6. John Ritter was born in 1948, the son of [Tex] Ritter, a famous TV singing cowboy. Fittingly, the future actor attended [Hollywood] High School in California and went to the nearby college at the University of Southern California where he majored in [theater]. Even before landing his first major acting role, John appeared and was the winning bachelor on "The [Dating] Game" in 1967.
Ritter's first big break came in a 1971 Disney comedy movie called "The [Barefoot] Executive" starring Kurt Russell. Ritter played the role of an office worker named Roger. John Ritter's movie career included lead roles in Blake Edward's "Skin Deep" in 1989 and as Ben Henley, the father of the "[Problem] Child", in two Hollywood comedies that kicked off the 1990s.
Starring in television roles is where John Ritter made his biggest impact. In 1972, John received his first recurring role as [Reverend] Matthew Fordwick on "The Waltons", where he was a cast member until 1976. The bit roles continued in different series as diverse as "M*A*S*H", "Rhoda", and "Starsky and Hutch". But then came Ritter's signature role as [Jack] Tripper on the ABC sitcom, "Three's Company". The show ran from 1977 to 1984 and earned John both a Golden Globe and Primetime Emmy Award for his lead role in the series.
John Ritter was married twice, and had three children with actress Nancy Morgan and one child with actress Amy [Yasbeck] in 1988. Between 1984 until his death in 2003, John Ritter appeared in over 60 television roles. John had his last leading role as Paul Hennessey, the dad in the series, "8 Simple Rules....For Dating My Teenage Daughter", which debuted in 2002 and ended suddenly with his passing in 2003 from an [aortic] dissection. He lived to be 54 years old and left us a legacy of memories.
From Quiz John Ritter
Answer:
Johnathan Southworth Ritter was his birth name, but fans of the comedian know him best as John Ritter. John was the son of an actress, Dorothy Fay, and Tex Ritter, a beloved country singer who appeared in many western films, including "High Noon". John loved acting from his days at Hollywood High School, where today there is now a full length mural of John Ritter is his memory. He originally had goals to major in politics, but switched his major to theater arts at the USC School of Dramatic Arts. He appeared on "The Dating Game", a TV show where three male bachelors try to woo a woman while remaining unseen to her during the competition.
After graduating college in 1970, Ritter did plays in Germany before coming back to Hollywood and embarking on a 30 year career in movies and television. "The Barefoot Executive" was a big break for Ritter, as he was cast alongside Kurt Russell, a popular Disney lead actor. His film "Skin Deep" had Ritter playing the role of a womanizer who had to self-examine to see where his life was going. In "Problem Child", John played the role of the dad of a mischievous son. While filming the movie and its sequel, John met actress Amy Yasbeck.
Television was John Ritter's true calling. His first major role was the clergyman on "The Waltons", a period piece drama set in West Virginia in the 1930s. "M*A*S*H" and "Rhoda" were popular TV comedies in the 1970s. "Starsky and Hutch" was a cop show where Ritter had a role on the first season episode, "The Hostages". John Ritter is best known for the ABC comedy television series, "Three's Company" where he starred with Suzanne Somers and Joyce DeWitt. Ritter played Jack, a male roommate of the two females and had to pretend to be gay in order for the landlord to let them live together.
John was married twice and had three children with actress Nancy Morgan and one child with actress Amy Yasbeck in 1998. John and Nancy were married for 19 years before divorcing in 1996. On September 11, 2003, John became ill on the set of "8 Simple Rules ... For Dating My Teenage Daughter". The TV comedy co-starred Kaley Cuoco as the daughter and Katie Segal as his wife. John Ritter was rushed to Providence Saint Joseph Medical Center, the same hospital he was born. It was discovered that he had an aortic dissection, a tear in the aorta that leaked blood into the aortic wall. Sadly, he passed away that evening at the age of 54.
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