Date of Birth : Sep 17th 1948
One of TV’s most prolific actors, John Ritter was most famous for his role as “Jack Tripper” on the popular 1970’s ABC-TV sitcom, Three’s Company. Although he had already appeared in several films and in guest spots in other television programs, Ritter’s portrayal of the lone bachelor in an apartment with two female roommates, made him a star, and won him both an Emmy award and a Golden Globe award.
Born on September 17, 1948, in Burbank, CA, Ritter was the son of famed singer/actor Tex Ritter and Dorothy Fay Ritter. He became interested in acting when he was convinced to join a college drama class. He appeared on stage in England, Scotland, and elsewhere in Europe in the late 1960’s, and made his first movie, The Barefoot Executive, in 1971. After guest appearances in numerous shows including The Waltons, Mash, Barnaby Jones, The Mary Tyler Moore Show, and Starsky and Hutch, Ritter won the Three’s Company part, and became a household name.
He went on to star in other TV series, including Hooperman and Hearts Afire. He made dozens of made-for-TV movies, was the voice of Clifford, the Big, Red Dog, and guest-starred in a host of shows.
Divorced from actress Nancy Morgan, after 19 years of marriage, Ritter and Morgan were parents to three children. His son, Jason, is also an actor, and starred in the TV series, Joan of Arcadia.
John Ritter married actress Amy Yasbeck in 1999, and they have one daughter together. Ritter died suddenly on September 11, 2003, from a previously undiagnosed heart defect, after being taken ill during the filming of his latest series, 8 Simple Rules for Dating My Teenage Daughter.
CAREER
Tadpole ( 2003 )
Panic ( 2000 )
Bride of Chucky ( 1999 )
Problem Child 2 ( 1992 )
Problem Child ( 1991 )