Former Dancing with the Stars host Tom Bergeron remembered his long friendship with the late actor and comedian John Ritter, in a pair of Instagram posts. Tom posted the snaps just one day after recalling a long-ago meeting with Kaley Cuoco on the set of the 2002 comedy 8 Simple Rules, as seen here.
Tom posted two photographs to the social media sharing site. One was positioned atop the other. In the first, Tom was laughing at something John said as the two looked directly at one another. Tom’s hair was dark in color and he wore a tan jacket and gray and white pinstripe shirt while the former Three’s Company star was dressed in a dark t-shirt with a denim button-down worn atop it.
In the second image, John looked at the camera as he pointed directly at Tom, who stood to his left with a serious expression on his face.
The Chicago Tribune reported that John died in 2003 of what was determined to be an aortic dissection — a tear in the largest blood vessel in the body. He fell ill while on the set of 8 Simple Rules and was rushed to the hospital where he would die hours later.
Tom continues to honor the legacy of his longtime pal. The two worked together when Tom hosted an updated version of the legendary game show, Hollywood Squares. John participated through the years 2000-2003 and appeared in 55 episodes as a guest-star, as reported IMDB.
Tom supports John’s late wife, Amy Yasbeck, who continues to draw attention to this little-known medical diagnosis. He recently shared a tweet posted in August of this year, as seen here, where he shared a video that explained the medical condition and said she had become a tireless advocate for spreading awareness of this silent killer.
In response to Tom’s post, Amy said “Tommy Boy, He loved you with all his heart.”
John’s former Three’s Company co-star Suzanne Somers also shared her own feelings regarding the post. She called John one of the greatest physical comics and that she loved her time with him.
Kate Flannery, a former star of The Office and a competitor on Dancing with the Stars remarked that she felt the late actor was a “gem” and she believed he should have been nominated for an Academy Award for his performance in the film Sling Blade.
Other Instagram users still feel the loss of this comedy icon, 17 years after his passing.
“I miss seeing him and Robin Williams. Two of the best,” wrote one fan.
“He was a comedic genius. Still watching reruns of Three’s Company whenever it’s on TV. It will always be one of my favorite shows,” penned a second follower.
“Thank you for sharing. He was one of my fav comedic actors. His humor was just the best,” exclaimed a third Instagram user.