Krysten Ritter is an American actress best known to audiences for her role as Jessica Jones in the series of the same name, which is part of Marvel's television universe, as well as Jane Margolis in the series Breaking Bad or Chloe in Don't Trust the B---- in Apartment 23. She began her career in the modeling industry but later shifted her focus to acting, appearing in dozens of TV and film projects. Additionally, she plays guitar and sings in the indie band Ex Vivian.
Krysten Ritter
Childhood
Krysten Ritter, the daughter of Kathi Taylor and Gary Ritter, was born on December 16, 1981. Her parents divorced, her mother remarried, and the family settled on a ranch in Shickshinny, Pennsylvania. Her father lived nearby in Benton, so she continued to keep in touch with him.
Childhood photos of Krysten Ritter
At her new school, Krysten was not well-received and was teased for her tall stature and slenderness. "I was gangly, awkward, clumsy, and very, very skinny," the actress recalled.
In school, Krysten Ritter was known as the ugly duckling
At 15, young Krysten Ritter's life changed dramatically. She was scouted by a modeling agency employee at a beauty contest held in a local shopping center.
At the age of 15, young Krysten Ritter became a model
Modeling Career
Balancing studies with an active career in modeling proved to be very challenging. The girl, who had signed contracts with the major agencies Elite Models and Wilhelmina Models, had to constantly travel between Pennsylvania and New York.
A shot from the TV series 'Don't Trust the B---- in Apartment 23'
By the age of 18, she had permanently moved to the Big Apple, as it was there that great opportunities opened up for her: she was invited to shoots for print advertising and television commercials, her photos appeared in glossy magazines, and she was invited to fashion shows in Milan, Paris, and Tokyo.
Acting
Krysten Ritter's acting career began with a Dr Pepper soda commercial that suddenly opened up new opportunities for her. At the height of her modeling career, Ritter started to think about acting in movies and enrolled in acting classes. Soon she had to choose between the two. "I was a model in my youth. That's how I got into film. So, I'm no longer a model," she said later.
Krysten Ritter Wendy's Commercial
The characters Ritter portrayed in her early minor roles (Veronica Mars, Mona Lisa Smile, Confessions of a Shopaholic, Jonny Zero, etc.) shared something in common: she almost always played quirky, even odd girls with certain issues.
Krysten Ritter at the premiere of 'Veronica Mars'
She also landed roles as characters with drug addictions. One of them is traditionally considered a breakthrough in Ritter's acting career. Not surprisingly, it's the iconic series Breaking Bad, where she played Jesse Pinkman's drug-addicted girlfriend. For the role, she prepared meticulously, even attending meetings of anonymous addicts to immerse herself in the character.
Jane Negotiates Jesse's Rent - Breaking Bad
Major roles in the actress's career followed one after another. The mini-series Gravity and the comedy horror Love Bites opened up new prospects for her.
Krysten Ritter in 'Confessions of a Shopaholic'
Another significant role for Ritter was playing Jessica Jones in the Netflix series of the same name (2015-2019), which is part of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Her character, a former superhero who hung up her costume after an injury, is now a private detective suffering from constant hangovers, relentless reflection, and a crush on the series' main villain (David Tennant).
Krysten Ritter Explains Jessica Jones' Powers
Preparing for the role, she had to go through what she described as seven circles of hell: circuit training and boxing drained her in just 15 minutes. But feeling physically strong was necessary.
Jessica Jones is flawed, complex. She's not the kind of Supergirl that dominates 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. Additionally, she starred in the Marvel crossover series The Defenders, released in August 2017, where she reprised her role as Jessica Jones.
Krysten Ritter without makeup
That same year, she appeared in the drama The Hero starring Sam Elliott. She played Lucy, the daughter of an aging actor, once a western star, now a lonely old man with pancreatic cancer, with whom she has a very strained relationship.
A shot from 'The Hero'
In October 2019, Ritter appeared in the feature film El Camino: A Breaking Bad Movie, which told the story of Jesse Pinkman 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 played one of the lead roles as the evil witch Natasha, who captured 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.
Krysten Ritter in 'Nightbooks'
Kristen Ritter's Personal Life
Very little is known about the star's relationships. She has repeatedly stated that she does not see herself married and prefers 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, whom it turned out she had 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 Ritter with her son
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 disappeared from the screens 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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