|
BIOGRAPHY OF JOHN RITTER
THIS FAMOUS 'Virgo' CELEBRATED HIS 53rd BIRTHDAY IN 2001
See what his personality traits are (according to 'Astra' anyway!) Famous Virgos
* Another Astrology Site specialising in Celebrities
On 17 September 1948 in Burbank, California USA, legendary country singing star/actor Tex Ritter and his wife, Dorothy Fay (nee Southworth) celebrated the arrival of their second son Johnathan Southworth Ritter. Since their firstborn, Tom, did not follow his father into showbusiness but instead became an attorney, Tex and Dorothy had no way of knowing that little Johnathan would one day be a famous TV and movie actor known to audiences simply as John Ritter.
With her husband's long-held connections with country music, Dorothy Fay Ritter became the official 'greeter' at The Grand Ole Opry in Nashville, Tennassee, and both John and his brother visit often. Since 1977 the brothers have hosted the annual United Cerebral Palsy Telethon (a neurological condition particularly close to their hearts because of Tom's triumph over the disability) and have raised millions of dollars for the organisation over the years.
Tex Ritter did not want his son to become an actor and, at first, John did his best to comply with his father's wishes. He was educated at Hollywood High School, where he served as student body President, and then went on to the University of Southern California where he majored in Psychology and minored in Architecture. After 2 years, he was persuaded (by a cute girl!) to join a drama class given by leading drama coach and actress Nina Foch. The lure of the 'greasepaint' beckoned and John changed his major to Theater Arts, graduating in 1971 with a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in drama. As well as Nina Foch, he studied acting with Stella Adler and the Harvey Lembeck Comedy Workshop.
In 1968 and '69 John appeared in several stage performances in England, Scotland (at the Edinburgh Festival), Holland and Germany, in such works as Love Letters, The Unvarnished Truth, The Glass Menagerie, Forty Carats, Butterflies Are Free, As You Like It, The Tempest, Nevada, Who's Happy Now? and Desire Under The Elms. Fortunately, Tex Ritter was entertaining troops in Germany at the same time as his son was performing at an air base there. He recognised that 'something special' in John and gave him his blessing to go into acting if that was what he really wanted. Sadly, Mr Ritter Snr. died in 1974 before his son achieved the celebrity status that arrived in 1977 with the TV series Three's Company. His movie debut was in 1971 with "The Barefoot Executive".
Although there were guest appearances in several television shows which obviously impressed TV moguls (e.g. 'The Mary Tyler Moore Show' (1970), 'Dan August' (1970), 'Hawaii Five-O' (1971 & '77), 'The Streets of San Francisco' (1972), 'The Love Boat', 'M.A.S.H.' and 'Kojak' (both in 1973) and a regular spot in 'The Waltons' (1972-6 : his father's favourite show), it was Three's Company that launched John into the kind of TV superstardom from which he has never looked back. In addition to guesting on all the major TV shows he has hosted many others, including a comedy special for ABC entitled "John Ritter: Being of Sound Mind and Body", a CBS special, "The Secret World of the Very Young", a series of sixty-second vignettes for syndication called "History in the Company of Children", the last 3 years of "The World's Greatest Magic Show", "Amazing Animals","The History of Toys and Games", "TV Road Trip" etc. etc.. He formed his own production company, Adam Productions, in 1984, and this has been responsible for his own starring vehicle "Hooperman" as well as series for other actors, one of which starred Jamie Lee Curtis "Anything But Love" and John guest-starred in 5 episodes and looked devastatingly handsome in a kilt!
He has also appeared in instructional videos including 'Natural Childbirth' (with his first wife,Nancy Morgan), and 'The American Red Cross Emergency Test'. It's almost impossible to keep up with everything this energetic actor does. As if acting, producing and hosting wasn't enough, he has also performed on several audio books: "Flight of the Reindeer", "Jack and the Beanstalk", "Oh Christmas Tree", "White Fang", at least 3 of humorist Dave Barry's works, i.e. "Guide to Guys", "Funniest Stuff", "More Funniest Stuff", all of which are hilarious, and, in 2002, "Stargirl".
It was towards the end of the 1970's that he met actress Nancy Morgan, the lady who became his wife for 19 years and with whom he had 3 children; sons Jason (now an actor in his own right) and Tyler and daughter Carly. John and Nancy appeared on screen several times together e.g. 'Tricks of the Trade' (1988), 'Americathon' (1979), 'Heartbeat' (1993) and an episode of 'Hooperman' (1988) but sadly divorced in 1996.
While he has tended to stay primarily in the medium of television rather than motion pictures, he is as much in demand today, over 20 years later as he was back in his 'apartment-sharing' days. Frankly it's virtually impossible to keep up with his ever-increasing body of work. According to the IMDb, he completed 10 movies in 1998; several TV guest-starring roles, including the highly acclaimed Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Ally McBeal (for which he was nominated for an Emmy award in 1999); and, after what must have been a difficult time for a while, his private life is happy again - John's then fiancee, actress Amy Yasbeck gave birth to their baby daughter (Stella) in September 1998, and we wish John and his family every happiness for the future. John and Amy were married on 18 September 1999, the day after his 51st birthday.
|
