TV Sitcom Star John Ritter Dead

[Tripper11]

Rest In Peace Jack Tripper



LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Actor John Ritter, who gained fame playing bumbling and lovable characters in a pair of television comedies decades apart, has died, a representative said on Friday.
Details of the circumstances of his death were not immediately available.

[VolcanoJen]

1. ABC News reports he suffered a massive heart attack.

RIP, John Ritter.

:-(

[Don_G]

4. Wasn't He "Tex" Ritter's Son

[Bunny]

5. yes.

n/t

[Darth_Kitten]

42. As a young girl....

I had such a crush on John Ritter. ;) It's very sad news when people die so young. Hell, it's sad anytime. :(

[Booberdawg]

2. What???

[Bunny]

3. massive heart attack last night

right after he fininshed filming an episode of his show: 8 simple rules for dating my teenaged daughter. Jack Tripper is dead.

[liberalnurse]

19. I just heard on CNN that his aorta blew.....

Thats real bad.....I suspect a dissecting aortic aneurysm....

He was apparently still on the set.....It just blew. This is a rapid response condition...

[trof]

30. Yeah. No warning for those.

Physician friend was very lucky with hers.
Wasn't feeling "right" and had slight abdominal pain.
Took herself in for the full workup and they found it before it blew.
She has a nice Y shaped "zipper" now, but thankfully she's still with us.

[ScreamingMeemie]

31. Dissecting aortic aneurysm is what they said on CNN earlier this

AM. Isn't that what took Conway Twitty as well? I can't remember.


edited because I really CAN spell..

[Khephra]

6. From his interviews, I think he was a decent man

even if you were a Republican, we will miss you...even those of us who thought 3's Company sucked.

He was just a nice man from what I understand.

[AConcernedCitizen]

8. Oh, how sad.

I saw him a while back on Entertainment Tonight with his wife - he was so adorably playful and sweet. I feel for her.

RIP John Ritter :cry: .

[MissouriTeacher]

35. Believe it or not, he was my cousin.

Unfortunately I never got to meet him. He was a distant cousin and I'm sure he never even knew I existed.

But I always admired him and loved his physical comedy on Three's Company. His death was totally unexpected. :(

[Lorien]

49. I met your cousin

years ago when I worked for a film studio. I met many celebrities, muscians, and TV stars there, but of all of them, Ritter was my favorite (and I'm not much of a fan of his work, either). He was warm and genuine-a really rare person (in Hollywood or anywhere else). his family was wonderful, his friends were sweet-I find it profoundly sad that the world has lost yet another of "the good ones". Bloody unfair. ;(

[Don_G]

14. Bob Hope Was A Republican

But they both gave from their heart and shared their joy with an audience.

Hard to ask for anything more....

[soleft]

39. Quoted as idolizing Bobby Kennedy

I was the class clown, but I was also student body president in high school," he told The Associated Press in a 1992 interview. "I had my serious side — I idolized Bobby Kennedy, he was my role model. But so was Jerry Lewis (news)."

[Don_G]

53. Republican Or Not

One human being who has a heart can and does make a difference in the lives of many.

Bob Hope was just one of those "special" people....

[Robin Hood]

7. WhyTF is this here and not in LBN?!! Damn this really sucks.

It seems like all my be loved celebs are dying these days.

[Tripper11]

10. I dunno...

I did post it in LBN, but it was moved. I am working an overnight shift at a radio station and got the word only minutes after the first report. Iposted as soon as I found a link.
Oh well.

[Robin Hood]

12. I saw it in LBN,

But don't know why it got moved to the lounge.

[BiggJawn]

40. Yeah, but "Chong goes to Prison" stays...

I'd ask if anyone else notices how the Moddin' ain't as consistent as it used to be, but I don't want to see this thread get moved to "ask the Admins"...

[Ediacara]

28. entertainment news and not political news

I think it's in the LBN rules.

Johnny Cash and John Ritter in one night. Man..... :-(

[Dookus]

9. This is very sad...

I wasn't a big fan, until I saw Slingblade, where he played the incredibly nice gay manager of the market. He did it well.

He was too young to die like this.

[Kolesar]

23. That was Ritter in Slingblade? He performed excellently in that part

It is funny, I was just channel surfing and watched a few minutes of three's company last evening. My mother always thought that he was such a clever actor (she convinced me). This is sad indeed.

[aeon flux]

11. I grew up watching Three's Company

It's hard to imagine he is gone!

[Robin Hood]

15. Me to.

It is hard to think that he is gone. Hell, Don Knotts is still around.




Welcome to DU.

[CoffeePlease1947]

13. So sad, he was way to young to die.

I actually came in here to post this. But you did the bad deed yourself.

I really liked him. He was a very talented actor in physical comedy. I loved 3's company. It was a brilliant show for the time.

I love and miss you Mr. Ritter. May God Bless your soul! :cry:

Mike

[Booberdawg]

16. He was in his 50's???

I think they just said 52. Holy Cow, he looked so much younger.

[Booberdawg]

25. CORRECTION

He was 54.

That is still young.:evilfrown:

[ScreamingMeemie]

33. I think 53, turning 54 on 9/17.

Very sad. :cry:

[Booberdawg]

36. Still ...

what a shocker 53 now or 54 in a few days. Wayyy too young.

[ScreamingMeemie]

37. I know, I agree with you. It is so unfortunate.

How horrible for those who were working with him to stand by and not be able to do anything.

[Booberdawg]

50. ....

:cry:

[Piperay]

17. R-I-P

sad...what a shocker. :-(

[booksenkatz]

18. As an Oz fan

I was particularly enchanted by his portrayal of L. Frank Baum in "Dreamer of Oz." I never saw him the same way again after that. And he's the voice of Clifford the Big Red Dog, sniff sniff.....

He'll certainly be missed.
;(

[VolcanoJen]

20. What an awful day... Johnny Cash has died, too.

What a sad day :-(

[Dookus]

21. Waaah!

John Ritter's passing was sad. Johnny Cash's is heartbreaking.

[LeftistGorilla]

22. Problem Child 1 and 2...

were awesome....
peace man....

[U2Shark]

24. Loved him in...

Sling Blade, and to a lesser extent IT.

[Cheswick2.0]

26. Wow, he was way to young to die like that

What a decent man and very funny actor he was. This is sad.

[blondeatlast]

27. Sad. Good guys always go young,

As a mommy, I just want to remember him as well for voicing my son's favorite cartoon character, Clifford the Big Red Dog.

Never a fan of Three's Company, but the guy had more depth than he got credit for. I even kinda liked his new show, "Rules."

Tex Ritter's son and Johnny Cash--must be some kind of a party up there today!

[ScreamingMeemie]

29. A master of the pratfall. The ability to shake off a possible stereotype

image from "Three's Company". What a shame. It was because of him that my bedtime at 9 years of age was extended a half hour so I could watch Jack Tripper. So sorry to see him go.

[Paragon]

32. Impeccable comic timing & physical comedian

Since no one else has mentioned it, I'd like to recommend him in Blake Edwards' "Skin Deep" -- great script, hilarious performance.

"Three's Company" obviously never have been successful without him. (Me and my friends still scream "hiii!" whenever we stub a toe. :silly:)

Goodbye & thanks, John.

[wyldwolf]

41. They don't make 'em like John Ritter anymore...

[Blue_Chill]

34. R.I.P.

Dude made me laugh more then a few times. Thanks for the little joy you brought us all man. May you rest in peace.

[Paragon]

38. Yahoo now reporting he was on the set when he collapsed

How horrible. :-(

[soleft]

43. I can't get the Three's Company theme out of my head!

[elcondor]

44. Very saddened by this

I used to watch Three's Company all the time--like someone else said, it wouldn't have been a success without him. He was a truly funny and by all accounts decent man. May he rest in peace--he was too young to go, especially like this! :-(

[NYYFan]

45. I was so shocked to hear this

I heard it at 3:45 am- while turning over. It shocked me so bad, I sat up in bed.

Rest in Peace John Ritter.:cry:

[jus_the_facts]

46. RIP JOHN....

....always a fan of his from waaaay back...I'm shocked and just sick over this...my heart goes out to his family...his sitcom family as well :cry:

[ForrestGump]

47. I always thought he was brilliant

His physical comedy on "Three's Company" was first-rate and he also had a lot more depth as an actor than many'd give him credit for.

I remember the British series that "Three's Company" was based on ("Man About The House") and always thought that "Three's Company" was kind of a shallow rip-off of it. Years later, though, I saw "Man About The House" again and, though it was good, I realized that I preferred "Three's Company," almost entirely because of John Ritter's Jack Tripper.

"Three's Company" and "All In The Family" are two rare examples of American reworks of British shows that eclipsed the originals.

[brook]

48. I can confirm the...

"decent man" comments. Only worked with him a couple of weeks on a long forgotten movie - I found him to be friendly, professional and thoughtful of the people around him.

I feel for his family.

[mitchum]

51. Now I can move in with those girls! Seriously, I am very sorry to hear...

of his passing. He was very talented, and seemed to be a nice guy. RIP

[4_Legs_Good]

52. Sadened by his death-Happy to recall, that one episode of 3 is Company

though, you know, the one where there was the mix-up.

You know, the one where they thought Jack was sleeping with one of his roommates.

Hee hee, that one's for you John! You will be missed!!

david

Kucinich 2004

[osaMABUSh]

54. Me and my kids will miss him on "8 Simple Rules"

I'm not much for TV, especially sitcoms but, honestly, the only show I would watch every week was "Eight Simple Rules for Dating my Teenage Daughter". Of course, I watched "Three's Company" as a kid and it was neat to watch Ritter with my own three kids (one a teenager, the other two are younger).

Only on Tuesdays does my wife work at night so it had become a tradition that we'd watch 8 Simple Rules (then the show with John Belushi) together - with Mom away Dad loosens the bed time rules a little.

We loved that show and John Ritter was the glue to it and I saw a little of myself in him. It isn't often that a family can get really involved in a sitcom but it was something we enjoyed and shared. Now when 8 PM ET rolls around on a Tuesday we are going to be a little sad. It was a funny and at the same time a morally educating show. John Ritter had it going and we are going to miss the experience.

[jab105]

55. Bye John!

Thanks for the laughs...