Amy Yasbeck Biography 

American actress Amy Yasbeck is most known for her recurring role on the 90s series Wings, but it was her marriage to late actor John Ritter that thrust her into the limelight once again. She has made headlines most recently for filing a wrongful death suit in the case of Ritter’s passing.

Amy Yasbeck was born September 12, 1962 in Cincinnati, Ohio. She obtained her education from Summit Country Day School as well as Ursuline Academy, both of which were Catholic schools.

Her trademark has always been her vibrant red hair, which she attributes to her Irish heritage. She is also Lebanese. Her father died of a heart attack, while her mother passed away from emphysema. After these two losses in her life, Yasbeck relocated to New York.

Always with her eye on the entertainment front, even as a child, Yasbeck was first introduced to the world when her likeness was featured on the Easy-Bake Oven.

But her onscreen debut would come years later with a recurring role on Days of Our Lives. She began the role of Olivia Reed in 1986 and continued until 1987. After leaving the show, she continued to pursue work through the small screen. She had a somewhat noted stint on Magnum, PI from 1987 to 1988, but it was 1990 and her transition into film that won her the most attention.

In this year, she garnered a sizable amount of experience and exposure for her role in Garry Marshall’s Pretty Woman. Not only was she introduced to the film viewing base, but she also got to work with actors such as Richard Gere, Julia Roberts, Jason Alexander, and Laura San Giacomo.

She found more success with film in 1993 when she played Maid Marian in the Mel Brooks directed spoof Robin Hood: Men in Tights. The film costarred Cary Elwes, Richard Lewis, Dave Chappelle, and Roger Rees.

The Yasbeck and Brooks duo teamed up again in 1995 for Dracula: Dead and Loving It, in which she shared the screen with Leslie Nielsen.

But 1994 proved the pivotal year in her career, teaming up with the cast of Wings—an established sitcom that had already been running strong for four years. She stuck with the show until it ended in 1997, and it helped make her a star along with Tim Daly, Steven Weber, Crystal Bernard, Tony Shalhoub, and Thomas Haden Church.

After a long hiatus from the industry, Yasbeck returned with the series Life on a Stick opposite Zachary Knighton, Charlie Finn, and Rachelle Lefevre. She also appeared in That’s So Raven with Raven Symone.

Others may recognize her for her work in The Mask opposite Jim Carrey and Cameron Diaz as well as the Problem Child series.

In her personal life, Yasbeck met future husband John Ritter through director Dennis Dugan. They welcomed their first child into the world in 1998. They then married on September 18, 1999. They were together until Ritter’s unexpected death on September 11, 2003.

He died from an aortic dissection, but his preexisting condition was not diagnosed by any of his doctors. This prompted Yasbeck to initiate a wrongful death lawsuit against the doctors that treated him.

On March 14, 2008, the jury cleared the doctors of all wrongdoing and obligation. Other doctors involved in the case opted to settle out of court for close to $14 million.