Krysten Ritter biography, height, husband, net worth, age, baby son 2025

Biography of Krysten Ritter

Krysten Ritter is an American actress who shot to fame playing Jessica Jones in Marvel's gritty superhero series, plus memorable roles as Jane Margolis in Breaking Bad and Chloe in Don't Trust the B---- in Apartment 23. She started out as a model before transitioning to acting, racking up dozens of TV and film credits. She's also the guitarist and vocalist for indie band Ex Vivian.

Childhood

Krysten Ritter, the daughter of Kathi Taylor and Gary Ritter, was born on December 16, 1981. After her parents divorced and her mother remarried, the family moved to a ranch in Shickshinny, Pennsylvania. Her father lived nearby in Benton, so she stayed close to him.

At her new school, Krysten struggled to fit in and got teased for being tall and skinny. "I was gangly, awkward, clumsy, and very, very skinny," the actress recalled.

In school, Krysten Ritter was known as the ugly duckling

Everything changed for 15-year-old Krysten Ritter. A modeling scout spotted her at a beauty contest in a local shopping mall.

At the age of 15, young Krysten Ritter became a model

Modeling Career

Juggling school with a busy modeling career was incredibly tough. After signing with major agencies Elite Models and Wilhelmina Models, she was constantly shuttling between Pennsylvania and New York.

A shot from the TV series 'Don't Trust the B---- in Apartment 23'

By 18, she'd moved to New York permanently as major opportunities started rolling in: print ads, TV commercials, glossy magazine spreads, and runway shows in Milan, Paris, and Tokyo.

Acting

Krysten Ritter's acting career kicked off with a Dr Pepper commercial that unexpectedly opened doors to new opportunities. At the peak of her modeling career, Ritter began considering film acting and enrolled in acting classes. Soon she faced a choice between the two paths. "I was a model in my youth. That's how I got into film. So I'm no longer a model," she explained later.

Krysten Ritter Wendy's Commercial

The characters Ritter portrayed in her early supporting roles (Veronica Mars, Mona Lisa Smile, Confessions of a Shopaholic, Jonny Zero, etc.) had something in common: she almost always played quirky, even troubled girls with personal issues.

Krysten Ritter at the premiere of 'Veronica Mars'

She also snagged roles playing characters struggling with drug addiction. One of these roles is widely considered her career breakthrough. That would be the iconic series Breaking Bad, where she played Jesse Pinkman's drug-addicted girlfriend. To prepare for the role, she went all out, even attending Narcotics Anonymous meetings to fully immerse herself in the character.

Jane Negotiates Jesse's Rent - Breaking Bad

Major roles started coming one after another for the actress. The miniseries Gravity and comedy-horror Love Bites opened up new opportunities.

Krysten Ritter in 'Confessions of a Shopaholic'

Another major role for Ritter was Jessica Jones in the Netflix series of the same name (2015-2019), part of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Her character, a former superhero who hung up her costume after trauma, is now a private detective battling constant hangovers, endless self-reflection, and complicated feelings for the series' main villain (David Tennant).

Krysten Ritter Explains Jessica Jones' Powers

Preparing for the role meant going through what she called seven circles of hell: circuit training and boxing that left her completely drained in just 15 minutes. But feeling physically powerful was essential for the role.

Jessica Jones is flawed, complex. She's not the kind of Supergirl dominating screens now. I consider this series primarily a psychological thriller, not a superhero movie. By the way, I can kick butt without a ridiculous costume.

In 2016, she received the Webby Award for Best Actress. She also starred in the Marvel crossover series The Defenders, released in August 2017, reprising her role as Jessica Jones.

That same year, she appeared in the drama The Hero alongside Sam Elliott. She played Lucy, daughter to an aging actor who was once a western star but is now a lonely old man battling pancreatic cancer—and their relationship is deeply strained.

In October 2019, Ritter appeared in the feature film El Camino: A Breaking Bad Movie, which follows Jesse Pinkman's story after the Breaking Bad series finale. Her character Jane Margolis, who died in the original series, appeared in Jesse's mind.

El Camino Jesse & Jane Scene

Two years later, Krysten Ritter took on one of the lead roles as the evil witch Natasha, who captures a boy with a gift for writing to tell her scary stories every day, in the children's horror movie Nightbooks, based on the novel by J.A. White.

Kristen Ritter's Personal Life

Very little is known about the star's relationships. She's repeatedly stated that she doesn't see herself getting married and prefers her freedom. She has dated actors Ivan Sergei, Riley Smith, and Brian Geraghty.

At the 2019 Oscar ceremony, Kristen appeared visibly pregnant and announced that she was expecting her first child with her boyfriend Adam Granduciel, frontman of the band The War on Drugs, who she'd been dating since 2014.

Kristen Ritter and her boyfriend at the Oscar ceremony 2019

In August of that same year, the actress became a mother for the first time. The couple welcomed a son named Bruce Julian Knight.

Kristen's hobbies include literature and music. She has her own music project called Ex Vivian. She plays the guitar and sings herself. In her songs, she talks about simple things: life, love, and breakups.

Kristen Ritter doesn't believe in marriage

Krysten Ritter Now

After becoming a mother, Krysten Ritter stepped away from the screen for a while, but her creative break didn't last long. In 2023, she played the lead role in the Canadian sci-fi thriller "Orphan Black: Echoes," set in the same universe as the series "Orphan Black" (2013-2017).

ORPHAN BLACK: ECHOES Trailer (2023) Krysten Ritter

Ritter admitted that she was happy to get this role, as it was very different from anything she had played before:

After 'Breaking Bad,' I encountered many drug addicts, after 'Don't Trust the B---- in Apartment 23' – many party girls, and now – many cool detectives. I love Jessica Jones, but I don't want to play similar characters... In the first episode of 'Orphan Black: Echoes,' I do so many things I've never done before, and it shows a completely new side of me.

Furthermore, in 2023, the actress appeared in the miniseries "Love & Death" with Elizabeth Olsen. She played Sherry Cleckler, the friend of Candy, the main character.

A shot from the miniseries 'Love and Death'

Simultaneously, Krysten was filming the third part of "Sonic the Hedgehog." Rumor has it that she got the role of Rouge the Bat.

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Jeremy Marsh

«Jessica Jones» is definitely worth your attention, at least take a look at the awesome Ritter!

2021-05-13 16:06:29
Carol Adams

Of course, it`s not for me to judge the talents, but as a layman I will say that Ritter is one of the best actresses now

2021-05-04 16:15:51
Noah Xavier Robinson

I think Krysten Ritter starred in Breaking Bad as Jesse`s girlfriend. She is very cute

2021-04-28 20:37:58
Ruth Hicks

Damn, how I like Ritter! Such a beautiful actress, I`m just shocked :)

2021-04-11 10:10:30
Bernard Hudson

Haha, one of those many who look like both Katy Perry and some other actress, whose name I don`t remember :)) here`s the variety in Hollywood

2021-03-18 16:24:08

Photos: Krysten Ritter