Kaley Cuoco has 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 on the sitcom 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 following 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 paid tribute to her late partner John Ritter at a charity gala. (Getty)
“He was also very special to a lot of people,” Cuoco added. “He left quite a legacy, not only as an incredible actor but also as an incredible human being.
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“When you think about it, I only spent a year and a half with him, and the way he touched my life far exceeded that year and a half,” she said of Ritter, who played her father in the television series.
“So I will always do anything in his name, and especially to bring awareness to what happened to him and how horrible it can be for some of these families. I will always be the voice for that specific thing.”
Cuoco and Ritter starred as their daughter and father in the sitcom “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 diseases of the thoracic aorta through research, education and advocacy.
Cuoco also shared the 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 the crowd, he would say to me, '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 watching him deliberately make mistakes and make these mistakes, and the audience was going crazy,” she added.
“I’ve literally carried this 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, without taking ourselves too seriously.”
Cuoco co-chaired and co-hosted the annual An Evening from the Heart Gala benefiting the John Ritter Foundation for Aortic Health. (Mike Tran/Variety via Getty Images)
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The sitcom “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 the sister of Bridget, Kerry and Martin Spanjers as her brother Rory.
Ritter died suddenly while the series was filming its second season, and “8 Simple Rules” was brought back after a hiatus with Paul's death written into the series. The sitcom 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 shared a close relationship with Ritter's family, including his widow Amy Yasbeck and his four children.
Ritter shared his sons Jason and Tyler, as well as his 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 remained married until his death.
The Emmy nominee praised Ritter's family, who, she told People, has “worked really hard” to raise awareness about thoracic aortic disease.
“I’ll do anything for his wife and kids,” Cuoco said. “And I’m really, really proud to be here and pay tribute to him.”
Ritter's “Three's Company” co-stars Joyce DeWitt, right, and Priscilla Barnes kissed as they reunited on the red carpet. (Rodin Eckenroth/Getty Images)
Amy and Tyler attended the gala, 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 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 his landlord will allow him to stay .
“Three's Company” ran for eight seasons on ABC from 1977 to 1984. Somers left the sitcom during its fifth season, while Ritter and DeWitt remained on 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 leaves.
The gala also featured Cary Elwes, Cheri Oteri, Holly Robinson Peete, Katherine Kelly Lang, Heather Tom and Ashley Jones.