John Ritter was one of the most beloved comedic actors of his time. He kicked off his career in 1968 with various roles in the TV movie Crazy World, Crazy People. Throughout the early 70s, he took on a number of different roles before landing the part that he’d become most well-known for as Jack Tripper on Three’s Company. He earned a primetime Emmy in 1984 for the role. He’d also reprise the role on the spin-off series Three’s A Crowd. After the spin-off ended in1985, he took on a number of roles, showing off his comedic abilities and range. He was also a noted voice actor for series like Clifford The Big Red Dog. His final on-screen role was in the raunchy, holiday comedy Bad Santa.
John tragically died on September 11, 2003, after getting sick during a rehearsal for the sitcom 8 Simple Rules. Doctors found that he had aortic dissection. Despite an emergency operation, the actor passed away later that night.
Scroll through our gallery to see photos of the actor throughout his life.