I am STUNNED by this news! John Ritter has passed away from an undetected heart problem.

I don't know what else to say at this point...I'm still in shock!

I just thought that it was appropriate that Mr. Ritter's death be reported on this message board, as he is part of "Wings"' "extended family".

Poor Amy Yasbeck. Sad situation all around.

Im in shock as well, I loved John as an actor and as a caring person for whom he cared so much in helping Jerry Lewis and the MDA in becoming that much closer to a cure for MD ... Im sure gonna miss him, :(

LOS ANGELES (AP) - John Ritter, whose portrayal of the bumbling but lovable Jack Tripper helped make the madcap comedy series "Three's Company" a smash hit in the 1970s, has died of a heart problem, his publicist said Friday. He was 54.

Ritter fell ill Thursday on the set of his ABC sitcom "8 Simple Rules ... For Dating My Teenage Daughter," said Susan Wilcox, his assistant of 22 years.

The cause of death was a dissection of the aorta, the result of an unrecognized flaw in his heart, said his publicist, Lisa Kasteler.

Ritter died at Providence St. Joseph Medical Center shortly after 10 p.m. Thursday.


Ritter, a Southern California native who lived in Beverly Hills, came to prominence for his role in "Three's Company" and had appeared in more than 25 television movies and a number of films.

Ritter, who would have turned 55 on Wednesday, made a successful return to sitcom acting with "8 Simple Rules" last year, and the ABC show was scheduled to begin its second season on Sept. 23.

At the Burbank hospital where he died, Ritter was accompanied by producers and co-workers, his wife, Amy Yasbeck, and 23-year-old son Jason, Wilcox said. He is survived by three other children, Carly, Tyler and Stella.

"It's just stunning, unbelievable," said Wilcox. "Everybody loved John Ritter. Everybody loved working with him. ... Whatever set he was working on, he made it a very fun place."

ABC released a statement saying: "All of us at ABC, Touchstone Television and The Walt Disney Company are shocked and heartbroken at the terrible news of John's passing. Our thoughts and prayers are with his wife and children at this very difficult time."

Ritter was the youngest son of Western film star and country musician Tex Ritter. He graduated from Hollywood High School and earned a degree in drama from the University of Southern California.

Ritter appeared in more than 50 plays nationwide and won critical acclaim for his recent nine-month role in the Broadway premiere of Neil Simon's "The Dinner Party."

He received an Emmy and other awards for his "Three's Company" role and was honored by the Los Angeles Music Center in June with a lifetime achievement award.

He was great in comedy. It is a shame he was on his way to being again on top of his job with the current show.

John was such a talented actor and seemed like such a wonderful person. My heart goes out to Amy and the rest of his family.

Jen :(

I will pray for Amy and her family. This is just a sad day. R.I.P. John. Your fans will never forget you.

Oh no! That's so sad! :(
I liked him. I thought he was very funny. When I've watched "Three's Company" or "8 Simple Rues..." he always made me laugh.
:(

like the words spoken by John Edwards from Crossing Over ... the body is like an automobile and the soul is like the driver, sometimes the driver gets out and looks at the world from the outside

As soon as I saw this news I was absolutely stunned, and I still am. I had just watched a bio on him no more then 2 days ago and several actors were talking about him and how talented he was, and he was talking abut how blessed he was wth his family, his wife, etc.....this is just shocking.

I always felt John Ritter was an excellent actor, and not just as a comedian. He did a film by Billy Bob Thornton called "Slingblade" which is a great film, and John gave an outstanding performance.

This is a tragic loss.

This has been a tragic year in the entertainment industry. I can't recall another year where so many big names have died so close together. John Ritter, son of Tex, rest in peace!

Johnny Cash is a giant in American music history & one of the founders of Rock & Roll. A true icon. His final music video, his cover of 9 Inch Nail's "Hurt" is one of the most astonishing videos I have ever seen, given who is singing it & the message it is conveying. Of all music videos I have seen, that one is the most profound to me. Rather than it making me think about going out & buy the CD, it made me think about the singer & his extaordinary life. Rest in Peace, Man in Black!

Originally posted by c5guy
This has been a tragic year in the entertainment industry. I can't recall another year where so many big names have died so close together. John Ritter, son of Tex, rest in peace!

Johnny Cash is a giant in American music history & one of the founders of Rock & Roll. A true icon. His final music video, his cover of 9 Inch Nail's "Hurt" is one of the most astonishing videos I have ever seen, given who is singing it & the message it is conveying. Of all music videos I have seen, that one is the most profound to me. Rather than it making me think about going out & buy the CD, it made me think about the singer & his extaordinary life. Rest in Peace, Man in Black!

what? Johnny Cash died?!
I didn't know that. Sometimes I think I live under a rock.
I also liked his cover of Nine Inch Nails' "Hurt". I like it better than the Nine Inch Nails one. I've never seen the video though..

oh my god, i cant believe it:(

RIP John. You may be gone, but we will never forget you!

I'm just as stunned as everyone else about this news, but also I didn't know he was married to Amy Yasbeck. I would imagine NaN will be doing a tribute to him in the near future with a martahon of Three's Company episodes.

This is so sad, John Ritter was one of the best physical comedians IMO, and I've always really liked him. When I heard this news really early in the morning (at about 4:30 a.m.) I absolutely could not get back to sleep because I was so upset. My heart goes out to Amy and his children.

Johnny Cash died around 2:00 am (Central time) this morning Krista





Originally posted by Krista2882
what? Johnny Cash died?!
I didn't know that. Sometimes I think I live under a rock.
I also liked his cover of Nine Inch Nails' "Hurt". I like it better than the Nine Inch Nails one. I've never seen the video though..

I'm sad to see John go. I never watched threes company but I have always thought he was extremely funny whenever I would see him on TV like on Conan a few weeks ago. Plus he was my favorite guest star on wings. R.I.P.

I can't think of anything to say now that hasn't been said about this extremely sad day in the world of entertainment.

The Man In Black is with his beloved June once again.

Of course, I, too, am deeply shocked and saddened at the passing of John Ritter. Just yesterday was John & Amy's daughter's birthday, and today is Amy's birthday. John's birthday would have been the 17th and their anniversary was the 18th.

Another life cut short way too soon.:crying: :crying:

How sad. I wasn't a huge fan, but I was still shocked and saddened by the news. He did seem like a very nice, loving person. 54 is too young to die. My prayers go out to his loved ones.