John Ritter's Son Jason Is His Late Dad's Carbon Copy

Oct 30, 2020 by apost team

It is not uncommon for children to grow up so exposed to their parents' careers that they go on to pursue the same careers—especially in Hollywood. 

There are many famous actors whose children also go on to become famous actors in their own right. This is the case for Jason Ritter, who is becoming just like his late father, John Ritter, in more than just looks.

Jonathan Ritter was born on September 17, 1948, in Burbank, California. Part of a showbiz family, his father, was the singing cowboy, Tex Ritter, while his mother, Dorothy Fay, was an actress. Originally John Ritter didn't have plans to follow his family into the entertainment industry, instead opting to study psychology at the University of Southern California. However, he soon changed his career path, switching his major to Theater Arts at the USC School of Dramatic Arts.

Always a funny man, Ritter once said:

"I knew when I grew up, I always wanted to be a liar, and if you're in television, you're lying because you're just pretending to be yourself much like I'm doing now."

After graduating, the would-be actor and comedian appeared in a number of television shows before he rose to fame in the sitcom Three's Company, starring as Jack Tripper, a role for which he won a Primetime Emmy Award and a Golden Globe Award. The role made Ritter a household name, giving him a leg up on a long Hollywood career ahead of him. He starred in over 100 films and television series, with his work leaving a long-lasting mark on Hollywood.

Some of his most iconic roles were in It, Problem Child, Problem Child 2, and Bad Santa in 2003—the latter of which ended up being his last film. He also appeared in a number of television shows, including Felicity, Ally McBeal, Scrubs, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, and he even lent his voice to the character of Clifford the Big Red Dog, for which he received numerous Emmy nominations. John Ritter worked a lot in Hollywood and was appreciated for it, and this wasn't lost on him. He once said:

"Basically, what I'm doing is what I want to do. I feel very lucky. And very satisfied."

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As a sign of his achievements, he was awarded a Star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame on September 28, 1983.

However, sadly John Ritter passed away from aortic dissection in 2003 while rehearsing for the show 8 Simple Rules for Dating My Teenage Daughter, just six days before his 55th birthday. He is survived by his second wife, Amy Yasbeck, 58, and his four children: Jason, 40, Carly, 38, Tyler, 35, and Noah, 23.

When news of his death broke, celebrities in Hollywood were quick to mourn, expressing how much of a talented and special person they'd lost. Suzanne Somers, his co-star from Three's Company told Extra how she first found out about his passing and her initial reaction:

"I turned on ‘Good Morning America’ and there was Diane Sawyer saying, ‘It's always sad when we lose someone so young.’ And she said John Ritter and my heart just fell to my feet."

She also added in the same interview: "I’m so sad for his family. We lost a good one, it was so unfinished."

Meanwhile, his other Three's Company co-star Joyce DeWitt told Larry King that John Ritter was: "impossible to forget. Impossible not to love." 

Another one of Ritter's co-stars, Zach Braff, star of the comedy series Scrubs, told of how he got producers to cast Ritter as his dad on the show. As reported by Extra, he stated:

"He has always been a comic hero of mine. When I heard that my father was going to be in an episode, I had gone to Bill Lawrence who created the show and said you have to get John Ritter to play my dad."

While John Ritter left this world too soon, his son Jason Ritter is continuing on his legacy. Also an actor, Jason Ritter bears a striking similarity to his late father and is just as goofy and good-natured, often working in the comedic genre. In fact, John Ritter has two sons who work in Hollywood as actors, carrying on his name—his other son is named Tyler Ritter and has appeared in Modern Family, Grey's Anatomy, and The McCarthys.

In 2018, Jason Ritter appeared on Larry King to talk about his father's legacy. 

"It was a funny household, I have to say," Jason said of his upbringing. "The certain drive that people like my dad have to make people laugh; it infiltrates every aspect of his life. He loved making friends laugh; he made jokes through every dinner, through every hang out time afterwards," he recalled fondly. 

Speaking of his father's passing, Jason said he didn't know his father was sick at the time. "It was a shock," he admitted.

Jason Ritter was born on February 17, 1980, in Los Angeles, California, to John Ritter and his first wife, Nancy Morgan, who was also an actress. He graduated from New York University's Tisch School of the Arts, where he studied at the Atlantic Theater Company. He is best known for his role as Kevin Girardi in the television series Joan of Arcadia, Ethan Haas in The Class, Sean Walker in the NBC series The Event, and as Mark Cyr in Parenthood.

Jason took an interest in acting at a young age. "When I was a kid, it was a lot of fun; I did a lot of plays in my elementary school," he said in an appearance on Good Morning America in 2017. "I really loved it so much," he added. Not that surprising, considering he made his first-ever appearance on the screen aged one on his dad's show, Three's Company.

In his teenage years, however, Jason had a short phase in which he became incredibly shy. "The idea of anybody looking at me doing anything was a nightmare," he admitted. 

Jason became engaged to actress Melanie Lynskey, 43, in 2017. Well known in her own right, Lynskey has acted in movies and TV shows including Two and a Half Men, Coyote Ugly, Flags of Our Fathers, and Up in the Air. The pair welcomed their first child together—a daughter—in December 2018. Speaking to Entertainment Tonight in summer 2020, Jason revealed that he aspired to be just like his late father when it comes to parenting. 

"The main thing I continue to pass down, which was a huge thing from my dad and mom [Nancy Morgan], is how they always made sure we knew we were loved," Jason said. 

Now almost two years old, his little girl is already showing signs that she's a true Ritter. According to Jason, his daughter is a natural when it comes to being around a camera. 

"We take videos of her and show her, then she'll [imitate] the sound she makes to tell us which one she wants to watch again," Jason revealed. 

"She's mimicking herself, which is incredible. And, there's been times we've caught her trying to recreate old videos. One of her favorites is playing with the hose, and the other day she kept forcing me to press record, then running away, laughing and coming back like she was filming it again!"

In an interview with People Magazine in 2019, nearly one year after his daughter's birth, Jason Ritter called being a dad "fantastic" and said that the best part of it was:

"I feel like she and I have a special connection. We sort of get in trouble together."

His co-star Alisha Wainwright interrupted, saying that she was still a baby, but Ritter, a funny man just like his father, took no time in pouncing on a joke, adding, "But she can drink!" causing everyone to roar in laughter. He continued, saying, "She's a little adventure, she likes wants to get into everything and try to climb things, and I'm like trying to help her."

When asked what the hardest part of being a father was, well, that was an obvious one. He said: 

"It requires a lot of time and focus and there's certain exhaustion levels that come into play. Lack of sleep, but you know you're tired and then she goes [he mimics a cheeky smile] You got me again!"

Clearly a doting dad, Jason Ritter seems to have a lot of love for his little daughter. One can only imagine how sweet John Ritter would have been as a grandfather to her.

With entertainment blood running through their veins, both John and Jason Ritter were destined for stardom, having been surrounded by it throughout their lives—first with John Ritter's father, the singing cowboy star, Tex Ritter. Just like John Ritter followed in his father's footsteps, his son, Jason, followed in both of his parents' footsteps. Who knows, since Jason Ritter and Melanie Lynskey's daughter has two actors for parents, maybe she'll follow in the family line too—after all, talent clearly runs in the family. 

Have you seen Jason Ritter acting before and wondered who he looks like? What are your thoughts about this father and son pairing who have the same looks and careers? Let us know your thoughts in the comments and make sure you pass this along to your friends and family.