John Ritter and Johnny Cash die

[sarah_yzma]

Who's next I wonder?

that's an almost scary statement. this has been a really hard year for hollywood, and I hope the brunt of the storm is over.

 

[Don'tLiveonMoon]

he was indeed the voice of clifford....

ryan

I had watched Clifford on and off for a year or two before I heard John Ritter played him, but as soon as I heard it, I thought, "Yup, sounds just like him." I never would have figured it out on my own though.
Erin

 

[Don'tLiveonMoon]

35 guests from The Muppet Show are now deceased

Wow. That's rather depressing...

The only thing I like about Justin Timberlake is that when accepting video of the year he said "I demand a recount- this award should be going to Johnny Cash." Even though the androgynous-faced young guy hasn't any talent, he does know talent when he sees it.

I heard about that. I think that was very decent of Justin to do that. A really nice gesture. From everything I heard about the video, I was surprised it didn't win. I do think Justin has talent though. I'm not crazy about him, but I don't object to him. He's got a nice voice and he seems to be a nice guy for the most part.
Erin

 

[Skeeter Muppet]

When did Madeline Kahn die?

She died December 3, 1999. I forget what the cause was.

-Kim

 

[sarah_yzma]

I had watched Clifford on and off for a year or two before I heard John Ritter played him, but as soon as I heard it, I thought, "Yup, sounds just like him." I never would have figured it out on my own though.
Erin

the same way for me, once I heard it, it made sense! Did the original Clifford show go out of production, since the Clifford's Puppy Days came on? (yes I did watch the premiere!) I don't know whose voice that is, though

 

[Don'tLiveonMoon]

the same way for me, once I heard it, it made sense! Did the original Clifford show go out of production, since the Clifford's Puppy Days came on? (yes I did watch the premiere!) I don't know whose voice that is, though

I hadn't heard about Clifford's Puppy Days, but I was wondering the same thing about Clifford being on the air. Whenever I've seen it on PBS lately it's been an episode I've already seen.
Erin

 

[BoyRaisin2]

I heard about that. I think that was very decent of Justin to do that. A really nice gesture. From everything I heard about the video, I was surprised it didn't win. I do think Justin has talent though. I'm not crazy about him, but I don't object to him. He's got a nice voice and he seems to be a nice guy for the most part.
Erin

Agreed. I think Justin did deserve "Best Male Video" but Cash hands-down deserved "Video of the Year." But all the video won was "Best Cinematography." Humph.

I believe Madeline Kahn succumbed to cancer. I thought there was a news article here at MC, but I can't find it.

 

[flor]

All the greatest peoples dies this year first barry white, later celia cruz and now john ritter and Johnny Cash. This is too bad

 

[trekkie1701E]

Don't leave out Mister Rogers. One of my favorites; he also died young.

 

[BoyRaisin2]

Ritter's death at 54 stuns Hollywood

By Nellie Andreeva

LOS ANGELES (Hollywood Reporter) - John Ritter once told an interviewer that one of his boyhood idols was Jerry Lewis. It's hardly surprising then that the versatile actor and offspring of show business parentage would one day take his place among the virtuosos of sitcom slapstick.

The 1970s comedy "Three's Company" made Ritter a household name. Twenty-five years later, "8 Simple Rules for Dating My Teenage Daughter" reinvigorated his career. It was at the end of Thursday's rehearsal for a taping of "8 Simple Rules" that the actor took ill.

Six days short of his 55th birthday, Ritter died shortly after 10 p.m. Thursday at Providence St. Joseph Medical Center in Burbank after being rushed into surgery for what hospital officials described as a "dissection of the aorta," an undetectable medical condition that can strike without warning. With Ritter at the hospital was his wife, actress Amy Yasbeck; son, Jason; and co-workers from his show.

It was shaping up to be a great couple of weeks for Ritter. His friends said he was enjoying working on "8 Simple Rules"' fourth episode alongside old friends and guest stars Henry Winkler and Peter Bogdanovich. He also was looking forward to celebrating his daughter Stella's 5th birthday Thursday, his wife's birthday the following day, his own birthday Wednesday and his wedding anniversary this Thursday.

"It's like there is a big tear in the world's heart," Winkler told "Entertainment Tonight" on Friday. "He was extraordinary in every aspect of his life, especially as a father." Winkler co-starred with Ritter on Broadway in Neil Simon's "The Dinner Party," one of more than 50 plays Ritter appeared in during his career.

Most of Ritter's colleagues and friends said they were too shocked by his sudden death to comment Friday.

The entire "8 Simple Rules" cast, crew and production staff arrived on the set at 11:30 a.m., their normal call time for the Friday taping, for an emotional private tribute to their colleague. The show's second season, which was to begin Sept. 23, was postponed Friday and production was halted.

"I can truly say that his loss will be felt very personally across the industry as John had the wonderful ability to make everyone he worked with feel like not just a colleague but also a friend," ABC entertainment president Susan Lyne said in a statement. "In a career that spanned three decades, he shared his splendid talents on television, film and stage. He made us laugh, and what a gift that was. We will miss John deeply and send our sympathies and prayers to all his family."

Born Sept. 17, 1948, in Burbank, Ritter was the son of country singer/actor Tex Ritter and actress Dorothy Fay. He went to the famed Hollywood High School and graduated from USC in 1971 with a degree in drama. He did bit parts and small movies until 1973, when he landed a recurring role on the CBS drama "The Waltons," playing the Rev. Fordwick.

Ritter hit stardom in 1977 with "Three's Company," in which he portrayed madcap bachelor Jack Tripper, who lived with two sexy roommates, played by Joyce DeWitt and Suzanne Somers. The show was a hit for ABC, and the role earned him Emmy, Golden Globe and People's Choice awards.

"I'm shocked and heartbroken and so sad for his family," DeWitt said in a statement. "I cannot find words to express my sorrow -- such a great loss to the joy in the world."

Somers, who was fired from the show in 1981 in a well publicized salary dispute, appeared Friday on Fox's "Good Day Live" and said through tears: "I learned so much from him. He was the best physical comic I've ever watched."

In a recent interview with TV correspondents from the Entertainment News Wire, Ritter shared what he had learned on "Three's Company" that he applied to the rest of his career.

"You have two minutes at the top of the show to sell the premise," he said. "You have to care so much. You have to really make things matter. You have to have enthusiasm and commitment to this farce, so that the audience believes you. You just have to have a heightened energy."

While the "Three's Company's" spinoff, "Three's a Crowd," fizzled, Ritter had somewhat better success playing a cop in Steven Bochco's critically praised "Hooperman" from 1987-89, which earned him Emmy and Golden Globe nominations.

He followed with CBS' "Hearts Afire," which ran from 1992-95, and a string of TV movies. He received multiple Emmy nominations for his role as the voice of PBS' "Clifford the Big Red Dog" on the animated series.

Last year, Ritter was cast as the lead in ABC's "8 Simple Rules," playing a beleaguered dad with two teenage daughters and a preteen son. The premiere of the show in fall 2002 changed ABC's fortunes overnight, jump-staring the network's lagging Tuesday lineup and propelling Ritter back to the top.

"John Ritter was a force of nature," "8 Simple Rules" executive producers Flody Suarez and Tracy Gamble said in a statement Friday. "He'd sweep onto a quiet set, and it would instantly turn into a laugh-filled room. For everyone here, coming to work each day was a joy. You always knew, at some point, there would be a patented John Ritter pratfall or spit take. He had no shame when it came to making us laugh. We will miss his smile, we will miss his laugh, and mostly, we will miss his incredible kindness."

In movies, Ritter never achieved the prominence he enjoyed on TV. Having begun with supporting parts in such Walt Disney Co. films as "The Barefoot Executive" (1971) and "Scandalous John" (1971), his first lead role was playing the president of the United States in the raunchy 1979 sketch comedy "Americathon."

While he made three films with director Bogdanovich -- the 1976 homage to silent movies "Nickelodeon," the 1981 romantic comedy "They All Laughed" and the 1992 farce "Noises Off" -- Ritter's main focus remained on TV.

He received critical praise for his portrayal of a small-town homosexual in Billy Bob Thornton's 1996 sleeper hit "Sling Blade." That led to a spate of indie films in which Ritter again played against type. He appeared as a TV evangelist in Gregg Araki's "Nowhere" (1997), a psychiatrist in Henry Bromell's "Panic" (2000) and a self-absorbed classics scholar in Gary Winick's "Tadpole" (2002).

His last three films -- which include Straw Weisman's experimental "Man of the Year" and Bobby Roth's black comedy "Manhood" -- have yet to be released. "Bad Santa," directed by Terry Zwigoff, in which he plays a mall manager opposite Thornton and Bernie Mac, is scheduled for a Nov. 21 release by Dimension Films.

Ritter also was honored by the Los Angeles Music Center in June with a lifetime achievement award.

He is survived by his wife; their daughter, Stella; and three children, Carly, Tyler and Jason, from his first marriage to Nancy Morgan. Jason Ritter is following in his father's footsteps, having appeared in films and TV series and now co-starring in CBS' new drama "Joan of Arcadia."

Reuters/Hollywood Reporter