‘Gravity Falls’: Jason Ritter Almost Didn’t Get to Keep the Role of Dipper
Gravity Falls came to an end in 2016 after having been on the air for only two seasons. The show’s creator Alex Hirsch said that the reason why the beloved show ended so soon was that it came to its natural end, which was a relief to many fans who had speculated that the network had canceled it.
The series followed the adventures of the Pines twins Dipper and his sister Mabel who visit their great uncle in Gravity Falls. The town is full of mysterious incidents which the Pines twins set out to investigate. Throughout its entirety, fans got acquainted with hearing Jason Ritter voice the character. However, the actor landed the role by mere chance. Find out why Ritter almost lost out on the opportunity to keep the part.
Ritter voiced Dipper for two years
Gravity Falls starts with the 13-year-old Dipper Pines being sent off to the titular town alongside his sister to spend the summer vacation with their Great Uncle Stan. Their great uncle runs a tourist trap called The Mystery Shack in Gravity Falls, where Dipper and Mabel help out.
The twin soon realizes how unique Gravity Falls is due to the increasing number of paranormal activities in the town. They set out to uncover the town’s secrets and often find themselves dealing with legendary or supernatural creatures such as gnomes, demons, and vampires.
Dipper and his sister tackle the town’s mysteries thanks to a journal found in the forest. The journal with the number 3 on the front describes the supernatural occurrences in the fictional town. In one episode, Dipper discovers more information hidden in the journal that is only legible under black light.
Dipper is portrayed as a brave and determined pre-teen who struggles with having to grow up. His devotion to solving the mysteries of the town often put him at odds with his great uncle. Jason Ritter voiced the character from 2012 until the show’s conclusion in 2016.
Ritter almost dropped out of the role
Ritter’s first acting job was in his father’s production Three’s Companywhere he appeared in the opening credits. He then followed it up with The Dreamer of Oz and Swimfan in 2002. In 2003 the star landed a significant acting role in the horror film Freddy vs. Jason playing Will Rollins.
In 2007 Ritter lent his voice for the hit animation All Grown Up as Mr. Fisk, a teacher whom Angelica falls in love with. The following year, the actor released a movie called Good Dick, starring alongside his then girlfriend Marianna Palka who also wrote and directed the film.
Ritter got the part to play Dipper in Gravity Falls in 2012 and voiced the character throughout the show’s entirety. However, as Mental Floss reports, Ritter got the role by sheer chance. The site explains that Ritter had shot the pilot for the show but had already committed to another project when it went to production.
His commitment didn’t leave him any room to work on Gravity Falls, so he had to let go of the role. Fortunately, the star’s other show got canceled, and he was able to pick up where he left off in terms of voicing Dipper since the showrunners on Gravity Falls hadn’t yet replaced him.
What has Ritter been up to since then
Since the show wrapped up, Ritter has been involved with other projects. In 2013 the star signed on to play Gavin in Us & Them alongside Alexis Bledel. Although Fox canceled the show before it began airing, Sony Crackle picked it up.
In 2017 Ritter was cast in Raising Dion as Pat and had also been involved with Another Period playing the illiterate Lord Frederick Bellacourt. In 2018 Ritter landed a supporting role in an autobiography film called The Tale and voiced Ryder in Frozen II in 2019. As of 2020, Ritter has had a guest role on Superstore playing Josh Simmons.
