The son of singing cowboy Tex Ritter and actress Dorothy Fay, John Ritter was born Sept. 17, 1948, in Burbank, Calif. He attended the University of Southern California, changing his major to theater after taking a class with acting coach Nina Foch.Ritter's father, who discouraged John's acting career, lived to see him land a recurring role on "The Waltons," Tex's favorite program.
Ritter appeared on numerous TV shows before winning the role (in 1972) that launched his career: Jack Tripper, the ladies' man pretending to be gay, in the sitcom "Three's Company" (opposite Suzanne Somers and Joyce DeWitt). The show, which ran eight years, earned Ritter an Emmy and enduring fame.After the series' demise, Ritter continued to appear on television and in films such as Noises Off (1992) and Sling Blade (1996). Ritter died on Sept.
11, 2003; his last movie was Bad Santa (with Billy Bob Thornton).
I still miss John Ritter. Gone too soon. I miss his laughter, his smile and his lovable parenting. He would treat all kids he met as his own and gave wonderful advice.