20 years ago, we lost John Ritter

[TMC]

For those who are old enough, do you remember when you first heard the news well? Everyone from what I could recall, was shocked as his death was so sudden.

[ClarenceAlabama]

A celebrity death has only brought a tear to my eyes twice in my life. John Ritter was one of the times.

Three's Company was my favorite show since childhood and the fact that it was sudden and unexpected and he was fairly young.

[Mace Dolex]

It was on the Yahoo front page when I first logged on to check my email and I was shocked.

[TMC]

Originally Posted by ClarenceAlabama

A celebrity death has only brought a tear to my eyes twice in my life. John Ritter was one of the times.

Three's Company was my favorite show since childhood and the fact that it was sudden and unexpected and he was fairly young.

I didn't know this for the longest time, but John's mother Dorothy Fay outlived him by about two months. I do wonder if Dorothy was aware of her son's death or she was shielded by the news.

And I wonder if it was similar situation with Debbie Reynolds in that she was already in ill health stemming from a stroke, but the untimely death of her daughter Carrie Fisher, sent her over the edge.

[Mr. Television]

I was here on Sitcoms Online. I remember practically everyone on here had John Ritter avatars.

[Dude111]

[TMC]

John Ritter's Widow Amy Yasbeck Was Never The Same After His Death

Amy Yasbeck's life took a dramatic turn when her husband, John Ritter, suddenly died in 2003. Here's a look at her life after the tragic loss of her soulmate.

[Dude111]

I can understand why.. Jack was awesome!!

[TMC]

On a side note, I just learned that John Getz, who played Jack Tripper's brother Lee in the Season 4 episode "Lee Aint' Heavy, He's My Brother" is still with us. He's actually two years older than John Ritter, having been born in 1946. It's kind of similar how John Ritter's real life brother, Tom was older (by one year) and outlived John.

In this photo in particular, I really could buy the notion of John Getz as John Ritter's brother.

[TMC]

A post shared by on Jan 01, 2022 at 12:00pm PDT

Remembering a Good Friend: A Tribute to John Ritter.

The Cast of Clifford the Big Red Dog®



Clifford

Recognize the voice of Clifford the Big Red Dog? You probably know him best from his starring role on Three's Company. The late John Ritter was a stage, film, and television actor. John grew up in Los Angeles, where he went to Hollywood High School and later graduated from the University of Southern California. For more information on John's accomplishments, see our special article, Remembering a Good Friend: A Tribute to John Ritter. And Clifford? Well, of course you know who Clifford is! He's BIG, he's RED, and he's a great friend. He always stands up for what he thinks is right. Though Clifford's head is sometimes in the clouds (literally!), his four paws are planted firmly on the ground. Clifford's best friend on the show is Emily Elizabeth.

[Willbo]

My kids loved "Clifford, the Big Red Dog". John was great as the voice of Clifford.

[TMC]

Remembering John Ritter.

On September 11, 2003, John Ritter - the popular sitcom superstar from Three's Company - suddenly fell ill on the set of his new show and was rushed to a nearby hospital, where he later died from a rare heart condition. As the world mourned the passing of a comedic legend, his family and friends were left to wonder -- was it preventable?

Hosts: Jason Beckerman & Derek Kaufman

John Ritter Tribute from The 55th Primetime Emmy Awards on September 21, 2003 - Also a tribute to others who had passed.

Cuoco played the late actor's TV daughter in '8 Simple Rules' and opens up about her final moments with her TV dad.

[TMC]

Originally Posted by Mace Dolex

It was on the Yahoo front page when I first logged on to check my email and I was shocked.

I think that I first found out while turning on the TV in my bedroom after waking up (it must of been around 6 o'clock in the morning). For some reason, I had the Fox News Channel on (I know, don't judge me), where the hosts said that John had died overnight.

Like you, it felt like a shock because John was still a relatively young man. 54 isn't that "old" of an age to die in the grand scheme of things. Plus, John was still out there working and in the public eye with 8 Simple Rules for Dating My Teenage Daughter just starting its second season. So, it wasn't like he was retired and we had completely forgotten about him while he was still alive.

I guess the naïve person in me while watching him on 8 Simple Rules... didn't have any inclination that he may have been in ill health and didn't have much longer to live. I admittedly, didn't know what an aortic dissection was at the time of his death. Over time, I learned that there may have been a hereditary connection because it's recently been theorized that John's father, Tex Ritter may have also suffered from it.

[TMC]

Does anybody remember or know what the cast (Joyce, Suzanne, Richard, Priscilla, Jenilee, and Don) said in reaction to John's sudden death? Norman Fell and Audra Lindley were already gone by this time, so I left them out. Jenilee Harrison did on the 40th anniversary reunion special on Antenna TV from 2017, recall being on Bill O'Reilly's Fox News program, The O'Reilly Factor to talk about John. And I guess, Jenilee said that John's "entourage" was his family when being asked that type of question by O'Reilly.

[Dude111]

Poor Jack