Editing Jason Ritter (section)

=== 1990–2007: Teen films and early career ===
Ritter made his professional acting debut at age 10, playing [[Harry Neal Baum]] in the 1990 television film ''[[The Dreamer of Oz: The L. Frank Baum Story]]''. Several years later, he had a supporting role as Martin Brockett in the 1999 film ''[[Mumford (film)|Mumford]]'', a [[comedy drama|dramedy]] directed by [[Lawrence Kasdan]].

Ritter's film work throughout the early 2000s included prominent parts in teen-oriented projects such as ''[[Swimfan]]'' (2002), ''[[Freddy vs. Jason]]'' (2003), and ''[[Raise Your Voice]]'' (2004). Between 2003 and 2005, he appeared as Kevin Girardi, the disabled brother of the titular main character, on the [[CBS]] family drama series ''[[Joan of Arcadia]]''. Next, he played a young man struggling to come terms with his sexuality in the dark comedy ''[[Happy Endings (film)|Happy Endings]]'' (2005), with [[Stephen Hunter]] of ''[[The Washington Post]]'' commenting, "The acting in this ensemble is of such a high order that the movie simply takes you in and makes you feel these lives as real".<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/lifestyle/2005/07/15/happy-endings-a-dizzying-ride-to-the-unknown/250eb7d6-256b-4ce5-a453-c5da97e0170e/|last=Hunter|first=Stephen|title='Happy Endings': A Dizzying Ride To the Unknown|newspaper=The Washington Post|date=July 15, 2005|access-date=July 10, 2023}}</ref>

[[File:JasonRitter.jpg|thumb|left|215x215px|Ritter in 2007]]

Ritter's portrayal of an [[Ivy League]] college student in ''[[The Education of Charlie Banks]]'' (2007) was met with critical acclaim: ''[[The Hollywood Reporter]]'' referred to it as a "head-turner" performance that combined "a believably brooding intensity with a bad boy swagger that brings to mind [a] young [[Matt Dillon]]".<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-reviews/education-charlie-banks-film-review-93006/|title=The Education of Charlie Banks — Film Review|work=The Hollywood Reporter|date=March 26, 2009|access-date=July 12, 2023}}</ref>