Jason Ritter

Jason Morgan Ritter was born on February 17, 1980, in Los Angeles, California, to actors John Ritter and Nancy Morgan. He is the grandson of actors Tex Ritter and Dorothy Fay. Ritter made his television debut early in life, appearing in the opening credits of his father’s sitcom, “Three’s Company,” in seasons 6-8. He attended Crossroads School in Santa Monica, California, and later studied at New York University’s Tisch School of the Arts, including training at the Atlantic Theater Company and the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art in London.

Ritter made his professional acting debut at age 10 in the 1990 television film “The Dreamer of Oz: The L. Frank Baum Story.” His early film career included roles in teen-oriented projects such as “Swimfan” (2002), “Freddy vs. Jason” (2003), and “Raise Your Voice” (2004). From 2003 to 2005, he starred as Kevin Girardi in the CBS family drama series “Joan of Arcadia.” His performance in the 2007 film “The Education of Charlie Banks” earned critical acclaim for its brooding intensity. In 2008, he produced and starred in the independent dramedy “Good Dick” with Marianna Palka.

A significant career milestone was his recurring role as Mark Cyr on NBC’s “Parenthood” from 2010 to 2014, for which he received a Primetime Emmy Award nomination in 2012. He voiced Dipper Pines in the Disney Channel animated series “Gravity Falls” from 2012 to 2016. In recent years, Ritter has taken on diverse roles, including Lord Frederick Bellacourt in the satirical sitcom “Another Period” (2015-2018), Kevin Finn in “Kevin (Probably) Saves the World” (2017-2018), and Pat Rollins in Netflix’s “Raising Dion” (2019-2022). He earned praise for his portrayal of William “Bill” Allens in the HBO film “The Tale” (2018) and voiced Ryder in Disney’s “Frozen 2” (2019). He joined the cast of the CBS reboot of “Matlock” in 2023, which began airing in October 2024.