Kaley Cuoco paid tribute to the life and legacy of her late “8 Simple Rules” co-star John Ritter.
On Thursday, the 38-year-old actress, who starred alongside Ritter in the comedy from 2002 to 2003, spoke warmly of the actor at An Evening From The Heart, a gala benefiting the John Ritter Foundation for Aortic Health. Ritter died in 2003 at the age of 54 due to an undetected thoracic aortic dissection.
“He was very special to me,” the “Big Bang Theory” star told Access Hollywood at the Sunset Room Hollywood in Los Angeles.
Kaley Cuoco honored her late co-star John Ritter at a charity gala. (Getty)
“It was also very special for a lot of people,” Cuoco added. “He left a great legacy, not only as an incredible actor but as an incredible human being.
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“When you think about it, I spent a year and a half just with him, and the way he influenced my life far exceeded that year and a half,” she said of Ritter, who played her father on the TV show.
“So I will always do anything that has his name associated with it, and especially to raise awareness about what happened to him and how horrible it can be for some of these families. I will always be the voice for exactly this.”
Cuoco and Ritter played daughter and father in the comedy “8 Simple Rules.” (Gale M. Adler/Disney General Entertainment Content via Getty Images)
The John Ritter Foundation for Aortic Health works to raise awareness of thoracic aortic disease through research, education and advocacy.
Cuoco also shared advice Ritter gave her that she has taken to heart over the past two decades.
“I remember when I made a mistake in front of an audience, he was like, 'They love it! They love it! They love it when you make a mistake.' And I'm like, 'What?' He was like, 'Sometimes I do it on purpose,'” “The Flight Attendant” star told Access Hollywood.
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“I started seeing him mess up and make these mistakes on purpose, and the crowd was going crazy,” he added.
“I've literally carried it with me for 20 years,” Cuoco said. “He gave everyone what they wanted. He was the class clown. He never took himself too seriously, and I think we need to get back to that a little bit, not taking ourselves too seriously.”
Cuoco co-chaired and co-hosted the annual An Evening from the Heart gala to benefit the John Ritter Foundation for Aortic Health. (Mike Tran/Variety via Getty Images)
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The comedy “8 Simple Rules” starred Ritter as Hennessey family patriarch Paul Hennessey, Katey Sagal as his wife Cate, Cuoco as their daughter Bridget, Amy Davidson as Bridget's sister Kerry, and Martin Spanjers as her Brother Rory.
Ritter died unexpectedly while the series was filming its second season, and “8 Simple Rules” returned after a hiatus with Paul's death written into the show. The comedy was renewed for a third season, from 2004 to 2005.
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Cuoco was joined by Ritter's widow, Amy Yasbeck, and his son, Tyler Ritter. (Mike Tran/Variety via Getty Images)
In an interview with People magazine, Cuoco noted that Ritter “touched a lot of lives.” She told the outlet that she shares a close relationship with Ritter's family, including his widow Amy Yasbeck and her four children.
Ritter shared sons Jason and Tyler, along with daughter Carly, with his first wife, Nancy Morgan. The two were married from 1977 to 1996.
He also has a son, Noah, with Yasbeck. The two married in 1999 and were married until her death.
The Emmy nominee praised Ritter's family, who she told People “worked very hard” to raise awareness about thoracic aortic disease.
“I will do anything for his wife and children,” Cuoco said. “And I'm very proud to be here and honor him.”
Ritter's “Three's Company” co-stars Joyce DeWitt, right, and Priscilla Barnes embraced as they reunited on the red carpet. (Rodin Eckenroth/Getty Images)
Amy and Tyler attended the gala, which was co-chaired and co-hosted by Cuoco. Ritter's former “Three's Company” co-stars Joyce DeWitt and Priscilla Barnes were also in attendance and embraced each other as they reunited on the red carpet.
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Ritter rose to fame playing Jack Tripper, a culinary school student who moves in with two roommates, Janet Wood (DeWitt) and Chrissy Snow (Suzanne Somers), and pretends to be gay so the landlord will let him stay.
“Three's Company” aired for eight seasons on ABC from 1977 to 1984. Somers left the sitcom during its fifth season, while Ritter and DeWitt remained with the show for its entire run. Barnes joined the cast in its sixth season, playing nurse Terri Alden, who becomes Jack and Janet's new roommate after Chrissy moves out.
Also attending the gala were Cary Elwes, Cheri Oteri, Holly Robinson Peete, Katherine Kelly Lang, Heather Tom and Ashley Jones.
