Big Bang star shares tribute to former sitcom co-star John Ritter

The Big Bang Theory star Kaley Cuoco has paid tribute to her former co-star John Ritter, as part of a new ABC documentary that celebrates the life and career of the late comedian.

The actor, who played Ritter's on-screen daughter Bridget on 8 Simple Rules for Dating My Teenage Daughter back in the early 2000s, took to Instagram last Friday to share a trailer for the special. Alongside the post, she added: "SuperStar. Don't miss this next week... all about my friend."

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Ritter passed away on September 11, 2003, having fallen ill on set while filming the second season of the aforementioned sitcom.

At the time, he was rushed to hospital, where he was treated for a suspected heart attack. His condition is said to have worsened quickly, however, and he was forced to undergo aortic dissection surgery. Tragically, the operation turned out to be unsuccessful.

"I can't stop crying. So many mixed emotions," fellow 8 Simple Rules star Amy Davidson commented on the video, which features appearances from the likes of Three's Company actress Suzanne Somers, Breaking Bad's Bryan Cranston, talk show host Jimmy Kimmel, Happy Days' Henry Winkler and Ritter's son Jason Ritter.

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Gale M. Adler/ABC

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"I'll never forget that night," wrote High School Musical's Ashley Tisdale.

Earlier this year, while talking to WandaVision's Elizabeth Olsen as part of Variety's Actors on Actors series, Cuoco recalled an important conversation she had with Ritter that has stuck with her since his passing.

"I remember conversations when I was 15 years old where [John] said, 'You have to remember when you're on a set, it's like a tree. Number one's here, and any way you act is all trickling down that tree,'" The Flight Attendant star said. "You can be a boss, you can be a great actor, you can get work done, but you can just be nice."

The Big Bang Theory aired on CBS in the US. You can buy the complete boxset now on DVD and Blu-ray.