Jason Ritter Makes a Name for Himself in 'The Event'

[*Pleasant Tomorrow*]

There's no forum for this yet so I thought I'd put it here for now.

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Jason Ritter Makes a Name for Himself in 'The Event'
By Dave Nemetz | Friday, September 17, 2010, 3:14 PM

Jason Ritter has appeared in more than 20 films and a dozen TV shows; he's walked red carpets and won awards. But to this day, he's still best known as the son of beloved TV icon John Ritter. In fact, there was a time when Jason didn't want people to know who his father was; he reportedly considered his famous last name a strike against him while in acting school. But this fall, with his compelling turn in NBC's new pulse-pounding action-thriller "The Event," Jason may finally be ready to step out of his father's shadow once and for all.

Of course, there are worse fates than being the son of John Ritter. Jason was born in 1980, smack-dab in the middle of John's eight-season run as goofy pratfall-king Jack Tripper on the bawdy sitcom classic "Three's Company." And dad even got Jason his first acting gigs: Jason debuted as a toddler in the "Company" opening credits, and later appeared alongside his father as John played the titular author in the 1990 TV movie "The Dreamer of Oz: The L. Frank Baum Story."

After briefly dabbling in music, Jason turned his full attention to acting, graduating from New York University and studying drama at the prestigious Royal Academy of Dramatic Art in London. Jason returned to the States and paid his showbiz dues, appearing on "Law & Order" and in the 2002 film "Swimfan." His breakout role, though, came in the fall of 2003 when he co-starred as Joan's brother, star-athlete-turned-paraplegic Kevin Girardi, on CBS's "Joan of Arcadia."

But the thrill of Jason's big break was tempered by tragedy. His father John fell ill on the set of "8 Simple Rules" and passed away of a heart defect on September 11, 2003 — two weeks before "Arcadia" premiered. John was just 54 years old, and a nation of TV fans mourned along with Jason and his family. Jason continued with "Arcadia" for two well-received seasons, but the sudden loss of his father led him to dial back his dreams of stardom and take time off to care for his family.

When Jason was ready to return to acting, Hollywood welcomed him with open arms. He starred opposite Hilary Duff in 2004's "Raise Your Voice" and garnered praise for his work as a closeted gay musician in the indie comedy "Happy Endings." He also earned accolades for his stage work in productions like Neil LaBute's "The Distance from Here" and Wendy Wasserstein's "Third."

But sooner or later, Jason was bound to follow in his father's footsteps and take a stab at TV comedy. And he did just that in 2006, starring as class-reunion organizer Ethan Haas on the CBS sitcom "The Class." The show only lasted a single season, but Jason proved he could hold his own as the lead of a network series. He built on that momentum by playing Jeb Bush in Oliver Stone's "W," and did a four-episode stint on NBC's family dramedy "Parenthood" last season.

Now for the first time, Jason is ready to carry a big-budget network show on his shoulders. In "The Event," he stars as Sean Walker, an everyman whose frantic search for his missing girlfriend leads him to stumble upon a massive conspiracy. The show's breakneck twists and turns can be a bit mystifying, but Sean's desperation gives "The Event" the emotional grounding it needs. And if "The Event" turns out to be the hit many think it will be, TV viewers might come to know Jason Ritter's full name — not just his last name.

"The Event" premieres Monday, 9/20 at 9pm ET on NBC.

http://tv.yahoo.com/blog/jason-ritte...he-event--1556

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