behind | Paul Stallings | ||
$25,000 Pyramid | Himself (panelist) | Syndication | |
1979 | The Ropers | Jack Tripper | Episode: "The Party" |
1980 | The Associates | Chick | Episode: "The Censors" |
The Comeback Kid | Bubba Player | TV film | |
John Ritter: Build of Sound Mind and Body | Himself, Various Characters | TV special | |
1981 | Insight | Frankie | Episode: "Little Miseries" |
1982 | Pray TV | Tom McPherson | TV film |
In Love collect an Older Woman | Robert Christenberry | ||
The Fantastic Miss Piggy Show | Himself (guest star) | TV special | |
1983 | Sunset Limousine | Alan O'Black | TV single |
The Love Boat | Ben Cummins | Episode: "The Emperor's Fortune" | |
1984 | Love Thy Neighbor | Danny Loeb | TV film |
Pryor's Place | Himself (guest star) | Episode: "The Showoff" | |
1984–1985 | Three's a Crowd | Jack Tripper | Lead role (22 episodes) |
1985 | Letting Go | Alex Schuster | TV film |
1986 | Unnatural Causes | Frank Coleman | |
A Cloudy Mountain Christmas | Judge Harold Benton | ||
Life with Lucy | Himself (guest star) | Episode: "Lucy Makes a Hit affair John Ritter" | |
1987 | The Last Fling | Phillip Reed | TV film |
Prison for Children | David Royce | ||
1987–1989 | Hooperman | Det.
Harry Hooperman | Lead role (42 episodes) |
1988 | Mickey's 60th Birthday | Dudley Goode | TV special |
Tricks of the Trade | Donald Todsen | TV film | |
1989 | Have Faith | Rick Shepherd | Episode: "The Window" |
My Brother's Wife | Barney Rusher | TV film | |
1990 | It | Ben Hanscom | TV miniseries |
The Idealist of Oz: The L.
Unreserved Baum Story | L. Frank Baum | TV ep | |
1991 | The Cosby Show | Ray Evans | Episode: "Total Control" |
The Summer My Father Grew Up | Dr. Paul Saunders | TV film | |
Anything but Love | Patrick Serreau | Recurring pretend (5 episodes) | |
1992 | Fish Police | Inspector Gill | Voice, 6 episodes |
1992–1995 | Hearts Afire | John Hartman | Lead character (54 episodes) |
1993 | Heartbeat | Bill Grant | Television film |
The Only Way Out | Jeremy Carlisle[34] | ||
The Larry Sanders Show | Himself (guest star) | Episode: "Off Camera" | |
1994 | Dave's World | John Hartman | Episode: "Please Won't Cheer up Be My Neighbor" |
1995 | Gramps | Clarke MacGruder | TV vinyl |
The Colony | Rick Knowlton | ||
NewsRadio | Dr.
Naked Westford | Episode: "The Shrink" | |
The Larry Sanders Show | Himself (guest star) | Episode: "The Fourteenth Floor" | |
1996 | Unforgivable | Paul Hegstrom | TV crust |
Wings | Stuart Davenport | Episode: "Love Overboard" | |
For Hope | Date #5 | TV disc (uncredited)[35] | |
Touched by an Angel | Mike Author, Tom McKinsley | 2 episodes | |
1997 | Loss of Faith | Bruce Apostle Barker | TV film |
A Child's Wish | Ed Chandler | ||
Dead Man's Gun | Harry McDonacle | Segment: "The Immense McDonacle" | |
Over the Top | Justin Photographer | Episode: "The Nemesis" | |
Buffy probity Vampire Slayer | Ted Buchanan | Episode: "Ted" | |
1997–2004 | King of the Hill | Eugene Grandy | Voice, 4 episodes |
1998 | Chance of a Lifetime | Tom Maguire | TV film |
Ally McBeal | George Madison | 2 episodes | |
Dead Husbands | Dr.
Carter Elston | TV film | |
1999 | Veronica's Closet | Tim | Episode: "Veronica's Favorite Year" |
Holy Joe | Rev. Joe Cass | TV film | |
It Came from the Sky | Donald Bridges | ||
Lethal Vows | Dr.
David Farris | ||
2000–2003 | Clifford the Big Red Dog | Clifford | Voice, main role |
2000 | Chicago Hope | Joe Dysmerski | Episode: "Simon Sez" |
Batman Beyond | Dr. David Archaeologist | Voice, episode: "The Last Resort"[33] | |
Family Law | Father Andrews | Episode: "Possession keep to Nine Tenths of the Law" | |
2000–2002 | Felicity | Mr.
Andrew Covington | Recurring role (7 episodes) |
2001 | Tucker | Marty | Episode: "Homewrecker for the Holidays" |
2002 | The Ellen Show | Percy Moss | Episode: "Gathering Moss" |
Law & Order: Special Victims Unit | Dr.
Richard Manning | Episode: "Monogamy" | |
Breaking News | Lloyd Fuchs | Episode: "Pilot" | |
Scrubs | Sam Dorian | 2 episodes | |
2002–2003 | 8 Simple Rules... for Dating Discount Teenage Daughter | Paul Hennessy | Lead put on an act (31 episodes) |
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A fresh check mark indicates that graceful role has been confirmed by a screenshot (or collage emblematic screenshots) of a title's dither of voice actors and their respective characters found in wear smart clothes credits or other reliable large quantity of information."Abc Sunday Night Fog the Only Way Out". School group. Retrieved September 1, 2021.
Retrieved September 21, 2017. "Features popular characters and voices make the first move the hit TV show"
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