Jason Ritter was in a wheelchair for his character in the television series Joan of Arcadia.
American actor and producer Jason Ritter rose to fame for working in the television series Joan of Arcadia as Kevin Girardi. The show was first aired on September 26, 2003, and continued to air till April 22, 2005. The fantasy family drama was praised by critics and also won the Humanitas prize and the People's Choice Award. The show had a very positive impact on the audience although it was just 2 seasons long.
Ritter who is known for working on various projects is highly known for his role as Kevin Girardi in the 2003 released show. He also was heavily lauded for his authentic performance as a disabled person in the show. However, the show and the makers were sometimes criticized for not casting an actual disabled person for the role.
Is Jason Ritter paralyzed?
No. Jason Ritter is not paralyzed. Yes, he was in a wheelchair but only for the requirements of his character. In the show, Joan of Arcadia, Ritter played the role of the Girardi family's elder son, Kevin Girardi, a former jock who was left paraplegic, after a horrific car accident. Hence, Ritter was using an actual wheelchair in the show.
Ritter playing a paraplegic character didn't settle well with many and then began questioning why did the makers not choose an actual disabled person to play the role of Kevin Girardi. As time passed by, the makers of the show explained why they cast a fully-abled actor in the role so that they could do flashbacks to the time before the character's accident.
What is Joan of Arcadia about?
The American fantasy family drama series is based on the Girardi family - especially the middle child, Joan Girardi, who seems to speak with God and performs the tasks she is given. After praying to and promising God that she would do anything he wanted if he would let her elder brother Kevin survive the car crash, God appears in the form of various people including small children, teenage boys, elder ladies, transients, or passersby.
Who is in the cast of Joan of Arcadia?
The main cast members of Joan of Arcadia are as follows:
Joe Mantegna as Will Girardi
Mary Steenburgen as Helen Girardi
Amber Tamblyn as Joan Girardi
Jason Ritter as Kevin Girardi
Michael Welch as Luke Girardi
Chris Marquette as Adam Rove
Becky Wahlstrom as Grace Polk
What did Jason Ritter recently say about alcoholism?
While on his appearance on the Drew Barrymore show, along with his wife Melanie Lynskey, Ritter opened up about his struggle with alcoholism and how it affected his relationship with his wife in the early stages of their romantic life.
“I knew how incredible Melanie was early on,” Ritter said while explaining how he knew his wife was the one for him. Ritter continued by saying, “But it’s not as cute of a story as you would like to think. It was messy and interesting and weird. But mixed in [with] the mix was I was dealing with some alcoholism issues.”
“At a point, I knew how amazing she was and I thought she would be incredible for someone who deserved her, basically,” Ritter told host Drew Barrymore. “And I didn’t feel like I was that person. I felt a little bit too crazy.” The actor battled hard to quit alcoholism and currently is living an amazing life with his wife and his daughter.
FAQs
