By Faye James
Copyright hellomagazine
90s star Amy Yasbeck looked so different while attending an event for The John Ritter Foundation for Aortic Health in September, decades after she rose to fame for her roles in Problem Child and Pretty Woman. The 63-year-old was glowing as she stepped out in a simple black gown with a halter-neck and black strappy heels, complete with dangling earrings, a chunky gold bracelet and a delicate necklace. She wore her brunette locks in a sleek ponytail with pieces of hair falling down to frame her face.
Amy had an impromptu reunion with her Pretty Woman co-star, Jason Alexander, at the event, and the pair beamed at each other as they posed for the camera. She portrayed his wife in the flick, which also starred Julia Roberts and Richard Gere. Speaking to The Morning Show about her time on the set, the mother of one shared that it was one of the greatest experiences of her life.
“I was so stunned to be in this movie and working with the beloved Garry Marshall, and to be hanging out with all of those people,” she told the outlet. “He let us improvise, and I was just on cloud nine…I originally went in there and auditioned for one of the shop ladies that’s mean to Vivian. Then [Garry] says, ‘Can you read this other part instead?’ And I did, and it was thrilling.”
Amy had an illustrious career in the ’80s and ’90s, beginning with a recurring role in the soap opera Days of Our Lives. Her other notable roles include a spot in the 1988 TV sequel to Daryl Hannah’s Splash, as well as the sitcom Wings, The Mask, Robin Hood: Men in Tights, Dracula: Dead and Loving It, and the two Problem Child films. It was on the latter project that she met her husband, John Ritter, a famed actor best known for starring in Three’s Company.
She played his gold-digging wife in the Problem Child films, and it wasn’t long before they fell in love. The duo tied the knot in 1999 after welcoming their son, Noah, a year prior. John was also a father to Tyler, Jason (who is a successful film actor), and Carly, whom he welcomed with his first wife, Nancy Morgan.
Tragically, John passed away unexpectedly when he suffered an aortic dissection in 2003. Doctors initially thought he was having a heart attack before realizing the extent of his condition, causing Amy to sue the hospital shortly after his death for negligence. A jury cleared the physicians of any wrongdoing, and Amy reportedly received a settlement.
In the years following his untimely death, Amy has dedicated herself to running The John Ritter Foundation, which helps to fund research, provide education, and raise awareness of the condition. “It takes up a great deal of time, but it needed to happen, and it has already had some beautiful results in just the awareness that’s brought to aortic dissection and aortic health in general,” she told People of the charitable endeavor.
Amy never found love again after John’s death, sharing with the publication that his passing weighed too heavily on her. “I miss John as a partner. I don’t date. I mean, it could happen. I’m not in the mood. I think I would miss John more if I was dating, as weird as that sounds,” she explained. “I always feel like he’s with me, and that would be weird because in that case, three is not company.”
