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John Ritter Biography (1948-2003)

Full name, Johnathan Southworth Ritter; born September 17, 1948, in Burbank,CA; died September 11, 2003, in Los Angeles, California, of a heart problem;son of Tex (a country and western singer) and Dorothy Fay (an actress; maidenname, Southworth) Ritter; married Nancy Karen Morgan (an actress), October 16, 1977 (divorced); married Amy Yasbeck (an actress), on September 18, 1999;children: Jason, Tyler, Carly (first marriage). Career: Actor. Adam Productions, partner with Robert Myman, 1984--. Member: Actors Equity Association, Screen Actors Guild, American Federation of Television and Radio Artists, United Cerebral Palsy Association (member of board of directors). Awards, Honors: Honored with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, the 1768th, next to his father's; Emmy Award nominations, best actor in a comedy series, 1977 and 1980, Emmy Award, best actor in a comedy series, and Golden Globe Award, best actor in a television comedy series, both 1984, all for Three's Company; Los Angeles Area Emmy Award, best co-host, 1986, for Superfest: A Celebration of Ability; Emmy Award nomination, best actor in a comedy series, 1987, and People's Choice Award, best male performer in a new television program, Proctor & Gamble Productions, 1988, bothfor Hooperman. Addresses: Office: c/o Robert Myman, 11777 SanVicente Blvd., No. 880, Los Angeles, CA 90049-5011.; Agent: International Creative Management, 8942 Wilshire Blvd., Beverly Hills, CA 90211.; Contact: 15030 Ventura Blvd., Suite 806, Sherman Oaks, CA 91403.

Nationality

American

Gender

Male

Occupation

Actor

Birth Details

September 17, 1948

Burbank, California, United States

Death Details

September 11, 2003

Los Angeles, California, United States

Famous Works

• CREDITS
• Television Appearances
• Series
• Reverend Matthew Fordwicke, The Waltons, CBS, 1972-76
• Jack Tripper, Three's Company, ABC, 1977-84
• Jack Tripper, Three's a Crowd(also known as Three's Company, Too), ABC, 1984-85
• Detective Harry Hooperman, Hooperman, ABC, 1987-89
• Voice of Inspector Gil, Fish Police(animated), CBS, 1992
• John Hartman, Hearts Afire, CBS, 1992-95
• Narrator (with others), Sex and the Silver Screen, Showtime, 1996
• Pilots
• What's Up, America?(also known as What's Up?), NBC,1971
• Minister, Evil Roy Slade, NBC, 1972
• Ben Sikes, Bachelor at Law, CBS, 1973
• Host, Completely Off the Wall, ABC, 1979
• Movies
• Walter Wingate, The Night That Panicked America, ABC, 1975
• Paul Stallings, Leave Yesterday Behind, ABC, 1978
• Bubba Newman, The Comeback Kid, ABC, 1980
• Robert Christenberry, In Love with an Older Woman, CBS, 1982
• Tom McPherson, Pray TV(also known as Mixed Blessings), ABC,1982
• Alan O'Black, Sunset Limousine, CBS, 1983
• Danny Loeb, Love Thy Neighbor, ABC, 1984
• Alex Schuster, Letting Go, ABC, 1985
• Judge Harold Benton, A Smoky Mountain Christmas, ABC, 1986
• Frank Coleman, Unnatural Causes, NBC, 1986
• Voice, Flight of the Dragons, ABC, 1986
• Phil Reed, The Last Fling, ABC, 1987
• David Royce, Prison for Children, CBS, 1987
• Donald Todsen, Tricks of the Trade, CBS, 1988
• Barney Rusher, My Brother's Wife(also known as The Middle Ages), ABC, 1989
• L. Frank Baum, Dreamer of Oz: The L. Frank Baum Story, NBC, 1990
• Dr. Paul Saunders, The Summer My Father Grew Up, NBC, 1991
• Jeremy Carlisle, The Only Way Out, ABC, 1993
• Clarke MacGruder, Gramps(also known as Lethal Intent), 1995
• Paul Hegstrom, Unforgivable,1996
• Jonas Ambler, Mercenary,1997
• A Child's Wish, CBS, 1997
• Harry McDonacle, "The Great McDonacle," Dead Man's Gun, Showtime, 1997
• Tom Maquire, Chance of a Lifetime, CBS, 1998
• Dr. Carter Elson, Dead Husbands,1998
• Dr. Wexler, Montana, HBO, 1998
• Rev. Joe Cass, Holy Joe, CBS, 1999
• Daniel Bridges, It Came From the Sky, Romance Classics, 1999
• David Farris, Lethal Vows,1999
• Steven Mayers, Shadow of Doubt, Cinemax, 1999
• Specials
• General Electric's All-Star Anniversary, ABC, 1978
• The Goldie Hawn Special, CBS, 1978
• Marty, Ringo, NBC, 1978
• That Thing on ABC, ABC, 1978
• How to Survive the Seventies and Maybe Even Bump into Happiness, CBS, 1978
• Host, Weekend with the Stars Telethon for Cerebral Palsy,1978 1979and 1980
• The Celebrity Football Classic, NBC, 1979
• Co-host, Echoes of the Sixties, NBC, 1979
• Host, John Ritter: Being of Sound Mind and Body, ABC, 1980
• Host, The Singing Cowboys Ride Again, syndicated, 1982
• The Fantastic Miss Piggy Show, ABC, 1982
• Host, Life's Most Embarrassing Moments, ABC, 1983
• The Bob Hope Special: Bob Hope's Super Birthday Special, NBC,1984
• Host, The Secret World of the Very Young, CBS, 1984
• All-Star Party for Lucille Ball,1984
• Donald Duck's 50th Birthday,1984
• Host, Disney's Living Seas,1986
• Host, Teenage America--Glory Years,1986
• Host, Superfest: A Celebration of Ability,1986-88
• Welcome Home,1987
• Superstars and Their Moms(also known as Superstars & TheirMoms), ABC, 1987
• The Special Olympics Opening Ceremonies,1987
• It's Howdy Doody Time: A 40-Year Celebration,1987
• Happy Birthday, Hollywood!,1987
• Memories Then and Now, CBS, 1988
• Host, ABC Presents a Royal Gala, ABC, 1988
• Host, United Cerebral Palsy's Starathon, syndicated, 1988-91
• The Valvoline National Driving Test, CBS, 1989
• Stand-Up Comics Take a Stand!, Family Channel, 1989 and 1990
• Host, The American Red Cross Emergency Test, ABC, 1990
• Host, A Celebration of Country, ABC, 1991
• A User's Guide to Planet Earth: The American Environment Test,ABC, 1991
• Host, The Greatest Commercials Ever Made, CBS, 1995
• Host, The World's Greatest Magic, NBC, 1996
• Host, Totally Animals II, CBS, 1996
• Host, Ordinary Extraordinary, CBS, 1997
• Interviewee, Behind the Laughs: The Untold Stories of Television'sFavorite Comedies, Fox, 1998
• Host and narration, The History of Toys and Games,1998
• Host, The World's Greatest Magic V,1998
• Interviewee, Three's Company: The E! True Hollywood Story, E!Entertainment, 1998
• Interviewee, TV Guide's Truth Behind the Sitcom Scandals,1999
• Awards Presentations
• The 21st Annual Academy of Country Music Awards,1986
• The 38th Annual Emmy Awards(also known as The Emmy Awards),1986
• Presenter, The 13th Annual People's Choice Awards(also known as The People's Choice Awards), 1987
• The 15th Annual People's Choice Awards(also known as The People's Choice Awards), CBS, 1989
• Presenter, The 44th Annual Primetime Emmy Awards(also known as The 44th Emmy Awards and The Emmy Awards), 1992
• Host, The 19th Annual People's Choice Awards(also known as The People's Choice Awards), 1993
• Presenter, The 11th Annual Academy of Television Arts and Sciences' Hall of Fame,1996
• Presenter, The Screen Actors Guild Awards,1997
• Episodic
• Contestant, The Dating Game, ABC, 1967
• A campus revolutionary, Dan August, ABC, 1971
• "Two Doves and Mr. Heron," Hawaii Five-O, CBS, 1972
• Medical Center, CBS, 1973
• A soldier, "Deal Me Out," M*A*S*H, CBS, 1973
• "Deliver Us Some Evil," Kojak, CBS, 1974
• "Sorry, Wrong Mother," The Bob Newhart Show, CBS, 1974
• "The Hostages," Starsky and Hutch, ABC, 1975
• "Landslide," Movin' On, NBC, 1975
• "Hardball," Mannix, CBS, 1975
• "Who's Happy Now?," Theater in America, PBS, 1975
• "Chain of Command," Petrocelli, NBC, 1975
• "The Price of Terror," Barnaby Jones, CBS, 1975
• John "Johnny" Steiner, "Murder by Proxy," The Streets of San Francisco, ABC, 1975
• "Ted's Wedding," The Mary Tyler Moore Show, CBS, 1975
• The Rookies, ABC, 1975
• Doc, CBS, 1976
• "How to Land a Man," Rhoda, CBS, 1976
• Phyllis, CBS, 1976
• "Dealer's Choice--Blackmail," Hawaii Five-O, CBS, 1977
• Loves Me, Loves Me Not, CBS, 1977
• "Phyllis's Career Change," Phyllis, CBS, 1977
• "Oh, Dale," The Love Boat, ABC, 1977
• Jack Tripper, "The Party," The Ropers, ABC, 1979
• The Associates, ABC, 1980
• "Little Miseries," Insight, syndicated, 1981
• "The Emperor's Fortune," The Love Boat, ABC, 1983
• Pryor's Place, CBS, 1984
• "Lucy Makes a Hit with John Ritter," Life with Lucy, ABC, 1986
• Mr. Loud, "Mickey's 60th Birthday Special," The Magical World of Disney, NBC, 1989
• "Disney-MGM Studios Theme Park Grand Opening," The Magical World of Disney, NBC, 1989
• Patrick Serreau, Anything but Love, ABC, 1991 and 1992
• The Larry Sanders Show, HBO, 1992
• "Off Camera," The Larry Sanders Show, HBO, 1993
• "The Fourteenth Floor," The Larry Sanders Show, HBO, 1994
• Dr. Frank Westford, NewsRadio(also known as News Radio), NBC, 1995
• Mike O'Connor, Touched by an Angel, CBS, 1996
• Stuart, Casey's husband, Wings, NBC, 1996
• Justin Talbot, Over the Top,1997
• Boyfriend, Buffy, the Vampire Slayer, WB, 1997
• "The Great McDonacle", Dead Man's Gun, Showtime, 1997
• Voice of Eugene Grandy, King of the Hill, Fox, 1997
• George Madison, Ally McBeal, Fox, 1998
• Sheriff Tom McKinsley, Touched by an Angel, CBS, 1998
• Photographer, Veronica's Closet, NBC, 1998
• Also appeared on Playhouse 90, CBS.
• Miniseries
• Ben Hanscom, It(also known as Stephen King's "It"), ABC Novel for Television, ABC, 1990
• Bill Grant, Heartbeat(also known as Danielle Steel's "Heartbeat"), NBC, 1993
• Other Television Appearances
• Appeared in The Lie, also appeared in informercials promoting Where There's a Will, There's an "A" educational tapes.
• Television Work
• Executive Producer; Series
• (With others) Have Faith, ABC, 1989
• (With Robert Myman) Anything but Love, ABC, 1989-92
• Executive Producer; Pilots
• (With others) Poochinski, NBC, 1990
• Film Appearances
• Roger, The Barefoot Executive, Buena Vista, 1971
• Wendell, Scandalous John, Buena Vista, 1971
• Rider, The Other(also known as L'Autre), Twentieth Century-Fox, 1972
• Hart, The Stone Killer, Columbia, 1973
• Franklin Frank, Nickelodeon, Columbia, 1976
• Paul, Breakfast in Bed, William Haugse Productions, 1978
• Chet Roosevelt, Americathon, United Artists, 1979
• Steve Nichols, Hero at Large, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, 1980
• The devil, Wholly Moses!, Columbia, 1980
• Charles Rutledge, They All Laughed, Twentieth Century-Fox/United Artists, 1981
• Peter Dickinson, The Flight of Dragons(also known as Flight ofthe Dragon), Warner Home Video, 1982
• Bob Wilson, Real Men, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer/United Artists, 1987
• Zach Hutton, Skin Deep, Twentieth Century-Fox, 1989
• Ben Healy, Problem Child, Universal, 1990
• Ben Healy, Problem Child 2, Universal, 1991
• Garry Lejeune and Roger Tramplemain, Noises Off, Touchstone/AmblinEntertainment, 1992
• Roy Knable, Stay Tuned, Warner Bros., 1992
• Ward Nelson, North, Columbia, 1994
• Rick Knowlton, The Colony, MCA/Universal Home Video, 1996
• Vaughan Cunningham, Sling Blade(also known as Reckoning), Miramax, 1996
• Moses Helper, Nowhere, Fine Line Features, 1997
• Reasonable Doubt, Reasonable Doubt Productions, 1997
• Dr. Wexler, Montana, Zeta Entertainment Ltd./No Bones Productions,1997
• Hacks,1997
• Duncan--bartender, A Gun, a Car, a Blonde, Showcase Entertainment,1997
• Hank, Sink or Swim,1997
• Chief Warren Kincaid, Bride of Chucky, Universal, 1998
• Robert Forrest, I Woke Up Early the Day I Died, Cinequanon Pictures International, 1998
• Stage Appearances
• Cafeteria Style Lunch and Momsie and the Midnight Bride(double bill), Center Theatre Group, New Theatre for Now, 1970
• A Meeting by the River, Center Theatre Group, New Theatre for Now,1971
• Desire under the Elms, Berkshire Theatre Festival, Kennedy Centerfor the Performing Arts, Washington, DC, 1974
• Battle of Angels, Westport Country Playhouse, Westport, CT, then Fallmouth Theatre, Fallmouth, MA, later Cape Playhouse, Dennis, MA, 1981
• Tom Bryce, The Unvarnished Truth, Ahmanson Theatre, Los Angeles, CA, 1985
• A Place to Stay, Westport Country Playhouse, then Cape Playhouse,1985
• Andrew Makepeace Ladd III, Love Letters, Canon Theatre, Beverly Hills, CA, 1990
• Made stage debut at Edinburgh Festival, Edinburgh, Scotland, 1968; appeared in The Glass Menagerie, Totem Pole Playhouse, Maryland; Butterflies Are Free, Totem Pole Playhouse; As You Like It, First Los Angeles Free Shakespeare Festival; Nevada, Mark Taper Forum Laboratory, Los Angeles, CA; The Tempest, a Shakespeare Society production; and Feiffer's People.

Further Reference

OTHER SOURCES

Periodicals:

• People Weekly, December 5, 1994, p. 45.*