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Jack Tripper
First appearance	"A Man About the House"
Last appearance	"Friends and Lovers" (in Three's Company) "A Star is Born" (in Three's a Crowd)
Cause/reason	Series Final
Portrayed by	John Ritter
Episode count	171 (Three's Company) 22 (Three's a Crowd) 1 (The Ropers)
Information
Aliases	"Tinkerbell" "Jacky-boy" "Jacko" "Tex" (only in one episode, and also John's real father's name, Tex Ritter)
Gender	Male
Age	34
Date of birth	1951
Occupation	Chef
Family	Jack Tripper, Sr (father) Lee Tripper (brother) Fremont (uncle)
Spouse(s)	Vicky Bradford (live in girlfriend)

Jack Tripper is a fictional character on the sitcoms Three's Company and Three's a Crowd, based upon the character, Robin Tripp, of Man About the House and Robin's Nest. Jack was played by John Ritter.

Introduction

Jack served in the United States Navy. He was discovered in Janet Wood and Chrissy Snow's shower on the morning after a party they threw, explaining, "I had a friend who knew one of the gate-crashers." He previously lived at the YMCA and needed a place to stay. Janet reasoned with the landlord, Stanley Roper, and he agreed that Jack could stay because Janet told Mr. Roper that Jack was gay. Jack was, however, actually straight (the comedy stemming from having to "play gay" provided much of the story for the sitcom). He has an older brother named Lee who once came to visit the apartment and Jack displayed his feelings of inferiority when compared to Lee (Jack felt perpetually in his shadow when they were children). Jack Tripper Sr. was played on the series by comedian Dick Shawn.

Personality

Jack is known for being a klutz. Much of the character's humor is derived from slapstick comedy. He is extremely clumsy and accident-prone, and is well known for his comic pratfalls. Jack also is a sort of ladies' man, but is also, however, kind-hearted and demonstrates loyalty and a willingness to stand up for his friends and those he cares about.

In the episode "Old Folks at Home", Chrissy meets a 75-year-old man named Leo (J. Pat O'Malley) who has been recently evicted from his low-rent apartment because of condominium development. Though Jack and Janet are reluctant at first, they back Chrissy's decision to let him stay with them until he gets settled. However, four proves to be a crowd, which culminates in an argument between Jack and Leo during Jack's date with Nancy Norwood (Simone Griffeth), a superficial woman (whom Chrissy and Janet both disapprove of) who takes it upon herself to make Leo leave after Jack leaves the room in a huff. Jack returns to find Leo gone and asks Nancy what has happened. She tells him she got rid of him, and when Jack asks how, she tells him the truth, asking him if he'd rather spend time with a broken-down old man or with her. Jack, smiling, tells her there's no contest...before telling her to get out. However, all ends well, as Leo shows up at their door with two widows his own age, announcing that they have arranged to get a place of their own together...a geriatric version of their own "company".

In the episode "Strangers in the Night", Jack tries to regain the favor of Arabella (Gwen Humble), an attractive Southern Belle he unwittingly insulted on a date. He decides to go the old-fashioned route and serenades her, using Larry to sing while he lip-synchs. He then throws a rock with a note inviting her to dinner attached, through her window. Jack, however, is surprised to see a plain-looking, heavyset woman named Bernice (Jacque Lynn Colton) ring his doorbell the following evening. Her story reveals that Jack and Larry serenaded the wrong woman by being at the wrong window. However, Arabella arrives and Jack tells her about the misunderstanding. When Jack sees Arabella laugh at Bernice for thinking Jack was interested in her, rather than humiliate Bernice, Jack concocts a lie to Arabella that he was after Bernice all along, and has dinner with Bernice instead. Bernice later thanks him for the "wonderful lie".

Jobs

Jack attended a local technical college on the G.I. Bill for a degree in culinary arts and held down odd jobs in his spare time. After completion of his schooling, he found full-time work as a chef working for a popular restaurateur named Frank Angelino (Jordan Charney). Later, with Angelino's help, he eventually opened his own restaurant, Jack's Bistro. After he became involved with flight attendant Vicky Bradford (Mary Cadorette), her wealthy father James Bradford (Robert Mandan) purchased the building Jack was renting for the restaurant, making Jack indebted to him.

In popular culture

• In an episode of Designing Women, Charlene dreams about John Ritter as Jack Tripper falling over stuff.
• Snoop Dogg also refers to himself as "The black Jack Tripper", in reference to Snoop always having two women.
• Lyrics from R. Kelly's "Double Up": "Doublin up for me is like routine playa, I'm a go getta, Mix em up like I'm a dealer, Man three's company b*tch call me Jack Tripper"
• Suga Free referred to himself as "The young Jack Tripper", in his track titled "Allergic to B*llshit". This was in reference to himself being with multiple women at once.
• South Park Mexican refers to Jack Tripper in many songs.

External links

• Three's Company at the Internet Movie Database
• Jack's Bistro