| John Ritter Hollywood film legend |
| He was a modern day hollywood legend with a heart of solid gold! Faithfully devoted to his fans, and career. Even with all the talent he had, he used it to entertain his fans, not the fame. His fans always came first to his career and he demonstrated it time and time again. As John was a favorite of mine, I want to treat this story with utmost respect. I encourage any fans out there who had the great opportunity to meet this great man...to please email me ... with that said - his story begins ....
John Ritter was born September 17, 1948 in Burbank, California. The son of singing cowboy matinee star Tex Ritter, and son of actress Dorothy Fay Southworth, it was only natural that John would follow in the limelight. In elementary, middle, and high school, he was always the life of the room. He graduated from Hollywood High School, where he served as class president, and voted most popular, bound for success as an actor. His talent was emensly exploding and it wasn't long before Hollywood recognized it. After graduation from high school, he later attended the University of Southern California, where he majored in Psychology and minored in Architecture. Also in 1966, before attending college, his first appearance on TV was as a contestant on "Dating Game, The" , on which he won a vacation to Lake Havasu, Arizona. After making his very first cameo appearance and a couple of years of attending school, he was induced to join an acting class taught by Nina Foch. He changed his major to Theater Arts, graduating in 1971 with a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in Drama. He also studied acting with Stella Adler at the Harvey Lembeck Comedy Workshop. Between 1968 and 1969, he appeared in a series of stage plays in England, Scotland, Holland and in Germany. His father was entertaining troops in Germany at the same time that his son was performing at an air base there. His acting debut was on an episode of "Hawaii Five-O" in 1968, playing various roles. On "Dan August" , he played a campus revolutionary, in a film which also starred Burt Reynolds and Norman Fell, who later starred with him on, "Three's Company." Then, he appeared as Reverend Matthew Fordwick on "The Waltons". His guest-starring spot was so popular, that he was interested in having a recurring role on the show. He continued making more guest appearances on top television shows such as "M*A*S*H", "The Bob Newhart Show", among many others. While working on "The Waltons", he received word that his legendary father had passed away, just a day after New Years' Day in 1974. The following year in late 1975, ABC picked up the rights for a new series on a British sitcom about, "A Man About The House," and Ritter beat out 50 people including a young Billy Crystal, to get a major role. The first pilot was trashed, and in order for it to be improved, Joyce DeWitt, an unknown actress, played the role of Janet Wood, the following year, along with Susan Lanier as the dumb blonde, Chrissy Snow. Unlike the first pilot, it did better but the producers still needed a change and Suzanne Somers came to the show, at the very last minute to play Chrissy. The series, "Three's Company", was born. When it debuted as a mid-season replacement, it became a ratings hit, like many other sitcoms of the 70s, and it focused mainly on his character, Jack Tripper, an admirable chef who lived in an apartment with two attractive ladies, while pretending to be gay. John's career spanned many films after the hit show "Three's Company," ended. Notably "Problem Child," and its first sequel, the Academy Award-winning Sling Blade, and Noises Off. He also 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 and Buffy the Vampire Slayer. He also provided the voice for Clifford in the animated children's show Clifford the Big Red Dog, a role for which he received two Emmy nominations. His last feature film, he reunited with Billy Bob Thornton for "Bad Santa," which was a hit at box offices as well and was dedicated to John. In 2002, he made a TV comeback with the ABC family sitcom 8 Simple Rules for Dating My Teenage Daughter. On September 11, 2003, Ritter became ill during rehearsals for 8 Simple Rules for Dating My Teenage Daughter, which was starting its second season. He was taken across the street from the studio to Providence Saint Joseph Medical Center, where he died hours later. John Ritter was six days shy of his 55th birthday. Coincidentally, Ritter died at the same hospital he was born in. The date of his death was the same as his daughter Stella's fifth birthday, the day before wife Yasbeck's fortieth birthday, and six days before their wedding anniversary. He died from an aortic dissection caused by a previously undiagnosed congenital heart defect. Ritter was interred at Forest Lawn - Hollywood Hills Cemetery in Los Angeles. R.I.P. John, and thank you for sharing your great talent with the world!! |
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