On September 17, 1948, American actor John Ritter was born in Burbank, California. The son of country music star Tex Ritter and actress Dorothy Fay, he grew up close to the entertainment world and went on to study drama at the University of Southern California. After graduating, he began building a career that would span television, film, theater, and animation.
Ritter earned a lasting place in television comedy as Jack Tripper on ABC’s Three’s Company, which ran from 1977 to 1984. With remarkable physical agility, precise slapstick timing, and wonderfully expressive reactions, he made Jack the energetic center of the show’s farcical misunderstandings. His work on the series earned him both a Primetime Emmy Award and a Golden Globe Award in 1984.
Although best known for broad comedy, Ritter’s work extended well beyond Jack Tripper. He gave a memorable dramatic performance in Billy Bob Thornton’s Sling Blade and introduced himself to a younger generation as the voice of the title character in PBS’s Clifford the Big Red Dog.
Ritter’s enduring appeal came from the combination of his technical skill and his warmth. He could sell an elaborate physical gag, then make a character’s embarrassment or disappointment feel genuinely human. That balance helped make him one of television’s most beloved comic performers—and keeps his work funny and affecting decades later.
Image of John Ritter as Jack Tripper on Three’s Company in 1977 via Wikimedia Commons, public domain.
