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John Ritter: Biography, Facts and Career

Who is John Ritter? An evergreen, sourced profile: biography, key facts and career.

By the Pop Culture Files editorial team4 min read✓ Fact-checked
John Ritter
Alan Light via Wikimedia Commons · CC BY 2.0

Johnathan Southworth Ritter (September 17, 1948 – September 11, 2003) was an American actor. He was a son of the singing cowboy star Tex Ritter and the father of actors Jason and Tyler Ritter. He played Jack Tripper on the popular ABC sitcom Three's Company (1977–1984), and received a Primetime Emmy Award and a Golden Globe Award for the role in 1984. Ritter briefly reprised the role on the spin-off Three's a Crowd, which aired for one season, producing 22 episodes before its cancellation in 1985. He appeared in over 100 films and television series combined and performed on Broadway, with 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 action film, which was dedicated to his memory). In 2002, Don Knotts called Ritter the "greatest physical comedian on the planet". His final roles include voicing the title character on the PBS children's program Clifford the Big Red Dog (2000–2003), for which he received four Daytime Emmy Award nominations, and as Paul Hennessy on the ABC sitcom 8 Simple Rules (2002–2003). His style of comedy is based on musical and character comedy.

Quick facts about John Ritter

  • Full name: John Ritter
  • Born: 1948-09-17
  • Nationality: United States
  • Known as: Actor
  • Wikidata ID: Q314812

Profile compiled from public Wikipedia and Wikidata data. Details can change over time.

Frequently asked questions

Who is John Ritter?

Johnathan Southworth Ritter (September 17, 1948 – September 11, 2003) was an American actor.

What nationality is John Ritter?

John Ritter is United States.

When was John Ritter born?

John Ritter was born on 1948-09-17.

Sources

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