Krysten Ritter

Krysten Alyce Ritter (born December 16, 1981) is an American actress and model. She came to prominence when she appeared as Jane Margolis in the AMC drama series ''Breaking Bad'' (2009–2010) and its spinoff film '' El Camino'' (2019). She then had lead roles in the ABC sitcom ''Don't Trust the B---- in Apartment 23'' (2012–2013) and the Netflix superhero series ''Jessica Jones'' as the eponymous character (2015–2019), reprising the latter in the follow-up miniseries '' The Defenders'' (2017).

Ritter has also appeared in the television series ''Veronica Mars'', ''Gilmore Girls'', '''Til Death'', and ''Gravity''. She appeared in the films ''What Happens in Vegas'' (2008), '' Confessions of a Shopaholic'' (2009), '' She's Out of My League'' (2010), ''Veronica Mars'' (2014), ''Big Eyes'' (2014), ''The Hero'' (2017), and '' Nightbooks'' (2021).

Early life

Ritter was born in Bloomsburg, Pennsylvania, the daughter of Garry Ritter and Kathi Taylor. She was raised in rural Shickshinny, Pennsylvania, where her mother, stepfather and sister live; her father lives in nearby Benton. She is of German, Scottish, and English descent. She graduated from Northwest Area High School in 2000.

Career

Modeling

Ritter was scouted by a modeling agent at her local shopping mall, the Wyoming Valley Mall, at the age of 15, at a modeling event. Ritter says she was "tall, gawky, awkward, and really, really skinny" to '' Philadelphia Style'' magazine. While in high school, she traveled to New York City, modeling there and in Philadelphia. She signed with the Elite Model Management agency and Wilhelmina Models. Ritter moved to New York City, and established an international-modeling career in print ads and on television. She did magazine, catalog, and runway work in Tokyo, New York, Paris, and Milan.

Acting

Ritter's acting career began after Wilhelmina placed her for an audition for a Dr Pepper television commercial. Ritter told ''Philadelphia Style'' her "outgoing and bubbly and funny" personality as a performer helped her transition into acting by entertaining the casting people. She won several bit film roles starting in 2001, then played a 1950s art history student in ''Mona Lisa Smile'' (2003). In 2006, she appeared in ''All This Intimacy'', a two-act, Off-Broadway play by Rajiv Joseph, at the Second Stage Theatre. Ritter signed on to star in the premiere of Zach Braff's play, ''All New People'', at Second Stage Theatre. Anna Camp, David Wilson Barnes and Justin Bartha co-starred in the production under the direction of Peter DuBois.

Ritter portrayed guest roles on television, and appeared on the second season of ''Veronica Mars'', playing Gia Goodman, the daughter of mayor Woody Goodman (Steve Guttenberg). Ritter was on ''Gilmore Girls'' for eight episodes 2006-07 as Rory Gilmore's friend, Lucy. She also played the first iteration of Allison Stark on the Fox sitcom '''Til Death'' (the role was eventually played by four different actresses through the show's run).

Ritter continued working in film, often cast as the best friend of the lead character. In 2008, she had supporting roles in the romantic comedies ''What Happens in Vegas'' and ''27 Dresses''. She co-starred in the 2009 film '' Confessions of a Shopaholic'' as Suze, the best friend of Isla Fisher's character. Ritter spent three months shooting '' She's Out of My League'' in Pittsburgh in 2008. She played Patty, the cynical best friend of Alice Eve's character Molly.

Ritter was cast as a young Carol Rhodes in an episode of The CW's teen drama series ''Gossip Girl'' titled " Valley Girls" broadcast May 11, 2009. The episode was a backdoor pilot for a proposed spin-off series of the same title, set in 1980s Los Angeles; it was intended to chronicle the teenage years of the character Lily van der Woodsen. Ritter described her character Carol, Lily's sister, as "the outcast", and "an '80s Sunset Strip rocker" to ''Access Hollywood''. The series was not picked up by the network for the 2009–10 season.

Ritter appeared as the character Jane Margolis on the second season of AMC's drama series ''Breaking Bad'', and starred in the film ''How to Make Love to a Woman'' (2009), based on a best-selling book by adult film star Jenna Jameson. She also co-starred with Jason Behr in the independent film '' The Last International Playboy'' (2009), as Ozzy, a drug addict. Ritter sold a television pilot she wrote based on her experiences as a model, named ''Model Camp''. She appeared in the comedy web series ''Woke Up Dead'' in 2009, playing Cassie alongside Jon Heder as Drex.

In 2010, Ritter starred in the television series ''Gravity'' alongside Ivan Sergei, Ving Rhames, and Rachel Hunter, playing the sharp and quirky Lily. The Starz comedy-drama centers on a group of out-patient suicide survivors. She starred opposite Ben Barnes in the 2011 comedy film ''Killing Bono'' as the manager of an Irish band. Directed by Nick Hamm, the film is based on ''Killing Bono: I Was Bono's Doppleganger'', a book about the early days of the Irish rock band U2. Beginning in January 2010, the film's shoot lasted for six weeks in Belfast to London.

Ritter starred alongside Alicia Silverstone in the comedy horror film '' Vamps'', written and directed by Amy Heckerling. She plays a New York city socialite turned into a vampire by a vampire queen (Sigourney Weaver). She also stars in the 2011 independent comedy film ''Life Happens'', with Kate Bosworth and Rachel Bilson. Co-written by Ritter with director Kat Coiro, the film is about two best friends dealing with the pregnancy and subsequent motherhood of Ritter's character.

February 2011, Ritter joined the cast of the ABC situation-comedy ''Don't Trust the B---- in Apartment 23'', playing the title role of Chloe, a New York city party girl and con artist attempting to rip off her new roommates after they move in, but befriends and "mentors" one of the applicants. The series was canceled on January 22, 2013, after two seasons. On February 15, 2013, a press release stated Ritter would star as Nora in the NBC comedy pilot ''Assistance'', based on Leslye Headland's play of the same name. However, it was confirmed in January 2014 the pilot would not be picked up to series. July 9, 2013, a press release stated Ritter would star in Jake Hoffman's directorial debut, ''Asthma'' about the indie rock scene in New York city. A February 20, 2014, press release stated Ritter would star on NBC's astronaut-themed comedy pilot ''Mission Control'' as aerospace engineer Dr. Mary Kendricks. On October 15, 2014, NBC announced they were not moving forward with the show.

On December 5, 2014, Ritter was cast to star in the Marvel Television series ''Jessica Jones'', playing the title role, a former super-hero turned private investigator in New York city. About her casting, executive producer and show-runner Melissa Rosenberg stated Ritter "brings both the hard edge and the vulnerability the role demands". Ritter revealed she read the comic book to prepare for the role while expressing her delight on working with women. All 13 episodes of the first season premiered on Netflix on November 20, 2015. Ritter reprised the role on '' The Defenders'' alongside Charlie Cox as Matt Murdock / Daredevil, Mike Colter as Luke Cage and Finn Jones as Danny Rand / Iron Fist, and reprised her role a second time during the second season of ''Jessica Jones'' in 2018. Ritter directed an episode in the third season of ''Jessica Jones'', marking her directorial debut.

Other ventures

Ritter and her childhood friend William Thomas Burnett formed the indie rock duo Ex Vivian, for which Ritter sings and plays guitar. Their self-titled debut album was released in 2012 on Burnett's WT Records. Ritter's debut novel, a psychological thriller titled ''Bonfire'', was released on November 7, 2017, by Crown Archetype.

Personal life

Ritter moved from Brooklyn to Los Angeles in 2007. She promotes animal rights, posing for PETA ad campaigns, including a campaign warning pet owners of the dangers of leaving animals in vehicles during the summer, and another against SeaWorld keeping orcas in captivity. She is an avid knitter, and has appeared on the cover of ''Vogue Knitting''.

Ritter had been in a relationship with musician Adam Granduciel from August 2014 to late 2021. Their son was born on July 29, 2019.

Filmography

Film

Television

As a director

Web

Music videos

Discography

* ''Ex-Vivian'' (2012)

Bibliography

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Accolades

References

External links

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{{DEFAULTSORT:Ritter, Krysten
1981 births
21st-century American actresses
21st-century American women guitarists
21st-century American guitarists
21st-century American women singers
21st-century American singers
Actresses from Pennsylvania
American female models
American women singer-songwriters
American film actresses
American stage actresses
American people of English descent
American people of German descent
American people of Scottish descent
American television actresses
Guitarists from Pennsylvania
Living people
People from Luzerne County, Pennsylvania
Singer-songwriters from Pennsylvania