Actor Jason Ritter humbly obliged a fan who requested he mimic his late father John Ritter's goofy expression often seen in the 1970s sitcom that made him famous.
John Ritter was known for playing the likable culinary school student Jack Tripper on Three's Company, which ran for eight seasons from 1977 to 1984.
The Primetime Emmy Award winner left a legacy of humor, with former co-stars throughout his career remembering him as "funny like nobody's business" and "impossible to forget" and "impossible not to love."
Jason, known for playing Mark Cyr on NBC's Parenthood, took up the mantle of his late dad's physical comedy by indulging a fan who requested to see an impersonation.
On September 28, TikTokers Bjorn and Merina wrote the 44-year-old Hollywood scion on TikTok and asked him:
"Can you do the creep face your dad used to do chasing the girls around the apartment on 3's company.... That was always my favorite thing."
Jason sought confirmation, asking:
"Um, is it this one, the one that's like ..."
He then demonstrated the wacky, cartoon-like reaction of someone who couldn't contain themselves and asked:
"Is it that weird one?"
Boy, did he nail it.
You can watch a clip here.
Three's Company fans loved seeing traces of his father in the hilarious clip, but one particular comment from a fan on TikTok resonated with Jason.
TikToker @Monimona wrote:
"I was born and raised in LA, a daughter of Mexican immigrants. We only spoke Spanish at home. But I watched 3s Co. bc John Ritter transcended language. He brought joy to us as a family, even though we didn’t fully understand the language."
"To this day, he’s the only celeb I’ve cried for at their death. He keeps me laughing on Pluto TV. May he be resting in paradise."
To which Jason replied:
"I love this so much… thank you for sharing this with me!!"
Other delighted fans continued sending love.
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@jasonritter1980/TikTok
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@jasonritter1980/TikTok
John died at the age of 54 from an aortic dissection after he collapsed on the set of his TV show 8 Simple Rules for Dating My Teenage Daughter on September 11, 2003.
His condition, a flaw in the main artery from the heart, went previously undetected, and his initial diagnosis of a heart attack was the basis for wrongful death suits that were eventually settled out of court.
Jason is one of four children from John's two marriages.
He will be co-starring in the upcoming gender-flipping reboot of Matlock starring Kathy Bates in her final featured role, which will air on CBS on October 17, 2024.
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