Millions of viewers took to heart the catchy theme song that proposed, “Come and knock on our door,” when they tuned into Three’s Company each week from 1977 to 1984. With John Ritter playing the part of Jack Tripper, a struggling culinary student living with two female roommates, it went on to be one of his most successful roles of all of the movies and TV shows of his career.
Opposite Joyce DeWitt and Suzanne Somers, much of the comedy centers around Jack’s pretending to be gay to keep the old-fashioned landlords appeased over the co-ed living arrangements. It was a different time with different social norms back then, but Ritter nevertheless received an Emmy and a Golden Globe Award for this role in 1984.
However, Three’s Company wasn’t Ritter’s only claim to fame. The Burbank, California native performed on Broadway and appeared in over a total of 100 films and television series.
Born Johnathan Southworth Ritter, John was a son of the legendary singing cowboy and matinee star Tex Ritter, and his mother, Dorothy Fay, was an actress. Taking all of that into consideration, John was destined to follow in his parents’ footsteps.
Ritter was enrolled in Hollywood High School and then participated in the University of Southern California as a psychology major, but after his first TV appearance in 1966 as a contestant on The Dating Game, where he won a vacation to Lake Havasu, Arizona, John changed his major to Theater Arts.
While still in college, Ritter traveled for a year, acting in a series of stage plays in England, Scotland, Holland and Germany. His dad tried to discourage his son from an acting career, but lived long enough to see him in a recurring role as Reverend Matthew Fordwick on The Waltons from 1972 to 1976, which was Tex’s favorite TV series. It was while working on The Waltons that John received word that his legendary father had passed away.
John Ritter movies and TV shows
Dan August (1970 – 1971)
This TV show stars Burt Reynolds and Norman Fell, who later starred with Ritter on Three’s Company. Ritter played a campus revolutionary in one episode, and it was his first TV acting role.
John continued to make more guest appearances on shows such as Medical Center, M*A*S*H, The Bob Newhart Show, The Streets of San Francisco, Kojak, Rhoda and The Mary Tyler Moore Show.
Nickelodeon (1976)
Before playing Jack Tripper, Ritter made his box office debut in this Peter Bogdanovich movie as Franklin Frank. The movie stars Ryan O’Neal and Burt Reynolds.
Breakfast In Bed (1977)
In this comedy/drama, Ritter plays one of the starring roles as Paul.
Ringo (1978
A longtime Beatles fan, Ritter played Ringo Starr’s manager on the television special Ringo.
Americathon (1979)
Ritter played desperate President Chet Roosevelt, who decided to make a last ditch effort to save his cash-strapped country by raising money with a telethon.
Three’s Company (1977 – 1984)
Based on the British sitcom Man About the House, Ritter beat out 50 people for the role, including a young Billy Crystal. Three’s Company became a hit for ABC and made John Ritter a household name, perhaps ranking the most popular work of all the movies and TV shows of his career.
He and Joyce DeWitt’s favorite episode was titled “Up In The Air,” where he had a long comedic dance that earned him an Emmy nomination. His least favorite episode was “Chrissy and the Guru,” where he imitated a walrus.
Hero at Large (1980)
Ritter is Steve Nichols, a struggling actor who unwittingly stops a robbery while wearing the Captain Avenger costume from a movie he is hired to promote. Wanting to impress the pretty neighbor across the hall, Nichols decides to put his toe into superhero waters, but it’s more difficult than he ever thought.
They All Laughed (1981)
Ritter, who plays New York private detective Charles Rutledge, as well as his partner, is hired to follow the beautiful young wife of a jealous husband. Charles eventually falls for the woman, played by Dorothy Strattan.
Hooperman (1987 – 1989)
Ritter returned to TV as Detective Harry Hooperman in this comedy/drama from Steven Bochco, for which he received an Emmy and a Golden Globe nomination. This was his first regular TV role after Three’s Company.
Hooperman inherits a run-down apartment building and hires Susan Smith (Debrah Farentino) to run it. Of course, a relationship follows, and Hooperman must juggle work, love and the behavior of Bijoux the dog.
Skin Deep (1989)
A change of pace role for Ritter, who plays the lead as a womanizing, alcoholic writer whose life seemed to be falling apart in this films from Blake Edwards (The Pink Panther series).
Problem Child (1990) & Problem Child 2 (1991)
In this hit feature comedy, Ritter plays Ben Healey, the surrogate father of rebelling seven year old, Junior, who wreaks havoc on the family. The youngster is incorrigible, but is nevertheless adopted by a loving man (Ritter) and his wacky, obnoxious wife Flo (Amy Yasbeck).
In the film, the boy is kidnappedped by his so-called pen pal and Ben have to rescue the little monster. So successful was the first Problem Child film that a sequel was released just one year later. Junior discovers there’s an even more impertinent, mean-spirited child than himself…and it’s a girl!
