It’s pretty cool when a superstar can admit that he feels insecure sometimes. That’s exactly what John Ritter did during an interview in 1985.
Hollywood superstar John Ritter appeared in over 100 films and television series combined. He won a Golden Globe Award and a Primetime Emmy for his role as Jack Tripper on Three’s Company. He starred as the beloved dad, Paul Hennessy on the ABC sitcom 8 Simple Rules. At the very start of his career, he even landed a breakthrough role on The Waltons. So, it’s hard to imagine that a superstar like John Ritter was insecure. But he was. The coolest part is that he was brave enough to admit it.
During an interview, Ritter talked about the ceaseless doubt that sticks in an actor’s mind.
“Yes. Oh yea, I mean. I think the thing about being an actor, no matter how much training you have, there’s going to be some guy that’s going to sit out there in the audience and say, “Naw, didn’t by it.” No matter who it is,” said Ritter. “And you know somebody can compliment you, someone, you really respect. But if the mailman comes up to you and says, “Man, you really sucked in that one last night,” you’ll go, “He’s right. He’s really right.”
So, John Ritter may have occasionally felt insecure about his work. Nevertheless, he also said that he had all the “key” items to a happy life. The interviewer said, “Boy, you’ve really got it made. You have a beautiful wife, you have children you love. You do work you love…”
Ritter politely interrupted and said, “You can stop there because that’s the key. If you like to get up every morning and go and do…basically, if you just come from an open heart, you’ve got a head start.”
John Ritter Helped ‘The Waltons’ Co-Star Work Through Her Own Insecurities
Before starring in Three’s Company, John Ritter appeared in 18 episodes of The Waltons. And in true John Ritter fashion, he made an impression on his co-stars. During an interview in 2015, Mary McDonough who played Erin Walton on the show talked about how Ritter helped her through insecurities during her teenage years. She added that, while filming The Waltons, she started struggling with body insecurities. But she didn’t know how to talk about it.
“John Ritter noticed … and he said, ‘What’s going on with you?’” McDonough said. “I said, ‘Nothing, I’m fine!’ And he said, ‘No, no. Why don’t you start doing a journal?’ And that night, I started journaling.”
Through her journal practices, McDonough could write about all the insecurities she couldn’t find the words to say out loud. So, in conclusion, John Ritter has always been a stand-up guy.
