Netflix dropped a new family-friendly show this weekend called Raising Dion. It’s about a widowed mother who discovers her child has superpowers.
The show stars Alisha Wainwright as Nicole Warren. She tries to protect her son, Dion (Ja’Siah Young), and his newfound gifts. Both of the leads will be the talk of everyone over the weekend, as the action-adventure show debuts on the streaming service.
However, one of Raising Dion’s supporting cast members is getting a spotlight as well. And that actor is Jason Ritter. He plays Pat — an adopted uncle/godfather figure to Dion.
Why does Ritter seem so familiar? Here is everything to know about the actor who plays Pat on Raising Dion.
Who is Jason Ritter, the actor who plays Pat on Raising Dion?
Jason Ritter, he of Freddy Vs. Jason, Raise Your Voice, and Parenthood, is definitely an actor worth getting to know. IMDb explains that his first acting credit came from the well-loved daytime soap opera Days of Our Lives in 1999 as Todd. He has been nominated for two Emmy Awards and he is the founder of Morning Knight Inc, where he also produces films like Oh My Soul and Good Dick.
The Los Angeles native is also a creative soul who tweeted a short story back in 2017 about Charlie Brown that makes it clear he wants to leave a message with the world. Even as he makes you laugh, he makes you think.
I wrote a very short story pic.twitter.com/hSO2nPtxq1
— Jason Ritter ? (@JasonRitter) December 23, 2017
He definitely wants to leave a better world behind for his baby girl. He told People Magazine that “He is the instigator.” This means he is always willing to help his daughter get into mischief. Anyone who watched him play Mark Cyr, Sarah Braverman’s (Lauren Graham) love interest on Parenthood, can see that this man would be a great dad. That ability translates offscreen as well.
For Ritter, acting is in the genes. His father, John Ritter, is a household name for playing Jack Tripper on Three’s Company, as well as for a film that this writer considers an underrated gem, Stay Tuned.
In an interview with Larry King Now, Ritter talked about something every father has done at some point in their lives — telling terrible dad jokes. Now that Jason Ritter is a dad, one can just imagine the terrible dad jokes that he is probably telling in honor of his father, who he lost completely unexpectedly when he was 23.
More about Jason Ritter from Raising Dion
While Ritter himself is a wholesome father and nice guy in real life, his character Pat, in Raising Dion, is extremely flawed.
Spoiler warning for the show: In Raising Dion, Ritter’s character becomes entitled due to all the things he does for Nicole, and he feels things for her, but makes her feel ungrateful for not wanting to reciprocate his feelings.
Speaking to TVGuide, Ritter gives some profound insight into the dangers of male toxic behavior saying:
“Pat thinks he’s a great guy, you know everyone thinks that they’re the hero of their own story. But a lot of times people are keeping tabs and they’re hoping to collect despite the fact that they say they’re doing this out of the kindness of their own heart.
But when they’ve lived in a world where most things have been handed to them, especially when they’ve been promised by movies or whatever that they are the heroes and they’ll get what they want, they lash out and get angry. There’s not that many healthy outlets for men to talk about this stuff, and it turns inwards and festers.”
Luckily, Ritter has brighter projects on the horizon this year, beyond the confines of entitled male egos. He will be playing a voice in the highly anticipated Disney sequel, Frozen II, where he’ll be portraying the voice of Ryder.
Below, Netflix viewers can see his humorous Twitter post about starring in the upcoming film.
When you realize you’re in #Frozen2 pic.twitter.com/2yWlucjyk2
— Jason Ritter ? (@JasonRitter) September 24, 2019
From being in a binge-worthy superhero show to romancing a Gilmore girl and being a Disney character, it’s clear the sky is the limit for this well-versed actor. And we can’t wait to see what he has in store next.
Raising Dion is now streaming on Netflix.