John Ritter has passed away Options

John Ritter, better known to a lot of board members as Ted from Buffy has passed away due to heart complications after collapsing on the set of 8 Simple Rules. He was 54.

Rest in peace.

Yahoo news

That's very sad

Since he was a guest star on Buffy in a great episode, I think we could have this in the Buffy discussion forum - those who don't frequent the OT forum might be interested/saddened to know this.

I cannot believe this! I was so freaked out when I heard it!

I know!!! I walked down stairs after waking up and I looked over at the Tv and they had a picture of him and it said he died of a heart attack. I am still shokced! he was very talented and he had a big family. He was fiming 8 Simple Rules when it happened.

Wow. That's a total shock. Especially after seeing him in seemingly good health and full of life on the TCAs.

http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=stor...eople_ritter_dc

Ritter Collapses on Set, Dies



By Peter Henderson

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Emmy award-winning actor John Ritter, who gained fame playing bumbling and lovable characters in a pair of television comedies decades apart, has died suddenly due to a previously undetected arterial problem, his representatives said on Friday.




Ritter, who was 54, collapsed on Thursday evening while filming "8 Simple Rules for Dating My Teenage Daughter," the ABC television comedy which had reinvigorated his career and was a centerpiece of the network's upcoming fall season.


The former star of "Three's Company" was taken to Providence St. Joseph hospital in Burbank, California, across from the studio where he had been working.


Surgeons at the hospital were unable to save him, and he died from a "dissection of the aorta," which results from an unrecognized flaw in a main artery from the heart, his publicists, Wolf-Kasteler & Associates Public Relations, said.


Ritter was best known for his portrayal of Jack Tripper in the 1970s situation comedy "Three's Company," which won him Emmy, Golden Globe and People's Choice awards.


A prolific actor, Ritter recently reconnected with television audiences as the star of "8 Simple Rules."


Ritter played Paul Hennessy in the family comedy about a father dealing with his precocious daughters which was one of the Walt Disney Co.-owned network's hits in the 2002 season.


"All of us at ABC, Touchstone Television and The Walt Disney Company are shocked and heartbroken at the terrible news of John's passing. Our thoughts and prayers are with his wife and children at this very difficult time," ABC said in a statement.


Born into a Hollywood family, John Ritter was the son of country singer and actor Tex Ritter and graduated from Hollywood High School, where he was student body president.


He graduated from the University of Southern California with a degree in drama and went on to act in film, television and on the stage.


He is survived by his wife, Amy Yasbeck and their daughter, Stella and three children, Carly, Tyler and Jason, from his first marriage to Nancy Morgan.

omg Im shocked too. He's not even that old and I had no idea he had any heart problems. This is truly sad and my condolences go out to his family

OMG nooo awwwww I LOVE him. This is so sad!

I can't believe he passed away.
My condolences also go out to his family.

I'm actually speakless.

My thought r with his family.

You know, such things really bother me. You'd think he'd have enough money to get a good healthcare and yet the doctors weren't able to detect this flaw in the ateria. This is really sad My grandpa died at the age of 59 some years ago because of heart-problems. He knew about it years in advance though and didn't want a heart-transplantation so he prepared my grandma for the time he wasn't gonna be around anymore ... It is really sad to lose someone when they're still at such a relatively young age

I'm still in shock-mode too. He was so great. This is just so sad... I can't believe it.
Heaven must be in need for a lot of angels, cause they just have taken so many from us.

The first role I remember him in was playing a country preacher in the 1970's family drama The Waltons. First for a couple episodes,then added to the cast full time.That was 1 of my fav shows growing up.He was a master at physical comedy,as anyone who seen him as Jack Tripper on Three's Company can tell,as well as drama.That 1989 Blake Edwards farce "Skin Deep" was totally outrageous,though not suitable for viewers under 16. If you ever seen the Trailer,you'll know what I mean..... The tagline for it on movie posters & the few TV commercials you'd see was "The comedy that glows in the dark"

He was one of this generation's greats,and not just for his brilliant work on Buffy.

Aww yea, he had some great things. I will always love him as Jack from "Three's company" And for some strange reason, I really loved his TV movie with Katey Sagal 'Chance of a Lifetime ' It was pretty predictable, but at the same time Oh-SO-very-great!

I'm going to make some kind of fanart for him. But I can't now, lacking major sleep! I will when I wake up later.

It's just so sad to lose him... I hope when I wake up, it will all have been just a bad dream.

how sad...that really is shocking

OMG, that is such ashame. At such a young age as well for a heart problem.

He was awesome on 8 simple rules, i love that show.

I really am speechless. My thoughts are with his friends/family

HOLY CRAP. Jeeeeez.... That's really frigging shocking!

It's sad, everybody is dying lately. Aaliyah, Left Eye, John Ritter, not Fat Joe but the other one I forgot his name, the other famous old school rapper(forgot his name too)

I always liked the character Ted!

Oh my God...he was such a great guy, seemed so happy and full of life. I can't believe it. R.I.P.

i dunno if u mean Kato and Jam Master Jay from Run DMC?

it really is sad that we are losing so many people.

This is terrible I only really knew him from Buffy and from when he played Ben Hanscom in "IT", which he was fantastic in.

I feel awaful. This is sad. He was so young! I went to Mexico this summer, and in the airplane they played an episode of "8 Simple Rules," and that just made my flight so much better. John Ritter, as somone has already mentioned, did such hilarious physical comedy.

I will always remember him best as Ted, though.

My prayer's are with his family. I heard his daughter's BDay was yesterday, and today is her first day of school. So sad.

I heard about this on this other message board I go too. I am completely stunned and speechless. I absolutely loved John Ritter. He seemed like such a great guy and he was a great actor. This is just so sad. My prayers go out to his family and the 8 Simple Rules cast.

So sad...rest in peace!