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ABC's '8 Simple Rules' actor John Ritter dies at 54
John Ritter, a master of sitcom silliness who ruled TV comedy with "Three's Company" and rediscovered success 25 years later with "8 Simple Rules ... For Dating My Teenage Daughter," has died of an undetected heart problem. He was 54.
Ritter became ill Thursday while working on his ABC series and underwent surgery at Providence St. Joseph Medical Center in Burbank for a tear in his aorta, a rare medical condition that can hit without warning. He died shortly after 10 p.m. Thursday, publicist Lisa Kasteler said. He was accompanied by producers, co-workers, his wife and his 23-year-old son, Jason, said Susan Wilcox, his assistant of 22 years. Ritter's youngest child, Stella, turned 5 the day he died. His 55th birthday was next Wednesday. "It's like there is a big tear in the world's heart," actor Henry Winkler, who co-starred with Ritter on Broadway, told "Entertainment Tonight" on Friday. "He was extraordinary in every aspect of his life, especially as a father. His children were there at every moment of his life." No decision had been made Friday about the future of "8 Simple Rules...," which was to begin its second season Sept. 23, an ABC spokesman said. It's one of the few bright spots in the struggling network's lineup. Three new episodes had already been filmed, and Ritter was working on the fourth when he fell ill. "I'm shocked and heartbroken and so sad for his family. I cannot find words to express my sorrow at such a great loss to the joy in the world," Joyce DeWitt, who co-starred with Ritter and Suzanne Somers in ABC's "Three's Company," told "Entertainment Tonight." The sitcom, which aired from 1977-84 and brought a new level of risque humor to TV, was the No. 1 comedy in the 1979-80 season and regularly part of the top 10. "It's just stunning, unbelievable," said Wilcox, his assistant. "Everybody loved John Ritter. Everybody loved working with him. ... Whatever set he was working on, he made it a very fun place." Ritter, a Southern California native who lived in Beverly Hills, had appeared in more than 25 television movies and a number of films. He received an Emmy, Golden Globe and other awards for his "Three's Company" role and was honored by the Los Angeles Music Center in June with a lifetime achievement award. - Associated Press The Texan strives to present all information fairly, accurately and completely.
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