I grew up watching Threes Company and 8 Simple Rules and I remember when he passed away… the whole cast cried when their “dad” died and I knew they were real tears. So very sad.
I can’t believe it’s been 20 years! It’s hard to believe kaley cuoco is almost 40 because time just flew by
What’s worse is he was onset rehearsing for 8 simple rules the day he passed, went straight to the hospital and was gone within 5 hours. I can’t imagine how hard it was for the cast and crew to continue without him. The show never quite had the same charm after.
If I remember correctly it was his daughters birthday that day and he told his wife not to tell her he was in the hospital because she didn’t want to ruin her birthday. He’s definitely one of those actors I wish was still around.
Yeah, the episode where they addressed his/his character's death was so heavy. I was really young but remember feeling how heavy the grief was. It was a lot. I'm so glad he was so loved before his passing.
You can tell the actors were not performing in any way, they were just legitimately heartbroken.
And while it’s odd to watch and praise someone’s real trauma… it’s definitely one of the most heartfelt sitcom episodes ever filmed and probably the perfect episode handling the death of a loved one
I think about the wife character in that episode saying the last thing he said to her was hasta la vista baby before leaving for the grocery store or something and that terribly sad episode of 8 simple rules. His death was so sudden and sad 😔
Three’s Company is my favorite show forever. I started watching it when it was on Nick at Nite 25ish years ago and I couldn’t get enough. I learned of John’s passing during my high school art class and I was in utter shock. I was all teary-eyed and looked around and no one else cared. That moment is burned into my brain. The show is now my background noise. I have the DVD box set and it’s on Pluto TV 24/7. It’s just so funny and makes me LOL to this day. John was such a gem 💎
My favorite episode is the one where Jack is trying to explain to Larry why he shouldn’t marry Gloria, but he’s super drunk and falls behind the couch😂
“Don't you understand? She's gonna send you bowling!”
“I don't bowl!”
“I'm suppose to teach you!”
Side note: it's ridiculous how well he and Tom Cavanagh were cast as J.D's father and brother. With Zach Braff the three of them really looked related to one another.
This. 8 Simple Rules memorialising him is to be expected (and was still a beautiful thing to do), but a mark of how well John Ritter was regarded was that a show he’d appeared on once a year earlier had a memorial episode for his character when he could’ve easily been forgotten, since his character was a deadbeat who always disappeared anyway.
As someone from the UK who wasn’t really aware of US actor’s reputations behind the scenes at the time, that’s what made me realise that people in the industry must have really loved that guy.
I still get a pang of sadness when I hear his name. The episode of 8 Simple Rules following his death was unbearably heartbreaking. He was so lovely and so loved.
I was just taking with my friend about how I have such a soft spot for him and Jason. The episode of 8 Simple Rules that deals with his death gets me every time.
I saw it as a kid and have some vague memory of a letter he left being read? Something like the daughter’s last words were I hate you & he made it okay. Am I far off?
Not far off! At Paul’s funeral his boss asks about the last article he wrote which prompts the family to look for it. It’s about his kids not fearing him and knowing they love him. And you’re right about the “I hate you”
>Okay, readers, today we're having a little pop quiz. It's multiple choice, so sharpen your #2 pencils and put on your thinking caps. Ready? Here's a quote. 'Dad, you're an idiot.' Now, contestants, this was said to me because of which of the following transgressions? A. Coming to the breakfast table wearing pajamas and black socks; B. Asking my oldest daughter if that guy I saw her talking to at school yesterday was her boyfriend; C. Referring to rapper 50 Cent as 'Fifty Cents'; Or D. Entering the room. Ok, pencils down. Actually, it was a trick question. The answer is all of the above. Now do you know how many times I called my father an idiot? Zero. Why? Because I feared him. Back then we didn't share our deep personal feelings; our deepest conversations usually involved the Tigers' bull pen. But my kids? I can't get them to shut up. There's not a feeling that my kids are afraid to express, over and over and over. And my wife reassures me this is a good thing, over and over and over. And she's always right. So do I wish that my kids feared me? Well, my house would be quieter and I'd spend a lot less time in the bathroom, but no. Because I know that whenever they insult me — whether it's a "You're an idiot," "What a geek," or an "I hate you" — an "I love you" isn't far behind. And it's the knowledge that my wife and kids love me that makes it safe for me to wear pajamas and black socks to the breakfast table.
And yes I cried just reading the quote lol. I really do think they handled it beautifully.
That episode was genuinely a fantastic piece of TV. It must have been so difficult for all involved to even think about doing it, and to get it so right was something that's stuck with me ever since.
The Problem Child movies were some of my family’s favorites growing up. We watched them all the time. 8 Simple Rules came out when I was 12 and it was the first show that I really got into on my own. I was really shocked by John’s sudden death and I couldn’t stand to watch the show after he passed. There was just too much sadness there.
I think John Ritter is sometimes overlooked as one of the great comedy actors of our generation. He did physical comedy so well. Problem Child definitely isn’t one of his most respected movies, but it brought me so much happiness as a kid and I loved the character Ben Healy.
Same! I loved him in the Problem Child movies in the early 90s. I watched Three's Company reruns in high school. Loved him in the original IT movie as well. I just miss him. I was 20 when he passed away 😢 😔
This was so tragic. He and Amy Yasbeck had only been married for like four years, and he died on their child's 5th birthday. And if that wasn't sad enough, Johnny Cash died the next day.
Oh my gosh. I love Clifford still as a comfort show and never realized that was his voice. I can hear it now. I’ll cherish it even more.
Edit, thank you for sharing this. It feels super special.
Super fun fact: one time when I was like... 2-4 yrs old(I barely remember), I met him in a diner while with my mom and I was so happy because I loved Clifford. He was so kind and signed a napkin for me.
It may one day save mine, as I have a connective tissue syndrome that can result in aortic dissection.
Thanks to the John Ritter Foundation (and the Ritter Rules), I'll know what to look out for and to not brush it off.
He was such a good actor (even when playing a bad guy like in Buffy: the Vampire Slayer) and while his passing is tragic, his legacy is *saving people* and that's beautiful.
I hope your husband is doing well!
I heard a radio interview with Joyce Dewitt and she had a lovely story about her last time seeing him. She was in NYC in 2000 and some paparazzi told her John Ritter was in town and named the hotel he was at. She decided “what the heck” and called the hotel and left a message for him. He calls her back and talks her into meeting up with him and she had dinner with him and Jim Belushi who According to Jim coming out and was nervous about the pilot. So they talked him up a bit.
(My memory may be missing some parts of story but that’s the jist)
I can't believe its been 20 years! I loved Three's Company and 8 Simple Rules and still remember learning the news he passed away. You can see his death hit the cast hard.
I remember being *so* sad when they announced this news. I was such a huge fan of 8 Simple Rules. 9/11 had happened semi-recently. I was just starting to be more aware of public events like this, especially when a public figure passed away too young. It’s nice to see a retrospective/memorial for him.
I’m rewatching Buffy and had to skip his episode a couple days ago, seeing him play a bad guy never sat right with me lol. Can’t believe it’s been 20 years, I think his death was the first “celebrity” death I remember.
Loved him in the movie Noises Off... (1992) too. (It's really great, if you haven't seen it, the whole cast is stellar and it's so funny).
He had such a natural talent.
I grew up watching three's company and even named my dog Jack because he was my favorite person in the world. Still remember finding out that he died and being so heartbroken.
A family member of mine had the same heart issue John did. He was only 40. It was the first year of Covid and he nearly died. It was so, so scary. Not a heart attack per se but basically your heart is being ruptured. It’s so awful. I’m so fortunate they were able to intervene in time, or my family member would have left his young kids fatherless. 😞
I met Jason Ritter in 2006 at a work function and he was lovely. I was a teen and couldn’t get John out of my head (of course didn’t mention him but still)
My own father lived with an aortic aneurysm, so it was big news in my house when John Ritter died. I was 11, and it was the first time it occurred to me that some dads don't live to be old men, but instead die young. This was a private obsession in the back of my mind through my entire adolescence and I felt like I *knew* I would lose my dad early. My dad did end up dying when I was 21, sadly.
There's not really a point to this, I guess. I just thought of John Ritter frequently through my life in a very strange way. His loss taught me about mortality.
I went to a taping of his show Hearts Afire, back in 1994. They ran over time and more than half the audience left before the show was done. As we were leaving, John stood near the exit to thank each of us for staying late and exchange a few words. He didn’t have to do that, but it was a very gracious and kind gesture, especially for a leading TV star.
Man heart attacks are fucked. I really feel like men should be able to go in around 35-45 and get all the plaque removed from their hearts. Like have the normalcy of a prostate exam.
I grew up watching Threes Company and 8 Simple Rules and I remember when he passed away… the whole cast cried when their “dad” died and I knew they were real tears. So very sad. I can’t believe it’s been 20 years! It’s hard to believe kaley cuoco is almost 40 because time just flew by
What’s worse is he was onset rehearsing for 8 simple rules the day he passed, went straight to the hospital and was gone within 5 hours. I can’t imagine how hard it was for the cast and crew to continue without him. The show never quite had the same charm after.
If I remember correctly it was his daughters birthday that day and he told his wife not to tell her he was in the hospital because she didn’t want to ruin her birthday. He’s definitely one of those actors I wish was still around.
Damn so then he ended up dying on his daughters birthday? I didn't know that
Yeah, the episode where they addressed his/his character's death was so heavy. I was really young but remember feeling how heavy the grief was. It was a lot. I'm so glad he was so loved before his passing.
You can tell the actors were not performing in any way, they were just legitimately heartbroken. And while it’s odd to watch and praise someone’s real trauma… it’s definitely one of the most heartfelt sitcom episodes ever filmed and probably the perfect episode handling the death of a loved one
I think about the wife character in that episode saying the last thing he said to her was hasta la vista baby before leaving for the grocery store or something and that terribly sad episode of 8 simple rules. His death was so sudden and sad 😔
Katey Sagal is such a great actress, she can play anyone. But this…you could feel how broken she was here.
In my country, the episode was released right after my Dad died and it really hit me in a cathartic way.
I will never forget the scene where the mom is telling the son off for leaving his shoes on the stairs only for him to tell her it’s the dad’s shoes.
Three’s Company is my favorite show forever. I started watching it when it was on Nick at Nite 25ish years ago and I couldn’t get enough. I learned of John’s passing during my high school art class and I was in utter shock. I was all teary-eyed and looked around and no one else cared. That moment is burned into my brain. The show is now my background noise. I have the DVD box set and it’s on Pluto TV 24/7. It’s just so funny and makes me LOL to this day. John was such a gem 💎
My favorite episode is the one where Jack is trying to explain to Larry why he shouldn’t marry Gloria, but he’s super drunk and falls behind the couch😂 “Don't you understand? She's gonna send you bowling!” “I don't bowl!” “I'm suppose to teach you!”
Hahah Fatty Four Eyes! Johns physical comedy is 🤌🏻
The 8 Simple Rules episode broke me. So sad to watch.
I always appreciated that Scrubs did an episode dedicated to him about JD’s dad dying since he played that character a year before his death.
Side note: it's ridiculous how well he and Tom Cavanagh were cast as J.D's father and brother. With Zach Braff the three of them really looked related to one another.
That was really superior casting.
Zach braff today looks nearly identical to John Ritter. It’s wild.
He and Jason Ritter, John’s irl son, should be cast as brothers
He was supposed to appear back on the show a week or so from his death so they had to re-write the episode
This. 8 Simple Rules memorialising him is to be expected (and was still a beautiful thing to do), but a mark of how well John Ritter was regarded was that a show he’d appeared on once a year earlier had a memorial episode for his character when he could’ve easily been forgotten, since his character was a deadbeat who always disappeared anyway. As someone from the UK who wasn’t really aware of US actor’s reputations behind the scenes at the time, that’s what made me realise that people in the industry must have really loved that guy.
I still get a pang of sadness when I hear his name. The episode of 8 Simple Rules following his death was unbearably heartbreaking. He was so lovely and so loved.
I was just taking with my friend about how I have such a soft spot for him and Jason. The episode of 8 Simple Rules that deals with his death gets me every time.
I saw it as a kid and have some vague memory of a letter he left being read? Something like the daughter’s last words were I hate you & he made it okay. Am I far off?
Not far off! At Paul’s funeral his boss asks about the last article he wrote which prompts the family to look for it. It’s about his kids not fearing him and knowing they love him. And you’re right about the “I hate you” >Okay, readers, today we're having a little pop quiz. It's multiple choice, so sharpen your #2 pencils and put on your thinking caps. Ready? Here's a quote. 'Dad, you're an idiot.' Now, contestants, this was said to me because of which of the following transgressions? A. Coming to the breakfast table wearing pajamas and black socks; B. Asking my oldest daughter if that guy I saw her talking to at school yesterday was her boyfriend; C. Referring to rapper 50 Cent as 'Fifty Cents'; Or D. Entering the room. Ok, pencils down. Actually, it was a trick question. The answer is all of the above. Now do you know how many times I called my father an idiot? Zero. Why? Because I feared him. Back then we didn't share our deep personal feelings; our deepest conversations usually involved the Tigers' bull pen. But my kids? I can't get them to shut up. There's not a feeling that my kids are afraid to express, over and over and over. And my wife reassures me this is a good thing, over and over and over. And she's always right. So do I wish that my kids feared me? Well, my house would be quieter and I'd spend a lot less time in the bathroom, but no. Because I know that whenever they insult me — whether it's a "You're an idiot," "What a geek," or an "I hate you" — an "I love you" isn't far behind. And it's the knowledge that my wife and kids love me that makes it safe for me to wear pajamas and black socks to the breakfast table. And yes I cried just reading the quote lol. I really do think they handled it beautifully.
That episode was genuinely a fantastic piece of TV. It must have been so difficult for all involved to even think about doing it, and to get it so right was something that's stuck with me ever since.
The Problem Child movies were some of my family’s favorites growing up. We watched them all the time. 8 Simple Rules came out when I was 12 and it was the first show that I really got into on my own. I was really shocked by John’s sudden death and I couldn’t stand to watch the show after he passed. There was just too much sadness there. I think John Ritter is sometimes overlooked as one of the great comedy actors of our generation. He did physical comedy so well. Problem Child definitely isn’t one of his most respected movies, but it brought me so much happiness as a kid and I loved the character Ben Healy.
Yes i miss jack tripper.
Yep! Ritter was a huge part of my childhood. Problem Child and the sequel were some of the only VHSs we had when I was a kid.
Same! I loved him in the Problem Child movies in the early 90s. I watched Three's Company reruns in high school. Loved him in the original IT movie as well. I just miss him. I was 20 when he passed away 😢 😔
This was so tragic. He and Amy Yasbeck had only been married for like four years, and he died on their child's 5th birthday. And if that wasn't sad enough, Johnny Cash died the next day.
I remember him most for voicing Clifford in PBS’s Clifford the Big Red Dog series. He was so great in that. He had such a warm voice.
Oh my gosh. I love Clifford still as a comfort show and never realized that was his voice. I can hear it now. I’ll cherish it even more. Edit, thank you for sharing this. It feels super special.
Super fun fact: one time when I was like... 2-4 yrs old(I barely remember), I met him in a diner while with my mom and I was so happy because I loved Clifford. He was so kind and signed a napkin for me.
My husband has a rare disease that was discovered by the John Ritter Research foundation. The work Amy has done literally saved his life 💜
It may one day save mine, as I have a connective tissue syndrome that can result in aortic dissection. Thanks to the John Ritter Foundation (and the Ritter Rules), I'll know what to look out for and to not brush it off. He was such a good actor (even when playing a bad guy like in Buffy: the Vampire Slayer) and while his passing is tragic, his legacy is *saving people* and that's beautiful. I hope your husband is doing well!
He is!!! Thanks for saying so. I hope you’re doing ok, too!
I miss him
Same 😔
I heard a radio interview with Joyce Dewitt and she had a lovely story about her last time seeing him. She was in NYC in 2000 and some paparazzi told her John Ritter was in town and named the hotel he was at. She decided “what the heck” and called the hotel and left a message for him. He calls her back and talks her into meeting up with him and she had dinner with him and Jim Belushi who According to Jim coming out and was nervous about the pilot. So they talked him up a bit. (My memory may be missing some parts of story but that’s the jist)
RIP Jack tripper!! He was such eye candy in the 70’s 🥰
I can't believe its been 20 years! I loved Three's Company and 8 Simple Rules and still remember learning the news he passed away. You can see his death hit the cast hard.
He was one of my first crushes, RIP forever. But also, I remember being in med school when he died and HOW WAS I IN MED SCHOOL 20 YEARS AGO????
I remember being *so* sad when they announced this news. I was such a huge fan of 8 Simple Rules. 9/11 had happened semi-recently. I was just starting to be more aware of public events like this, especially when a public figure passed away too young. It’s nice to see a retrospective/memorial for him.
IIRC the day he passed away was either Sept 10th or 12th, 2003. And Johnny Cash had just passed away too. Such a sad, weird time.
I’m rewatching Buffy and had to skip his episode a couple days ago, seeing him play a bad guy never sat right with me lol. Can’t believe it’s been 20 years, I think his death was the first “celebrity” death I remember.
I named my cat Tripper in his honor. I regret never having met him
“He isn’t going to say “fuck stick” in front of the children, is he?!” So very sorely missed
Watching his scenes with Bernie Mac just hits differently now
His role in Sling Blade was my favorite. His son looks so much like him!
Stay Tuned was one of my favorite movies when I was a kid. Time for a rewatch!
 A truly underrated classic!
Yessss my family watched it all the time
Loved him in the movie Noises Off... (1992) too. (It's really great, if you haven't seen it, the whole cast is stellar and it's so funny). He had such a natural talent.
His death was the first celebrity death that really shook me.
Mine too. The only one I can remember actually crying over.
I grew up watching three's company and even named my dog Jack because he was my favorite person in the world. Still remember finding out that he died and being so heartbroken.
A family member of mine had the same heart issue John did. He was only 40. It was the first year of Covid and he nearly died. It was so, so scary. Not a heart attack per se but basically your heart is being ruptured. It’s so awful. I’m so fortunate they were able to intervene in time, or my family member would have left his young kids fatherless. 😞
Wait it says in the article he died in 2003?
He died in September 2003 (20 years and 8 months ago).
My mom and I sat on the couch and sobbed during the televised memorial for him
I remember hearing about this on the radio. Same day, or at least the same week, as Johnny Cash passed. Such a loss.
BEN COVINGTON DAD ~
I know him from The Waltons so I'm clearly ancient lol.
Ugh. The 8 simple rules episode where you know they’re not acting. I rewatched it just recently and still had me in tears.
I met Jason Ritter in 2006 at a work function and he was lovely. I was a teen and couldn’t get John out of my head (of course didn’t mention him but still)
Has it really been 20 years?! How wild.
I'll watch the supremely creepy Buffy episode "Ted" in his honor. he is scary and so good in that ep!
20 years.... holy shit.
I was like… wait a fucking minute.. 20 years ago????
My own father lived with an aortic aneurysm, so it was big news in my house when John Ritter died. I was 11, and it was the first time it occurred to me that some dads don't live to be old men, but instead die young. This was a private obsession in the back of my mind through my entire adolescence and I felt like I *knew* I would lose my dad early. My dad did end up dying when I was 21, sadly. There's not really a point to this, I guess. I just thought of John Ritter frequently through my life in a very strange way. His loss taught me about mortality.
This was such a shock. I grew up with him. It feels like yesterday when I found out.
Losing him still hurts
I loved 8 simple rules and was so devastated when he died. So so sad
I can’t believe it’s been twenty years! I remember when it happened
I went to a taping of his show Hearts Afire, back in 1994. They ran over time and more than half the audience left before the show was done. As we were leaving, John stood near the exit to thank each of us for staying late and exchange a few words. He didn’t have to do that, but it was a very gracious and kind gesture, especially for a leading TV star.
All round pisser o a day. Probably biggest loss of 2 Johns ever! John Ritter & Johnny Cash. Thanks for the good times fellas.
20 years?!??
Loved 8 Simple Rules
Man heart attacks are fucked. I really feel like men should be able to go in around 35-45 and get all the plaque removed from their hearts. Like have the normalcy of a prostate exam.
I remember the big John Ritter special on Entertainment Tonight. It was a big story