He is on the case.
Jason Ritter co-stars on CBS’s hit legal drama “Matlock,” which follows Madeline “Mattie” Matlock (Kathy Bates), a widowed and inexperienced former attorney who takes a job at the law firm Jacobson & Moore . The show is a gender-biased reboot of the original “Matlock” starring Andy Griffith, which aired from 1986 to 1995.
“Matlock” aired its first episode as a preview in September, Attracted over 10 million viewersThe show’s regular time slot premiere is Thursday, October 17 (9 p.m. on CBS).
“I couldn’t be more excited,” Ritter, 44, told The Post, referring to the show’s early success.
Ritter, who is married “Yellowjackets” star Melanie Lynskey And she also has her 5-year-old daughter with her, adding, “It reminded me of dropping my daughter off at kindergarten. You’re like, ‘Okay, I I think she’s amazing, but I hope other kids like her too!’ It’s that feeling where you come out of your little bubble into the world. So, it’s very exciting to see that other people have liked it. [‘Matlock’] As much as we do.”
As revealed in the first episode – spoiler ALERT – There is a twist.
Madeline is pretending to be a sweet older lady who needs a job for money. But in reality, she wants to work at the law firm because she believes that Julian (Ritter), his would-be ex-wife, Olympia (Skye P. Marshall), or her father, Sr. (Beau Bridges) Has hidden documents which indirectly relate to her daughter’s death and she wants to expose the culprit.
Ritter said, “When I auditioned for it, I didn’t realize this change until I got the role and read the script.”
“I don’t think I’ve ever stood up while reading a script. I was sitting on a chair in the dining room and I couldn’t believe what was happening, I got so excited, I stood up… I got that same feeling of hearing that final click at the top of a roller coaster What happened was, ‘Oh boy!'”
He added, “It’s also fun because the three people who are his prime suspects are all very important to each other, it’s not like 3 strangers. They are members of the same family.”
Ritter, who is the son of actress Nancy Morgan Late John RitterSaid to be partly related to Julian, as the character also works in the same industry as his father.
“There was a lot about Julian’s character that I didn’t have to go too far for. Plus he has a very contentious relationship with his father, and I loved my father,” Ritter said.
John Ritter died in 2003 Thoracic aortic dissection at age 54.
Jason said he “understands” Julian’s concerns about what his coworkers think of him.
“Impostor syndrome… I’m all too familiar with it.”
He said he related most to Julianne’s “family stuff”.
“He obviously wants to be a good lawyer, he wants to make money and all that other stuff, but at the top of his list he wants to be a good father.”
Ritter said the hardest part of the role was not being a fan of Bates.
“The biggest challenge for me was trying to stop myself from getting in my head and stopping myself from saying, ‘This is so surreal, I can’t believe I’m talking to Kathy Bates!’ I have loved him for many years and have been amazed by so many of his performances.”
Ritter shared that she had to “focus on being present in the scene and not jumping out of my body and saying, ‘This is great!’ She is so amazing!”
As Matlock continues to unravel, Ritter said there will be many revelations and plot twists.
“This is a firm where there are a lot of secrets. It’s really fun to peel it off layer by layer and see what disgusting things are underneath.”
