More than two decades have passed since John Ritter died unexpectedly, leaving his family to navigate a loss that Jason Ritter is still reflecting on today.
During a recent appearance on Joy 101 with Hoda Kotb, Jason Ritter, 46, talked about the surreal weeks and months that followed his dad’s death. As Jason recalled, “It felt like the world was upside down.”
Yet amid the grief, Ritter still found unexpected beauty:
“The first beautiful thing that I remember is that around that period of time I have never seen more beautiful sunsets in my life. It was just this strange thing where maybe I wasn’t looking for them.”
Born in Los Angeles on February 17, 1980, Jason is John Ritter’s eldest child. After graduating from New York University, he followed his dad into acting, landing his first major role in the 2003 slasher film Freddy vs. Jason.
But Jason’s connection to his dad extended far beyond the career path they shared:
“Whatever it was, the sunsets were so beautiful that it made me immediately just believe with no proof… it felt like when someone passes, they get to have a paintbrush for like a couple months and paint a couple sunsets or something like that.”
John was only 54 when a medical emergency struck during rehearsals for 8 Simple Rules on September 11, 2003. Doctors initially treated him for a heart attack before discovering an aortic dissection, a tear in the heart’s main artery. He died during surgery.
His widow, actress Amy Yasbeck, later established the John Ritter Foundation for Aortic Health to support research and educate others about thoracic aortic dissections.
For Jason, the loss ultimately changed the depth at which he experienced everything that followed:
“I know that everybody could see these sunsets and I know that people pass away all the time, but I think it was it was like one of the first things where I felt like—when you are carved out in that way, when something happens, it’s so painful that the well of your understanding of life is kind of forced to go deeper like that, your capacity for all emotions grows as well.”
Jason concluded the clip with a simple realization: “And so you can experience joy.” That connection to his dad hasn’t disappeared with time, as Jason also shared that he still “talks” to him for advice and finds comfort in striking sunsets.
Watch Jason open up about his dad below:
Jason went on to build an accomplished television career, amassing more than 100 credits across projects including Girls, A Million Little Things, and Raising Dion. His work on Parenthood and Tales of Titans also earned him two Emmy Award nominations.
Away from the screen, Jason has built a life with Yellowjackets star Melanie Lynskey. The couple have been together since 2013 and share one daughter.
Jason’s emotional revelation struck a chord on social media:
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Jason’s next chapter takes him into the DC universe with a key recurring role in HBO’s Lanterns. Starring alongside Kyle Chandler, Aaron Pierre, and Kelly Macdonald, he’ll play Billy Macon, a charming small-town figure who does the bidding of his father, played by Garret Dillahunt, and leans on his family’s reputation.
Jason is also joining Season 3 of The Last of Us as Washington Liberation Front soldier Hanley, marking a full-circle return after his Season 1 cameo as a clicker. Between Lanterns, Matlock, and The Last of Us, Jason’s television slate is looking plenty busy.
And if those sunsets really are John picking up a paintbrush from time to time, Jason has certainly given his dad plenty to paint about.
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