Jason Ritter Explains His "Sort of Painful" Experience With Beau Bridges' 'Matlock' Role -

As Season 1 of CBS’s Matlock gears up for its supersized finale, Jason Ritter is looking back at his time working alongside three-time Emmy winner Beau Bridges. The veteran actor, known for his roles in The Fabulous Baker Boys and Norma Rae, has been a recurring presence throughout the show’s first run as Senior, the cold father to Ritter’s Julian, and managing partner at Jacobson Moore, who initially was at the top of Matty’s (Kathy Bates) list of suspects who could’ve hidden the evidence in the Welbrexa case. Senior’s relationship with his son hasn’t been the most positive on-screen, but according to Ritter, it’s about to hit a breaking point to close out the season. For him, it also hits all the harder because of a personal connection to Bridges and how warm the actor is when the cameras are off.

In an interview with TV Insider following the premiere of Episode 17, Ritter teased how the tense scene in the upcoming finale between the father and son had him thinking about his own dad, Emmy-winning Three’s Company star John Ritter. He has described in the past how Bridges and his father not only shared a similar warmth but also a similar look that has caused more than a few mix-ups between the two actors. Even though they hadn’t acted together, that familial familiarity of sorts between the younger Ritter and Bridges affected their portrayal of Julian and Senior. Feeling that similar warmth in contrast with how harsh Senior could be, particularly in the finale, then created some real feelings for Ritter that he believes enhanced the scene into something more authentic and emotional:

“He’s so amazing and he’s such a lovely guy in real life that when he turns off that warmth to you in the scene, it does feel sort of painful. He also physically sort of reminds me of my own dad in some ways. They got mistaken for each other a lot. I knew it happened to my dad, but Beau told me that it also happened, where people would assume one was the other. It all helped access some of those complicated feelings. I feel like he’s my dad in some weird way, but a very different relationship. But thinking about if my dad, who is as warm and lovely as Beau is in real life, was looking at me with disappointment and even disgust, it would feel so awful.”

What to Expect From the Upcoming ‘Matlock’ Finale

Of course, Julian has much more to worry about in the finale than dear old dad cracking down on him. Matty’s investigation is finally coming to a head with Olympia (Skye P. Marshall) coming on board, and all signs are pointing to him as the person the septuagenarian lawyer has been targeting the entire time. Though she and her new friend still have a lot to work out after the latter finally learned about all the lies, they seem to be on the same page regarding Welbrexa. That said, the situation is nonetheless complicated for Olympia because of her children with Julian. Speaking to him about how he came into so much money, however, only raises her suspicions and reaffirms her mistrust of him. The only way to know for certain who is the culprit is to see how everything unfolds in the climactic season finale to Jennie Snyder Urman‘s hit new series.

Matlock will air its two-hour season finale on Thursday, April 17, at 9 p.m. ET on CBS. The series has also already been renewed for Season 2, meaning Matty’s career will continue in some form after the case closes. Stay tuned here at Collider for more news about the legal drama.