Melanie Lynskey is in the midst of a career renaissance. The New Zealand-born actress made her big screen debut alongside Kate Winslet in 1994's "Heavenly Creatures." Decades later, she's gained a whole new fanbase for her Emmy-nominated role in the hit Showtime drama "Yellowjackets." The 46-year-old actress and mother couldn't have done it without her husband Jason Ritter, whom she calls her "greatest support."
Jason Ritter, 43, is a two-time Emmy-nominated actor with memorable roles across TV series like "Parenthood" and "Kevin (Probably) Saves the World." He's also Hollywood royalty: Ritter is the son of the late-great John Ritter, who won an Emmy for his starring role as Jack Tripper on "Three's Company," and actress Nancy Morgan. His grandfather was the country icon and Western star Tex Ritter.
Lynskey and Ritter met on the set of "The Big Ask" in 2013 and tied the knot in an emergency ceremony on their front porch in 2020. (No, really.) The couple welcomed a baby girl in 2018. While accepting her 2022 Critics' Choice Award for Best Actress in a Drama Series for "Yellowjackets," Lynskey made clear that her brood of three is her world. She called Ritter the "love of my life" and "the greatest support."
Their decade-plus love story is marked by wonderfully wacky moments, like the aforementioned impromptu wedding, as well as struggles. In March 2023, Ritter opened up about overcoming his alcohol abuse in the early days of their relationship.
Read on for a timeline of Melanie Lynskey and Jason Ritter's romance, from their onscreen collaborations to the way in which they're balancing Hollywood and parenthood.
Melanie Lynskey and Jason Ritter Met on Set in 2013
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Lynskey and Ritter met on the set of the 2013 comedy "The Big Ask" and started dating shortly afterwards. A year later, they played a brother-sister duo in the rom-com "We'll Never Have Paris." The couple made their red carpet debut at the 2015 premiere of Lynskey's HBO miniseries "Togetherness."
Since then, Lynskey and Ritter have worked together four times. They starred as a married couple in Clea DuVall's 2016 comedy "The Intervention." Ritter has also made cameo appearances alongside Lynskey in "Candy" (2022) and "Yellowjackets" Season 2 (2023), even putting on zombie makeup as a clicker in "The Last of Us" (2023).
Ritter Struggled with Alcoholism in the Early Days of Their Relationship
Thank you @DrewBarrymoreTV for having us!! And for the space to talk about things like this! And thank you @melanielynskey for having me in the first place ? https://t.co/NUBuQGvRCe
— Jason Ritter ? (@JasonRitter) March 29, 2023
Ritter has been open about his past struggles with alcoholism and the toll it took on his early relationship with Lynskey. During a joint appearance with his wife on "The Drew Barrymore Show" in 2023, Ritter recalled thinking he wasn't good enough for the "Yellowjackets" star:
"I knew how amazing she was, and I thought she would be incredible for someone who deserved her, basically. And I didn't feel like I was that person. I thought [I was] a little bit too crazy," he tearfully told Barrymore. "It was only after like maybe a year into not drinking where I started to go, 'Oh, maybe I can promise some things to someone else. Maybe I can be this person.' It's been like a slow burn."
Lynskey held her husband's hand throughout the emotional exchange, adding that she was "so proud" of the work he'd done to get to a healthy place.
Ritter Proposed in 2017
After four years of dating, the couple got engaged in 2017. They were sitting on the sofa when Ritter popped the question, which has led to an adorable inside joke between the couple.
"The first time he proposed, it wasn't great. So, he re-proposes all the time to make up for it, which is really cute," Lynskey explained to Shut Up Evan: The Newsletter.
They Share a 4-Year-Old Daughter
Melanie Lynskey via Instagram
Lynskey and Ritter welcomed a baby girl in Dec. 2018. The couple have not shared their daughter's name, but they've been spoken openly about the joys and sacrifices that come along with parenthood.
In a 2022 cover story for InStyle, Lynskey revealed that Ritter regularly turns down roles to support her own flourishing career. "I know balance is not usually like this and I'm lucky, but this should just be how it is," she said, adding: "My husband has made a lot of sacrifices and not worked so the family can stay together."
They Wed on Their Front Porch
Brian Feinzimer/Variety/Penske Media via Getty Images
The couple tied the knot at home during the height of the 2020 COVID-19 pandemic. It was something of an emergency ceremony: Lynskey was leaving for Canada to work on "Yellowjackets," and she thought Ritter wouldn't be able to cross the border with her unless the pair were wed.
"Honestly, I got married because someone was like, 'Jason won't get into Canada unless you're married,' which just wasn't true. We were waiting until like after the [pandemic]," Lynskey explained to SiriusXM in 2022, adding: "I was like, 'We have a child. What? I can't leave for six months.' So, I was like, 'We have to get married tomorrow.'"
They exchanged vows in an impromptu ceremony attended by their pals William Jackson Harper ("Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania") and Ali Ahn ("The Other Two").
"We got married on our front porch of our little rental house in Atlanta. A nice lady came and married us. We had two friends there. Ali Ahn and William Jackson Harper ... They brought a cake and flowers and everything we needed," Lynskey said.
In proper Kiwi form, Lynskey chuckled: "It was actually a very fun wedding day, but it didn't need to happen. He could totally have gotten into Canada."
