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Jason Ritter and Melanie Lynskey are each other’s cheerleaders.
“She was thrilled about Matlock. She sees all my auditions,” Ritter, 44, revealed at CBS’ Summer TCA 2024 in Pasadena, California. “I’m fortunate to have her as my scene partner; she’s the best I could ever ask for. Her reaction to the Matlock script was immediate excitement.”
Ritter portrays Julian in the rebooted legal drama Matlock, which also stars Kathy Bates and Beau Bridges.
“[Melanie] was like, ‘This is fantastic!’” Ritter recalled of the first time Lynskey, 47, read through the script with him. “And when she saw the pilot, she was sold. She’s already a fan and doesn’t want to know what’s coming next. She wants to be surprised.”
Melanie Lynskey and Jason Ritter’s relationship is a real-life romantic comedy, from their first meeting on set to their engagement and subsequent marriage. The couple first collaborated in 2013 on The Big Ask and later worked together on two other films. In February 2017, they announced their engagement, and in December 2018, they welcomed their first child together. The private couple, who have not disclosed their daughter’s name, secretly tied the knot in 2020.
Ritter and Lynskey’s paths first crossed in 2013 while filming The Big Ask. Their engagement in 2017 and the birth of their daughter in 2018 further solidified their relationship. The couple, who prefer to keep their personal lives private, have not revealed their daughter’s name and secretly wed in 2020.
Ritter was thrilled to work with Bates, 76, for the first time on Matlock, while Lynskey already knew the esteemed actress personally.
“It’s incredible to be on set with Kathy. I hadn’t met her before, but Melanie and Kathy had a history as they shared the same manager when Melanie first moved to the US,” Ritter shared. “Kathy is the epitome of a versatile actor, taking on diverse roles, which is something Melanie aspires to in her career.”
According to Ritter, Bates is “a powerhouse who can do it all,” a standard that Lynskey strives to emulate in her own acting journey.
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“They had a special bond, and I was thrilled to collaborate with Kathy,” Ritter said, adding that he was “anxious” about acting alongside Bates. “You can’t help but put people on a pedestal, and when they don’t live up to your expectations, it’s challenging to know how to respond. You’re left thinking, ‘I must be at fault here.'”
Matlock is set to premiere on CBS this fall.
Reporting contributed by Mariel Turner
