NOTHING IS SIMPLE NOW
BEFORE THEY COULD MOVE FOREWARD, THEY HAD TO LOOK BACK
THE CAST OF 8 SIMPLE RULES FOR DATING MY TEENAGE DAUGHTER- KATEY SAGAL, KALEY CUOCO, MARTIN SPANJERS AND AMY DAVIDSON HAD GATHERED ON THE DISNEY LOT TO DISCUSS THE FUTURE OF THE SHOW.
WHAT BECAME QUICKLY CLEAR HOWEVER, WAS THAT THE ACTORS AND CREATIVE TEAM WHO ACCOMPANIED THEM WERE STILL GRAPPLING WITH THE EVENTS OF SEPTEMBER 11, 2003, THE DAY STAR JOHN RITTER DIED AT 54 OF A AORTIC DISSECTION.
AMID HUGS AND TEARS, THE GROUP, (INCLUDING EXECUTIVE PRODUCER FLODY SUAREZ, CREATOR TRACY GAMBLE AND DIRECTOR JAMIE WIDDOES) DISCUSSED RITTER, THEIR FEARS AND THE INITIAL CREATIVE CHAOS.
IN THE WAKE OF RITTER'S DEATH, PRODUCTION WAS TEMPORARILY HALTED FOR NEW SCRIPTS AND CASTING.
NOW THE CAST AND CREW WERE PREPARING TO RETURN TO THE SET.
BUT FIRST, THERE IS A NEED TO TALK ABOUT THE DEATH OF THEIR BELOVED FRIEND AND STAR.
THE LAST DAY
KALEY CUOCO: "I WAS REHEARSING A SCENE WITH JOHN, AND HE WAS SWEATING".
KATEY SAGAL: I SAID "WHAT'S WRONG WITH JOHN," THE NEXT THING I KNEW HE WANTED TO LAY DOWN.
[I WAS TOLD] "JOHN GOT SICK TO HIS STOMACH, SO WE CALLED A NURSE."
"MAYBE IT WAS FOOD POISONING."
JAMIE WIDDOES: "IT WAS NOT UNUSUAL FOR JOHN TO TAKE A NAP, HE DID IT EVERY DAY".
AMY DAVIDSON: "I KEEP SEEING JOHN SITTING IN HAIR AND MAKEUP", HE KISSED ME ON THE FOREHEAD AND SAID; HI BABY!
[LATER DAVIDSON NOTICED RITTER WAS MISSING, SOMEONE MISTAKENLY TOLD HER HE'D WENT TO HIS DRESSING ROOM AFTER PLAYFULLY SPRITZING HIS MOUTH WITH HAIR SPRAY.]
JAMIE WIDDOES: WHAT I LOVE ABOUT JOHN IS THAT IT NEVER OCCURRED TO US THAT HE WOULDN'T SPRAY HIS MOUTH WITH HAIRSPRAY, TO GET A LAUGH.
AMY DAVIDSON: HE THOUGHT OF IT AS BANACA OR SOMETHING.
TIMELINE OF TRAGEDY
AMY DAVIDSON: I WENT TO THE GYM, AND TO DINNER AND MY CELLPHONE WAS TURNED OFF.
WHEN I TURNED IT BACK ON I HAD 6 MESSAGES.
TRACY GAMBLE: I GOT A CALL AROUND 5 O'CLOCK AND WAS TOLD, JOHN HAD FOOD POISONING AND [WAS BEING TAKEN] TO ST. JOSEPH HOSPITAL [ACROSS THE STREET FROM THE STUDIO].
MY IMMEDIATE THOUGHTS WERE HOW DO I REORGANIZE THE WRITING STAFF.
KATEY SAGAL: I NEVER CHECK MY CELLPHONE AT NIGHT, BUT FOR SOME REASON I DID, WE WENT TO THE HOSPITAL IMMEDIATELY.
THINGS HAPPENED VERY QUICKLY.
I DON'T BELIEVE JOHN SUFFERED.
TRACY GAMBLE: AFTER DINNER WITH FRIENDS, I TURNED ON MY CELLPHONE; AND I HAD ABOUT 30 MESSAGES.
FLODY CALLED ME SAYING, THEY'RE GOING TO TAKE JOHN TO GET AN EKG AND THEN "HE MAY HAVE TO GO IN TO SURGERY" AND THEN "CALL ME RIGHT-AWAY".
THE TIMELINE OF THE TRAGEDY IS RIGHT THERE ON THE PHONE.
THREE HOURS EARLIER MY BIGGEST WORRY WAS, "OH! WE'RE GOING TO HAVE TO CANCEL TOMORROW NIGHT'S TAPING."
AND THEN IT HIT ME, "OH MY GOD!"
WHAT IN GOD'S NAME ARE WE GOING TO DO NOW ?
TRACY GAMBLE: FLODY AND I MET RIGHT AWAY.
WE WERE BOTH COMMING FROM A PLACE OF: "WHAT IN GODS NAME ARE WE GOING TO DO ?"
FIRST WE HAVE TO DEAL WITH OUR EMOTIONS.
MARTIN SPANJERS: THAT FRIDAY MORNING [THE DAY AFTER RITTER'S DEATH] SOME 200 PEOPLE GATHERED ON THE SET.
THEY SHARED STORIES ABOUT JOHN.
FLODY SURANTZ: PEOPLE SHOWED UP FROM OTHER SHOWS.
PEOPLE WHO HAVE MET JOHN ON THE ELEVATOR.
THERE WERE ELEVATOR STORIES.
JAMIE WIDDOES: THIS PERSON WHO WE LOST WAS ABLE TO COLLECT THIS MASSIVE ENERGY THAT SUPPORTED US.
TO PUSH US FORWARD.
KATEY SAGAL: I'VE NEVER BEEN IN A SITUATION LIKE THIS; WE'RE NOT JOHN'S FAMILY, BUT WE REALLY FEEL LIKE HIS FAMILY.
I DON'T KNOW THE RIGHT WORDS TO SAY.
THE MEETING AT KATEY'S HOUSE
TRACY GAMBLE: A WEEK LATER WE ALL MET AT KATEY'S HOUSE TO DISCUSS IF WE WANTED TO GO ON ANYMORE.
KALEY CUOCO: I DID NOT WANT TO STEP ON THAT STAGE EVER AGAIN.
I SAID, "I'M REALLY SCARED TO BE WITHOUT JOHN."
AMY DAVIDSON: MY INITIAL REACTION WAS "EVERYTHING IS OVER."
MARTIN SPANJERS: I THINK I WOULD NOT LIKE TO CONTINUE.
[I THOUGHT I'D] GO BACK TO TUCSON AND FINISH HIGH-SCHOOL LIKE A REGULAR KID, STOP THE ACTING THING.
[HE BEGINS SOBBING, CUOCO PUTS HER HEAD ON THE TABLE AND CRIES, SEGAL AND DAVIDSON DESOLVES INTO TEARS.
MOMENTS PASS AS THEY COLLECT THEMSELVES.]
TRACY GAMBLE: