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What did John Ritter die of and how old was he?
Sept. 12, 2003 -- Popular TV and movie star John Ritter has died from an undetected flaw in his heart called an aortic dissection. Ritter came to fame in the 1970s TV program "Three's Company" and was experiencing a resurgence in his career with the TV comedy "8 Simple Rules for Dating My Teenage Daughter." He was 54.
Did John Ritter died while filming 8 Simple Rules?
He was pronounced dead later that night, six days before his 55th birthday. Ritter had filmed the first three episodes of Season 2 of 8 Simple Rules, with his final episode airing a month after his death. His character Paul was killed off on the show and the rest of the season dealt with the fall out of his death.
What did Tex Ritter die of?
a heart attackNASHVILLE, Jan. 2 (AP)—Tex Ritter, the country music star, died of a heart attack here tonight. The 67‐year‐old singer, guitar player, actor and politician was visiting a friend at the county jail when he was stricken. The police administered oxygen and rushed him to the Baptist Hospital, where he died.
Did John Ritter have Ehlers Danlos Syndrome?
He didn't have EDS, but he passed away from an aortic dissection. The John Ritter Foundation has done amazing things for research. They established “Ritter Rules” for aortic diseases: teaching the medical profession to identify the symptoms of dissections, which are often confused with heart attacks.
How does Kaley Cuoco know John Ritter?
In September 2003, the cast was filming an episode with Ritter's friend, Henry Winkler, serving as a guest star. Cuoco described Ritter as a "kid in the candy store: All of his best friends were there on the set." "It was a wild week," she said. "And then Thursday came."
Why did they get rid of the dad on 8 Simple Rules?
Because the program centered around Ritter, 8 Simple Rules for Dating My Teenage Daughter had to figure out how to proceed without its main star. In the end, the show decided to have Paul die suddenly just like Ritter.
When did Dorothy Fay die?
November 5, 2003Dorothy Fay / Date of death
Did John Ritter have a daughter?
Carly RitterJohn Ritter / Daughter
Did John Ritter have any children?
Jason RitterTyler RitterNoah RitterCarly RitterJohn Ritter/Children
How long can you survive with aortic dissection?
Short-term and long-term survival rates after acute type A aortic dissection (TA-AAD) are unknown. Previous studies have reported survival rates between 52% and 94% at 1 year and between 45% and 88% at 5 years.
How does aorta tear cause death?
An aortic dissection is a serious condition in which a tear occurs in the inner layer of the body's main artery (aorta). Blood rushes through the tear, causing the inner and middle layers of the aorta to split (dissect). If the blood goes through the outside aortic wall, aortic dissection is often deadly.
Can aortic aneurysm cause sudden death?
Ruptured aortic aneurysms present with various signs and symptoms depending on the site of rupture and bleeding, often causing sudden death; however, rupture into the lung with hemoptysis and blood aspiration is very rare.
How did John Ritter die?
Explanation of John Ritter's Death. Sept. 12, 2003 -- Popular TV and movie star John Ritter has died from an undetected flaw in his heart called an aortic dissection.
How old was Ritter when he was on Three's Company?
He was 54. An aortic dissection refers to an abnormal separation of tissues within the walls of the aorta, the large blood vessel that carries blood from the heart to ...
Who is John Ritter?
For other people with the same name, see John Ritter (disambiguation). Jonathan Southworth Ritter (September 17, 1948 – September 11, 2003) was an American actor and comedian.
What happened to Ritter?
On September 11, 2003, Ritter fell ill while rehearsing for 8 Simple Rules for Dating My Teenage Daughter on the Walt Disney Studio lot in Burbank, California. He was sweating profusely, vomiting and complained of having pain in the chest. He was taken to the Providence Saint Joseph Medical Center across the street (the same hospital in which he was born) at 6 p.m. that evening. Ritter was initially treated by emergency room physicians for a heart attack; however, his condition quickly worsened. Physicians then identified that Ritter had an aortic dissection, and he had surgery to repair the dissection, but was pronounced dead at 10:48 pm, six days before his 55th birthday. A private funeral was held on September 15, 2003, in Los Angeles, after which Ritter was interred at Forest Lawn, Hollywood Hills Cemetery, in the Hollywood Hills of Los Angeles.
What award did John Ritter win for Hooperman?
In 1988, John was nominated for both an Emmy Award and a Golden Globe Award for his work on Hooperman. Ritter won a People's Choice Award for this role.
What was the first movie that Ritter made?
Ritter made his film debut in the 1971 Disney film The Barefoot Executive. He made guest appearances on the television series Hawaii Five-O, M*A*S*H, and many others. He had a recurring role as the Reverend Matthew Fordwick on the drama series The Waltons from October 1972 to December 1976.
How many children did Ritter have?
Personal life. On October 16, 1977, Ritter married actress Nancy Morgan, with whom he had three children: Jason (who first appeared in the opening credits of Three's Company ), Carly, and Tyler. They divorced on September 1, 1996.
What major did John Ritter go to?
He later changed his major to theater arts and attended the USC School of Dramatic Arts (formerly School of Theatre). Ritter was a member of Phi Gamma Delta fraternity at USC. While still in college, Ritter traveled to the United Kingdom, the Netherlands, and West Germany to perform in plays. Ritter graduated in 1970.
How many movies did Ritter appear in?
Ritter appeared in over 100 films and television series combined and performed on Broadway, with roles including adult Ben Hanscom in It (1990), Problem Child (1990), Problem Child 2 (1991), and Bad Santa in 2003 (his final live action film, which was dedicated to his memory). In 2002, Don Knotts called Ritter the "greatest physical comedian on ...
How did John Ritter die?
John Ritter, the Emmy-award winning star who became a household name playing bumbling wannabe-Casanova Jack Tripper on ’70s TV hit Three’s Company, died suddenly from an arterial problem, according to published reports. He was 54.
Where was John Ritter raised?
The younger of musician Tex Ritter and actress Dorothy Fay’s two sons, John Ritter was raised in Los Angeles.
What TV show did Ritter star on?
Whatever set he was working on, he made it a very fun place.”. Ritter has been a familiar face to TV audiences since starring on Three’s Company, which has endured over the past two decades in syndication.
When did Ritter's Three's Company get canceled?
He has worked consistently since Three’s Company was canceled in 1984, starring in more than 25 TV movies and on series such as Hooperman in ...
Who is John Ritter's brother?
Ritter is survived by Yasbeck and their daughter, Stella; his three children from his first marriage, Jason, Carly and Tyler; and a brother, Tom. Pick up the Sept. 29 issue of PEOPLE for more on John Ritter’s life.
When did Ritter and Yasbeck get married?
Ritter and Yasbeck wed in Ohio in September 1999, a week after their daughter, Stella, was born. “There wasn’t anything I didn’t like about him,” Yasbeck told PEOPLE last year. “He’s very idealistic. His philosophy of life is, if we treat each other’s children like they’re our own, the whole thing will work.”.
AMY'S FIGHT
Amy took a stand after neither doctors nor the hospital made any admittance of guilt or apologized for their actions on the eve of his death.
SUDDEN DOWNFALL
On September 11th, 2003, John was on set filming 8 Simple Rules when all of a sudden he began suffering from nausea, vomiting, and chest pain that led him to feel faint.
THE JURY'S CHOICE
The mother of two requested $67 million as compensation for the "malpractice" in the suit, after putting a price on his life as an actor and his role on 8 Simple Rules.
When did John Ritter die and what was his cause of death?
JOHN Ritter was best known for playing Jack Tripper on the ABC sitcom Three's Company.
Inside showbiz wedding of year where Victoria Beckham wore WHITE
Yasbeck played his love interest in the first two Problem Child movies, though as two different characters. Yasbeck also played Ritter's wife in two sitcom appearances.
When did John Ritter die?
Actor John Ritter died on September 11, 2003 in Burbank, California at the age of 54.
How did Ritter die?
Ritter died on September 11, 2003 from an aortic dissection. He was 54 years old. According to reports, on September 11, 2003, while Ritter was rehearsing on the set of his last film 8 Simple Rules for Dating My Teenage Daughter, he fell ill and collapsed.
Did Ritter have a heart attack?
At the hospital, doctors initially thought he had suffered from a heart attack and started treating him accordingly, but it was later found out that the actor actually had a tear in his aorta. Ritter died while doctors were performing surgery to repair the tear in his aorta.

Overview
Jonathan Southworth Ritter (September 17, 1948 – September 11, 2003) was an American actor. Ritter was a son of the singing cowboy star Tex Ritter and the father of actors Jason and Tyler Ritter. He is known for playing Jack Tripper on the ABC sitcom Three's Company (1977–1984), and received a Primetime Emmy Award and a Golden Globe Award for the role in 1984. Ritter briefly reprised the …
Early life
Jonathan Southworth Ritter was born at Providence Saint Joseph Medical Center in Burbank, California, on September 17, 1948. Ritter had a birth defect known as a coloboma in his right eye. His father, Tex Ritter, was a singing cowboy and matinee star, and his mother, Dorothy Fay (née Southworth), was an actress. He had an older brother, Thomas "Tom" Ritter. Ritter attended Hollywood High School, where he was student body president. He attended the University of Sou…
Career
Ritter headlined several stage performances. After his graduation from USC in 1970, his first television acting experience was a campus revolutionary in the television series Dan August starring Burt Reynolds and future Three's Company co-star Norman Fell. Ritter made his film debut in the 1971 Disney film The Barefoot Executive. He made guest appearances on the television series Hawa…
Personal life
On October 16, 1977, Ritter married actress Nancy Morgan, with whom he had three children: Jason (who first appeared in the opening credits of Three's Company), Carly, and Tyler. They divorced on September 1, 1996. He married actress Amy Yasbeck on September 18, 1999, at the Murphy Theatre in Wilmington, Ohio. They had a child born in 1998. Yasbeck played his love interest in the first two Problem Child movies, though as two different characters. Yasbeck also …
Death
On September 11, 2003, Ritter was rehearsing for 8 Simple Rules for Dating My Teenage Daughter on the Walt Disney Studio lot in Burbank, California, when he suddenly fell ill and began to experience problems with his heart. Sweating profusely, vomiting, and complaining of chest pain, he was taken across the street to the Providence Saint Joseph Medical Center (the same hospital in whi…
Further reading
• Yasbeck, Amy (2010). With Love and Laughter, John Ritter. New York: Gallery Books. ISBN 978-1-4165-9841-1.
External links
• John Ritter at IMDb
• John Ritter at the TCM Movie Database
• John Ritter at Rotten Tomatoes
• John Ritter at the Internet Broadway Database