Krysten Ritter's Real Name: Krysten Ritter

Quick answer: Krysten Ritter's professional and public name is Krysten Ritter. The Library of Congress files her as "Ritter, Krysten, 1981-," with a note giving the birth date as December 16, 1981, in Bloomsburg, Pennsylvania. Longer forms of the name appear in some catalog notes, but they are not independently confirmed in the newspaper profiles used here, so this page uses the public name. She became widely known for Breaking Bad and later starred in Netflix's Marvel's Jessica Jones (Los Angeles Times).

Real name and early life

The Library of Congress heading is "Ritter, Krysten, 1981-." A name-authority note gives December 16, 1981, in Bloomsburg, Pennsylvania. Another note expands the name, but because that longer form is not confirmed by the Los Angeles Times profiles cited here, it is not used in the title. She is billed as Krysten Ritter in the coverage of her television work.

Career highlights

A May 2012 Los Angeles Times profile, published as ABC's Don't Trust the B---- in Apartment 23 reached its first-season finale, said audiences might remember Ritter from AMC's Breaking Bad. She played Jane, the girlfriend of Jesse, in the show's second season, a performance the article said viewers "couldn't forget." The same profile noted a run of earlier work in independent films and television, including Veronica Mars and Gilmore Girls.

On Apartment 23 she starred as Chloe, a chaotic Manhattan party girl, opposite Dreama Walker, in a series created by Nahnatchka Khan. The Times reported that the show had been renewed for a second season. Executive producer David Hemingson said she had been the first choice for Chloe, in part because of that earlier Breaking Bad work.

In November 2015 the Times profiled her again as the title character in Netflix's Marvel's Jessica Jones, a 13-episode series then about to begin streaming. Showrunner Melissa Rosenberg said Ritter had always been at the top of her list for the part; after Ritter's stint on Breaking Bad, Rosenberg said, she saw that the actress "got some serious range." The series presents Jessica Jones as a former superhero turned detective. A later Times piece, in June 2016, said the first season had been an instant critical favorite and had been renewed for a second season.

Name notes for searchers

Krysten Ritter is the name used in credits, news reports, and the Library of Congress heading. Unofficial expansions of the name are not used in the title. She should not be confused with other public figures named Ritter.