Jason Ritter

Early life

Ritter was born on February 17, 1980 in Los Angeles, California, the son of actors Nancy Morgan and John Ritter (1948–2003), and the grandson of musician/actor, Tex Ritter and Dorothy Fay. His stepmother is actress Amy Yasbeck. He has three siblings, including actor Tyler Ritter.

Ritter first appeared in the opening credits of his father's show, Three's Company.

He attended middle and high school at the Crossroads School in Santa Monica, California, with Simon Helberg, who became his roommate at NYU. He then attended and graduated from New York University's Tisch School of the Arts, where he studied at the Atlantic Theater Company. He also studied at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art in London, UK.

Career

Ritter appeared in The Dreamer of Oz: The L. Frank Baum Story, co-starring as Baum's son alongside his own father. In 2002, he appeared in the movies PG and Swimfan. In 2003, Ritter had a major role in the slasher/horror film Freddy vs. Jason as Will Rollins. He appeared in Raise Your Voice and Happy Endings. He portrayed Jeb Bush in the Oliver Stone film W. In 2007, he also voiced substitute teacher, Mr. Fisk, in an episode of All Grown Up!, the grown up version of Rugrats, a teacher whom Angelica falls in love with.

In 2008, he released Good Dick, a movie which he produced and starred in along with his long term girlfriend at the time, Marianna Palka (with whom he began a relationship after meeting in Queens in October 1999), who also wrote and directed the film.

Among his theater credits are Wendy Wasserstein's Third at Lincoln Center, for which he won the Clarence Derwent Award and the Martin E. Segal Award for his portrayal of the title character; the Off Broadway production of The Beginning of August, and the role of Tim in the world premiere of Neil LaBute's play The Distance From Here at London's Almeida Theatre. Ritter has volunteered as an actor with the Young Storytellers Program.

Ritter has appeared in the MTV show Punk'd. Ritter also starred as Sean Walker in the season-long NBC drama series The Event, which premiered on September 20, 2010. Ritter will be seen alongside Kate French in the upcoming short film, Atlantis, a romance film centered on two strangers who fall in love during the preparation for the final launch of the NASA space shuttle Atlantis. He had a recurring role on NBC's Parenthood. His performance on the show earned him an Emmy Award nomination in 2012.

It was confirmed in early March 2013 that he would play Gavin opposite Alexis Bledel's Stacey in Us & Them, FOX's sitcom pilot based on the British television show Gavin & Stacey.

Personal life

In 2017, Ritter became engaged to actress Melanie Lynskey after four years of dating.