R.I.P John Ritter

[pacmania_2001]

http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/ap/20030912/ap_on_en_tv/obit_ritter&cid=496&ncid=716

John Ritter (news), whose portrayal of the bumbling but lovable Jack Tripper helped make the madcap comedy series "Three's Company" a smash hit in the 1970s, died of a heart problem after falling ill on the set of his new television sit-com. He was 54.

Ritter became ill Thursday while working on ABC's "8 Simple Rules ... For Dating My Teenage Daughter," the hit show that became the actor's big television comeback, said Susan Wilcox, his assistant of 22 years.

The cause of his death was a dissection of the aorta, the result of an unrecognized flaw in his heart, said his publicist, Lisa Kasteler. He died at Providence St. Joseph Medical Center shortly after 10 p.m. Thursday.

Ritter, a Southern California native who would have turned 55 on Wednesday, came to prominence for his role in "Three's Company" and had appeared in more than 25 television movies, a number of films and on Broadway.

He made his successful return to sitcom acting last year with "8 Simple Rules" last year. The show was scheduled to begin its second season Sept. 23.

At the Burbank hospital where he died, Ritter was accompanied by producers and co-workers, his wife, Amy Yasbeck (news), and 23-year-old son Jason, Wilcox said. He is survived by three other children.

"It's just stunning, unbelievable," said Wilcox. "Everybody loved John Ritter. Everybody loved working with him. ... Whatever set he was working on, he made it a very fun place."

ABC released a statement saying: "All of us at ABC, Touchstone Television and The Walt Disney Company are shocked and heartbroken at the terrible news of John's passing. Our thoughts and prayers are with his wife and children at this very difficult time."

Ritter was the youngest son of Western film star and country musician Tex Ritter (news) and actress Dorothy Fay. He graduated from Hollywood High School and earned a degree in drama from the University of Southern California.

"I was the class clown, but I was also student body president in high school," he told The Associated Press in a 1992 interview. "I had my serious side — I idolized Bobby Kennedy, he was my role model. But so was Jerry Lewis (news)."

Ritter's first steady job was his role as a minister in television's "The Waltons."

With "Three's Company," his career took off. His performances included 1996's Oscar-winning drama "Sling Blade" and a Broadway run in Neil Simon's "The Dinner Party." He received an Emmy and other awards for his "Three's Company" role and was honored by the Los Angeles Music Center in June with a lifetime achievement award.

"Three's Company," about a bachelor sharing an apartment with two attractive women, Suzanne Somers (news) and Joyce DeWitt (news), was considered racy during its run from 1977 to 1984. And Ritter worried about falling into a typecasting trap after the show ended.

"I would get scripts about 'a young swinging bachelor on the make,' and I said 'No, I've done that,'" he told the AP in the 1992 interview. "Or they'd say, 'You're living alone and ...'

"What I was looking for in my time off was something a little bit different, a little serious, or funny in a different way."

Ritter described his time on the show as "an education" in quick-study acting.

"When the curtain went up, no matter how long you've studied or haven't studied at all, you had to answer to the audience. We didn't do retakes. If there was a (microphone) boom in the shot, so be it," he said.

Ritter later starred in the television series "Hooperman" and the early 1990s political comedy "Hearts Afire." He received two Emmy nominations for his PBS role as the voice of "Clifford the Big Red Dog" on the animated series.

His TV movie appearances included "Unnatural Causes," Stephen King's "It" and "Chance of a Lifetime."

Ritter won popularity among independent film directors in recent years and appeared in films including "Sling Blade" in 1996 and "Tadpole" in 2002, as well as the new feature "Manhood." He appears alongside Billy Bob Thornton (news) in the scheduled November release from Miramax "Bad Santa."

He was married from 1977 to 1996 to Nancy Morgan, the mother of his three oldest children, Jason, Carly and Tyler. He married actress Yasbeck in 1999, the mother of Stella.

Deepest sympathies go out to his family. He truly was a funny man.

[Faustus]

Worse yet, RIP Johnny Cash.

http://www.cnn.com/2003/SHOWBIZ/Music/09/12/cash.obit/index.html

[mysticgohan17]

what happens to his show 8 simple rules now?

[Gees]

awww :,c(

Thanks for letting us know, Pac & Flaystus


(my mom always said celebs die in 3's) :c*

[tgpo]

It's just so sad. Prayers go out to the family.

[RabidDog]

I couldnt give a monkeys.. was he a respected contributor to this forum? stick this stuff on your won webpages dont clutter up this site with meaningless sentimenatlity.
also shouldnt this be banned as its a RIPping topic

[pacmania_2001]

Perhaps this is why it's posted in the... gee I dont know off topic forum.

And show some respect.

what happens to his show 8 simple rules now?

That is what I was thinking after reading the article. I'd say they might just bring in a new actor to take his part and just pretend as if nothing is wrong. Kind of like they did on News Radio when Phil Hartman died where they just did like an introduction with the cast before the next episode saying that as he had passed away that his character would simply not exist anymore.

[RabidDog]

respect for who ? all the other people who dont know or care who he is. respect is earned not given or asked for!

[pacmania_2001]

If you don't want to contribute (in a meaningful way) to this thread then don't post in it, ignore it.

I'm not going to argue with you anymore than that as it drags this thread down.

[Conquest10]

you don't know jack tripper? damn... i grew up watching that show (in syndication, of course). he's really going to be missed.

[tgpo]

I couldnt give a monkeys.. was he a respected contributor to this forum? stick this stuff on your won webpages dont clutter up this site with meaningless sentimenatlity.
also shouldnt this be banned as its a RIPping topic

My God man, do you have no heart?

[thayne]

I couldnt give a monkeys.. was he a respected contributor to this forum? stick this stuff on your won webpages dont clutter up this site with meaningless sentimenatlity.
also shouldnt this be banned as its a RIPping topic

If you don't like it, IGNOR it! Prick... With comments like that, you will be fast on your way to becoming an un-respected member of this forum...

I'm really bummed about Johnny Cash, he was awesome!

[Hatz]

Ya that is pretty low man. Two great human beings have died and you show no remorse or feelings at all. This is an off topic forum and people can talk about anything.

God forbid if something happened to someone close to you and people just ended up saying.........so what...I didn't know them. Who cares if they are gone........they should have earned my respect.

RIP John and Johnny.


Hatz

[Rschultz]

respect for who ? all the other people who dont know or care who he is. respect is earned not given or asked for!

No one is forcing you to read this thread. You seen the topic, if you don't like it you didn't have to read it. Oh, also you should learn how to spell before making outrageous remarks like that.

[housepig]

God forbid if something happened to someone close to you and people just ended up saying.........so what...I didn't know them.

well, to be honest, this happens every day.

it doesn't even need to be "unknown people" - we lost Edward Teller this week, I would say that he had a hand in shaping the second half of the 20th century. I didn't see anything in this forum about it... do we not care?

even more on topic, what about Leni Reifenstahl? she died earlier this week, and she had a massive influence in the world of film. If there was a post on her, I missed that too.

maybe neither John made enough of an impact on me, but I don't feel any deep sorrow, more like "gee, that's too bad."

regardless, Rabid's post was uncalled for and unnecessary.

[digitalmaster]

John Ritter put the sitcom in sitcom. His bumbling antics made Three's Company what it was. It is so sad to see him go right when his career was back on the fast track. He seemed so happy at the recent award shows he was a part of. As for his 8 simple rules show, he was the perfect part for the father and made the show what it was. I sure hope they just don't replace him with another actor or try to rewrite the show without a father, like good times did in the 70's, when John Amos left. Redd Foxx died on the set of his TV show in 1991, they cancelled immediately. Whether it was in respect of Redd or not, it was the right thing to do. As ABC should do now.

[Hatz]

I agree that it happens everyday housepig and that not everyone gets recognition for what they did or what not. But the mere fact that someone came on this thread and said this shouldn't have been posted or it should be more along the lines of RIPping is totally uncalled for.

The topic had been started and anyone that cared to say they are sorry or whatever is ok. But he didnt have to say the negative things he said.

It goes back to the old rule.......If you don't have anything positive(respectful) to say, don't say anything at all.

Ok........im off the soapbox now.....ehehhe.

Hatz

[Will Hay]

I liked this guy, but being a Brit only saw him 'IT' (was that him?), some comedy where he wore a luminous condom and the dad in 'scrubs'.
Warm and sensitive actor.
God bless man, 54 is no age to go
Now, rabid's comments.....
Totally uncalled for, the product of an MTV generation brainwashed into selfish oblivion.
Get bent man.
I think that demonstrates my opinion on his post, however...
....no offence to anyone who wishes to post in these RIP threads, nor to anyone who creates them, but...
...there are thousands of other's that die each week, kids included who don't even get to sample life, let alone a life fulled with such riches as film/tv stars experience.
"...but it's a video related site, and therefore relevent" I hear you say.
Bollocks.
We had an RIP on a footie player last month for crying out loud!
Perhaps it's just that I'm a father now, and have a trouble reading about kids getting abused and killed, its splashed all over the papers and then three months later it happens again.
Why?
Don't we learn anything?
Like I say, maybe I'm too sensitive.......
..........again, God bless John.
Will

[Rschultz]

Yes, that was him in "IT"

[g_shocker182]

Too young, too young.

[Solarjetman]

Kind of like they did on News Radio

I thought they had his character die of a heartattack? But I never saw the first show after his death.

I am too young to remember Three's Company, but I liked him in the movie Stay Tuned.

And rabiddog, stay out of the thread if you are going to piss on someone dying.

[Braindrain]

It's really very sad. Another "legend"...

[spiderman2k1]

I'm a big fan of Three's Company I real thought it's one ofthe best show ever made. I'm not a very big country fan but I alway's loved Jonhy Cash. When I was a kid I played his 8 track over and over some trucking sound I liked alot. i think it's. I'll keep on trucking.