John Ritter happened to be one of the most recognizable faces in Hollywood when he was in his prime. The actor was beloved for his comedic acting and played a lot of iconic roles!
Now his son, Jason Ritten (who is his spitting image) is carrying on his legacy!
If you liked comedy movies or shows, then you were well aware of who John Ritter was. The actor was famous for his iconic roles in “Three’s Company,” “Skin Deep,” and in the film series titled “Problem Child.”
But off the television and silver screen, he was a family man through and through. In 1977, he married actress Nancy Morgan and the couple had three children together, Jason, Carly, and Tyler.
The couple lived happily together for almost two decades after which they separated and divorced. But even after their divorce, the couple was always grateful to have married one another and having created their beautiful children.
Their children all persued careers in Hollywood, much like their famous parents. Tyler Ritter starred in the 2014 sitcom called “The McCarthys.” He also appeared on the CW series titled “Arrow.”
His sister Carly Ritter is also an actor and singer. In 2013, she released an album that gained quite a bit of acclaim. And their brother, Jason Ritter has also had a successful career in Hollywood so far.
His first role was on a project his dad was on, as he appeared in the opening credits scene for ” Three’s Company.”
Jason Ritter was born to Morgan and John Ritter when the late actor was working on a show called “Hero at Large.” Once his son was born, John asked the costume designer whether they would make a replica of his costume for his newborn son.
The director Marty Davidson, recalled the adorable incident saying, “My wife, Sandy, was costume designer on it … [She] made a tiny little Captain Avenger suit — a small version of what John wore in the movie.”
Later when John Ritter appeared on Johnny Carson’s “The Tonight Show,” he talked about the incident and showed the matching costumes, and made sure to thank Sandy. Davidson recalls, “It was one of the happiest nights of my wife’s life.”
That’s just the kind of guy John Ritter was; thoughtful and kind.
In 1997, he divorced his first wife, and in 2000, married actress Amy Yasbeck.
The couple had a child together who they named Stella Ritter. However, later on, Stella came out as a trans-man and transitioned into Noah Ritter. Noah Ritter shares a close relationship with his three half-siblings from John’s first marriage.
But in 2003, tragedy struck. John Ritter was filming a show when he passed away at age 53 because of an undetected heart condition. His death was unexpected and devastated everyone who knew him and his fans.
Jason Ritter has continued in his dad’s footsteps and has taken on roles that would have made his father proud. The actor has had parts in shows such as “Parenthood,” “Joan of Arcadia,” and “Raising Dion” which have earned him household recognition.
While working on a movie called “We’ll Never Have Paris” in 2014, he met actress Melanie Lynskey. The two quickly fell in love and got engaged in 2017. In 2018, they had a daughter and then in 2020, they tied the knot and could not be happier.
Much like his father, Jason is also a beloved family man. His wife, Melanie posted on Father’s Day a picture with a caption that said, “This is a belated Father’s Day post to thank [Jason] Thank you for being there for us every day, my love. We are so lucky.”
The couple prefers keeping a low profile and never revealing pictures of their daughter’s face online. They like keeping things simple. Even Jason’s proposal was simple, he merely popped the question while the couple sat on a couch together enjoying each other’s company.
Even their wedding was simple. The couple tied the knot on the porch of their rental home.
While the couple keeps hush about details of their life together, they are quite vocal about their parenting style, something he learned from his dad. In an interview, Jason said, “[My dad] always made sure we knew we were loved … You can pass all kinds of stuff onto your kids, but the feeling of being loved, unconditionally, is so important.”
He said as a child, he was once playing with his father’s Emmy Award and broke the tip of its wing. However, his father wasn’t upset by this. It seems like Jason has decided to take a leaf out of his father’s book and ensure that he remains kind and calm with his daughter too.
His kindness and love is not just limited to his daughter but also to her mother. His wife, Melanie Lynskey is on the receiving end of his affection too. While Jason tends to keep a low profile about his personal life on social media, when it comes to people bullying his wife, he is at the forefront.
When Melanie was trolled online for her weight, Jason weighed in and said, in a tweet, “If anyone has any further unsolicited comments about *anybody* else’s body, they can feel free to write them in permanent ink onto their own foreheads and swan dive directly into the sun”
Later on, he also posted a picture of his wife on the red carpet for an award show, writing, “I am sorry to do this, and she will be embarrassed that I did this but my GOODNESS, what an absolyute beaut my wife is!!! Ok, I’m sorry, but I mean, LOOK at this human being,” with the picture.
Clearly, he is telling people that he thinks his wife is gorgeous as a fact. What a doting husband!
John Ritter seems to have had done a great job with his kids in the little time he had on earth. And Jason Ritter is clearly following in his father’s footsteps.
Share this heartwarming story on how proud Jason is of his wife and daughter!
