Amy Yasbeck Explains Why Tyler and Jason Ritter Will Probably Never Take on Dad John’s Role of Jack Tripper

Amy Yasbeck is always glad to celebrate her late husband, John Ritter.

Yasbeck, 62, caught up with PEOPLE on Sept. 27 at the Project Angel Food Angel Awards at Paramount Pictures Studios in Los Angeles. Just days earlier, on Sept. 12, Yasbeck attended an evening for The John Ritter Foundation for Aortic Health, which raised money for the cause with a live-reading of an episode of John’s series Three’s Company. 

John died in September 2003 at age 54 after he experienced a type A aortic dissection on the set of 8 Simple Rules that was initially treated as a heart attack. Yasbeck founded the foundation shortly after to support the cause.

Yasbeck called the reading, which featured Adam DeVine as John’s Jack Tripper, Kaley Cuoco as Janet Wood, Priscilla Barnes reprising her original role as Terri Alden and Richard Kline reprising his role as Larry Dallas, “fun.” 

“The thing is, most of them knew John personally and the ones that didn’t completely, I knew them or they completely embodied the spirit of John’s personality and the personality of the show,” she said. “You could tell they all had watched it since they were little kids, just by the way they brought themselves to it.” She praised Tom Bergeron, who narrated the reading and was a “very good friend” of John’s, and Dennis Dugan who directed the reading. 

“I’ve spoken to everyone and as much as I’m thanking them, they were thanking me and the foundation for letting them have the opportunity to do that,” she said.

John’s sons Tyler and Jason Ritter, who both followed him into acting, also appeared at the foundation’s event. But Yasbeck told PEOPLE why no one should expect them to play their dad’s role as Jack any time soon. 

“It’d be weird,” she said. “It’s a little too weird.” The family is “happy to host” the reading, but stepping into John’s shoes so literally feels different. Still, she noted both Tyler and Jason have “so much” of their dad in them.

John and Yasbeck married in 1999 and welcomed son Noah in 1998. John shared Tyler, Jason and Carly with his first wife, Nancy Morgan. 

Three’s Company was John’s breakout role when it premiered in 1977. He stayed with it for all eight seasons, until 1984. The cast also included Joyce DeWitt as Janet Wood, Suzanne Somers as Chrissy Snow, Norman Fell and Audra Lindley as The Ropers and Don Knotts as Ralph Furley.

Ritter began starring in 8 Simple Rules in 2002, alongside Katey Sagal, Amy Davidson, Martin Spanjers and Cuoco.