John Ritter’s Widow Reveals Why Their Sons Would Never Play Him

Lauren Novak October 7, 12:24 pm

THREE'S COMPANY, John Ritter, 1977-84 — Everett Collection

What To Know

John Ritter’s widow, Amy Yasbeck, explained that their sons, Jason and Tyler Ritter, chose not to play their father’s role in a recent Three’s Company staged reading because it would feel “a little too weird” for them.
The event featured stars like Adam DeVine as Jack Tripper, Kaley Cuoco as Janet Wood, and original cast members Priscilla Barnes and Richard Kline reprising their roles, with Tom Bergeron narrating and Dennis Dugan directing.
Yasbeck praised the performers for embodying John Ritter’s spirit and expressed gratitude for the opportunity to honor his legacy through the John Ritter Foundation for Aortic Health.

Last month, the John Ritter Foundation for Aortic Health hosted a star-studded staged reading of an episode of Ritter’s series Three’s Company. The event featured performers ranging from Kaley Cuoco, Ritter’s former costar on 8 Simple Rules, to former Three’s Company costars Priscilla Barnes and Richard Kline. But many fans wondered why Ritter’s two adult sons, actors Jason Ritter and Tyler Ritter, didn’t step in and play their dad’s role. Ritter’s widow, Amy Yasbeck, told People that the answer was actually very simple: “It’d be weird. It’s a little too weird,” for the boys to read their father’s part.

Instead Adam DeVine read as Jack Tripper, while Cuoco read as Janet Wood, Barnes reprised her original role as Terri Alden and Kline reprised his role as Larry Dallas. Tom Bergeron narrated while Dennis Dugan directed. Yasbeck called the event “fun.”

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by The John Ritter Foundation (@johnritterfoundation)

She added, according to PEOPLE, “The thing is, most of them knew John personally and the ones that didn’t completely, I knew them or they completely embodied the spirit of John’s personality and the personality of the show. You could tell they all had watched it since they were little kids, just by the way they brought themselves to it.”

“I’ve spoken to everyone and as much as I’m thanking them, they were thanking me and the foundation for letting them have the opportunity to do that,” she said. Yasbeck founded the foundation shortly after Ritter died in 2003 at age 54 from a type A aortic dissection.