There’s only one John Ritter, but his son is doing a great job of reminding us how awesome he was.
Jason Ritter posted a TikTok video of himself imitating his late father in “Three’s Company,” and it’s so good you’ll want to clear your mind with a drink at the Regal Beagle.
“Can you do that creepy face your dad used to make when he was writing the script chasing girls around the apartment in 3’s Company…. That was always my favorite,” said one user, Jason Ritter, 44, an actor who can now be seen in the new “Matlock” reboot.
“Um, is this the one? The one that’s like —” the younger Ritter asks in the clip before imitating. “Is that the weird one?”
That impression certainly resonated with fans, generating over 24,000 comments. Just look at some of them:
“Core memory unlocked.
“Oh my gosh! Three’s Company was my favorite band!! Oh my gosh.. you look just like your dad. He was awesome!! I love John Ritter!! You have his sense of humor!”
“I didn’t see your name, but as soon as I saw you, I knew you were John Ritter’s son. Plus, you look just like him.”
“Oh my gosh, please know that we love your dad but we love you for who you are! Thank you for indulging us. I can’t wait to start Matlock this weekend!!!”
“Oh my gosh…… that hit the nail on the head”
“You are a living memory for us, you look just like him. Hope that’s a good thing for you!”
One fan pointed out how much John Ritter meant to her as a child.
“I was born and raised in LA, the daughter of Mexican immigrants,” the fan wrote.
“We only spoke Spanish at home. But I watched 3s Co. because John Ritter transcended language. He brought joy to our family, even though we didn’t understand the language. To this day, he is the only celebrity whose death I’ve cried over. He made me laugh on Pluto TV. May he rest in peace in heaven.” That comment prompted Jason Ritter to respond, “I love this… thank you for sharing this with me!!”
Considered one of the greatest comedians of all time, John Ritter played aspiring chef Jack Tripper on “Three’s Company” for eight seasons from 1977 to 1984, winning an Emmy for his work. In the comedy, he played a straight man who pretends to be gay in order to live with two women (originally played by Suzanne Somers and Joyce DeWitt), so as not to arouse suspicion of an illicit relationship with their landlord.
John Ritter later starred in the comedies “Hooperman”, “Hearts Afire” and “8 Simple Rules”. In 2003, he collapsed on the set of the latter series and later died of an aortic aneurysm. He was 54. Jason Ritter followed in his father’s footsteps, forging a career on the small screen. In addition to “Matlock”, he also appeared in “Parenthood,” “Gravity Falls,” and “Raising Dion.”
Jason Ritter said his father helped him break into show business, landing his first role at age 6 in “The Real Story of O Christmas Tree.”
“I will say, without hesitation, it was like a total nepotism hiring,” Jason Ritter said in 2023 on SiriusXM’s “The Jess Cagle Show.” “I will admit that. He definitely helped me get that job. I tried to stay away from that after that.”
