Jason Ritter's Relationship Timeline With Melanie Lynskey
This feature references body shaming and alcohol addiction.
Jason Ritter and Melanie Lynskey are one of the cutest couples in Hollywood. They're incredibly sweet when praising each other's work, they joke around with each other on social media, and they're both super down-to-earth and funny in interviews. They clearly adore each other, and not in an annoying way, either — just more so in a way that makes us want to hang out with them.
The pair may seem like opposites, with Lynskey having grown up in New Zealand and Ritter having been raised in Los Angeles as the son of actors Nancy Morgan and the late, iconic John Ritter. But once the two actors got together, their connection grew stronger and stronger.
Now married with a daughter, the couple seems closer than ever, and they each have plenty on their plates career-wise as well. Lynskey, got her start in the Peter Jackson-directed indie film "Heavenly Creatures" and has gone on to enjoy major roles in shows like "Yellowjackets," "The Last of Us," and "Castle Rock." Ritter has long been a working actor and was nominated for an Emmy for his role in the series "Parenthood." In 2023, his casting in the CBS reboot of "Matlock" was also announced – so, the future looks bright for these two! Let's take a look at their enviable relationship, how it started, and how it's going.
When they first met, Jason kept forgetting Melanie
Jason Ritter and Melanie Lynskey are so adorable together it's easy to imagine their first meeting was love at first sight. It turns out it wasn't quite so romantic. In fact, Ritter didn't even remember Lynskey after they'd met on multiple occasions! "Well, we had met each other over the years in passing a few times ... and he always forgot me. And I would be reintroducing myself like, 'Is this guy for real?'" Lynskey recalled during the couple's March 2023 appearance on "The Drew Barrymore Show"
In 2013, Ritter and Lynskey both appeared in the film "The Big Ask." Although he didn't mention it by name, Ritter admitted that when he and Lynskey were cast in a movie together, he was two hours late for the table read. And, once again, he did not remember having met his future wife. Lynskey said, "So, he came to this table read and introduced himself again and I said, 'A month and a half ago we co-hosted an actors' brunch at Sundance ... And I showed him a picture of us standing together, and he was like, 'Whoa!'"
Jason and Melanie worked on several projects together
Jason Ritter finally got to know — and remember! — Melanie Lynskey while filming 2013's "The Big Ask." Ritter sounded super enthusiastic about making the film during a 2014 interview with Vulture, saying, "'The Big Ask' was one of the most special shoots I've ever been on. It was really small; it was basically six actors and we all shot in a house, so we were all kind of stuck in the same place. It was awesome." Awesome probably due to the fact that Lynskey was one of those six actors and the two had begun dating shortly after the film had wrapped production.
The pair appeared on the big screen together in 2014's "We'll Never Have Paris," where they played brother and sister, and again in "Intervention" two years later, where they played a couple. By all accounts, Lynskey was thrilled to work with Ritter again. "It was fun, it was just easy. We get along really well. He is just such a sweet, easygoing person," she told Screen Crush. "It was nice, he is very easy to be around. He is such a good actor."
They became red carpet official in 2015
Although Jason Ritter and Melanie Lynskey had appeared on several red carpets together, it was always for a project both were a part of. But then in 2015, Ritter accompanied Lynskey to the premiere of HBO's "Togetherness," the HBO series in which she starred. This was one of the first times the couple would appear together while just one of them was promoting a project. One of the reasons why we love Ritter and Lynskey so much is they always show up for each other!
In 2022, Ritter was physically absent from the Critics' Choice Award. Speaking to ET on the red carpet, Lynskey claimed that she wasn't given a plus one despite being an award nominee at the event and that she was really feeling the absence of her supportive other half. "I have social anxiety," she said. "I miss my husband."
Still, he was tweeting his support and admiration for his love from their home. "I am sorry to do this and she will be embarrassed that I did this but my goodness what an [absolute] beaut my wife is!" he wrote alongside a pic of Lynskey looking gorge in a velvet suit on the red carpet. "Okay, I'm sorry but I mean, look at this human being who is also the best person I know."
Melanie and Jason welcomed a daughter together
In December of 2018, Jason Ritter and Melanie Lynskey welcomed a baby girl. They've kept her name private from the media and even kept her birth under wraps for as long as they could. But when the news got out, Lynskey shared in a tweet, "We feel lucky to have been able to have our news just be for friends and family for a while, but I guess the story got out, so! Yes! [Jason Ritter] and I had a daughter in December. We love her so much; she's perfect." In the same Twitter thread, she hilariously clarified, "I did not welcome the baby 'quietly', I was blasting A$AP Rocky and yelling a lot."
Ritter spoke to People about his relationship with their daughter, and it sounds extremely sweet. "The best part about being a dad is just her ... I feel like she and I have a special connection ... we sort of get in trouble together," he said. He went on to explain, "She's a little adventurer, she like wants to get into everything and try to climb things and I'm, like, trying to help her."
Although Ritter and Lynskey are shielding their daughter's face and name from the public for now, they are open to the idea of her eventually following in their footsteps as an actor. But for the moment, she's just happy playing make-believe. Ritter explained to Us Weekly, "She wants to be an astronaut one day and a carrot the next, so you never know."
Jason and Melanie had a tiny wedding at home in 2020
Jason Ritter and Melanie Lynskey got engaged in 2017. Lynskey shared the news on "Hollywood Today Live" (via People) adding that Ritter had proposed to her on the sofa, saying, "It was cute." But it wasn't until 2020 that the two got hitched, and the ceremony was just as low-key as the proposal.
Lynskey was about to head North to film "Yellowjackets," when she got some misinformation. "Honestly I got married because someone was like, 'Jason won't get into Canada unless you're married,' which just wasn't true," she said in an interview with Jess Cagle on SiriusXM. "... So I was like, 'We have to get married tomorrow.'" The adorable, tiny wedding took place on the front porch of the couple's rental house in Atlanta, with two of the couple's pals, actors Ali Ahn and William Jackson Harper, in attendance. "A nice lady came and married us ... It was actually a very fun wedding day but it didn't need to happen," Lynskey joked.
The two celebrated their anniversary in April 2023 with throwback posts on Instagram. While Ritter shared a video of him momentarily panicking on their wedding day having lost his ring, he added the caption, "I am the luckiest guy on the planet, and our daughter has the greatest mama of all mamas." Meanwhile, Lynskey's snap showed she was wearing Ugg slippers with her wedding dress, which she addressed by quipping, "Sorry if I look too glamorous in this photo guys, it is what it is."
Jason let the world know he's a wife guy
Jason has not been shy about praising his wife on social media and in interviews. But he also has her back when it comes to online trolls. In 2022, Melanie Lynskey received body-shaming comments from viewers while starring in "Yellowjackets," and understandably she wasn't best pleased about it. Lynskey took to Twitter to defend herself, writing of the criticisms she'd received, "Most egregious are ... 'I care about her health!'" She countered that she was actually in great shape and regularly exercised, adding, "Skinny does not always equal healthy." Ritter was not sitting idly by either, tweeting in response, "If anyone has any further unsolicited comments about anybody else's body, they can feel free to write them in permanent ink onto their own foreheads and swan dive directly into the sun."
Lynskey got emotional when talking about Ritter's unconditional love and support for her during an interview with ET at the 2022 Critics' Choice Awards. "I honestly feel like I won the lottery of the greatest husband. He's such a good dad, he loves me, he makes me feel beautiful no matter what. He's a good, good person and he's so cute." Not only did she win the husband lottery, but she also won the Critics' Choice Award that night for Best Actress in a Drama Series for "Yellowjackets."
The couple shared the screen in some big TV hits
Jason Ritter and Melanie Lynskey's relationship began when both were acting in films, but they've each been doing lots of TV work since then. In fact, they've appeared together in some of the biggest hit shows of the '20s. In 2021, Ritter made a surprise cameo in "Candy," the Hulu miniseries starring Lynskey and Jessica Biel. Both Ritter and Biel's husband, Justin Timberlake, appeared in the series as cops. "He loves working and he was happy to be involved," Lynskey told E! News, "And he loved Justin, so that really worked out."
Ritter was also cast in an episode of "Yellowjackets" Season 2, and he completely won over the cast and crew. "When I came back to work, everyone was like, 'Your husband is the nicest person!' It makes me look smart like I chose a great partner," Lynskey told Variety.
In 2023 both actors appeared in HBO's "The Last of Us" — Lynskey starred in a multi-episode arc and Ritter ... well even the most eagle-eyed fans wouldn't have been able to spot him. He appeared in one episode as a clicker zombie, completely unrecognizable. During an appearance on "The Tonight Show," Jimmy Fallon showed the audience a photo of Ritter in full makeup giving his wife a kiss on the cheek. "He trained with the stunt people and he just did all these amazing stunts," she explained. "... It's like his lifelong dream ... I shot him once!"
Jason revealed the relationship had a rocky start
While Jason Ritter and Melanie Lynskey are total couple goals, they've worked very hard on their relationship. Ritter in particular shared that in the beginning, he felt like he wasn't good enough for Lynskey. On "The Drew Barrymore Show," he and Lynskey both got emotional as Ritter recalled his experiences with alcohol addiction early in their relationship. "At a point, 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," he said. After maintaining sobriety for a year, he finally felt able to offer his love a stable future.
Indeed, Lynskey revealed that she was incredibly proud of the work he did on himself. She was also impressed with how he helped to take care of her elderly dog, Mouse. Ritter would eagerly attend to the pooch's needs throughout the night, getting up and letting him out whenever necessary. "I think that was when I was like, 'Oh, I could have a child with this man ... I think this is a good person"
As for maintaining a healthy, loving relationship, Ritter shared an important tip with Us Weekly. "Just look around and see what you can do in the house. Can you clean something? Can you throw on a load of laundry? Can you do the dishes? ... That kind of stuff goes a really long way." Solid advice from a guy who's really done the work!
If you or anyone you know needs help with addiction issues, help is available. Visit the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration website or contact SAMHSA's National Helpline at 1-800-662-HELP (4357).