Watching this boyish actor is somewhat eerie since he sports the same disarming smile as his father — the late, great
Three's Company star John Ritter — although unlike his dad he's made his name in dramas, not comedies. The younger Ritter was 10 when he made his acting debut opposite his father (playing his son, of course) in the fantastical TV biopic
The Dreamer of Oz: The L. Frank Baum Story, but he didn't truly embark on an entertainment career until he enrolled in NYU's prestigious acting program. While still in school, he began landing guest spots and appearing on stage, but he broke through in 2003, appearing in the popular slasher flick
Jason vs. Freddy and landing a plum role as an angry, wheelchair-bound teen in the divinely inspired drama
Joan of Arcadia. Unfortunately, personal tragedy struck that same year when his father died suddenly of a previously undetected heart condition. But the son persevered and continued to rack up impressive credits on both screen and stage.
Jason Ritter Fast Facts:
- At age 8, he appeared alongside Jack Black in a school production of Pippin.
- Founding member of New York City's Irreputable Theater Company.
- Jason Ritter Relationships:
- Amy Yasbeck - Stepmother
- Dorothy Fay - Grandmother
- John Ritter - Father
- Marianna Palka - Significant Other
- Nancy Morgan - Mother
- Stella Ritter - Half Sister
- Tex Ritter - Grandfather
- College:
- New York University, Tisch School of the Arts, New York, NY (2002); attended the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art, London, England
