Melanie Lynskey on What Saved Her Relationship with Jason Ritter in Its 'Darkest and Most Difficult Moments'

The longtime couple have been married since 2020

By
Dory Jackson
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Dory Jackson
Dory Jackson is an Associate Editor for PEOPLE's digital TV team. While at the brand, she's had the opportunity to interview a long list of celebrities, from Kate Hudson to Pierce Brosnan to Billy Porter. She has also helped recap popular TV shows like 'The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills,' 'Sister Wives' and 'Vanderpump Rules.' The New York-based Maryland native graduated from Randolph-Macon College in May 2016 with a focus on Communication Studies and Journalism. She came to PEOPLE in March 2021 after working at a number of major news companies, including Newsweek and Us Weekly. 
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Published on April 4, 2023 03:04PM EDT
Melanie Lynskey and Jason Ritter
Photo: Frazer Harrison/Getty

Melanie Lynskey and Jason Ritter have overcome some hurdles to get to where they are today.

The Yellowjackets actress, 45, shared how they've managed to forge a strong and lasting bond in the face of personal adversity.

"There was something about his willingness to have a conversation, always," she told Entertainment Tonight. "Even in our darkest and most difficult moments, which there were a few, he would always talk about it. He's always very willing to take responsibility and he's kind. He's kind to people. That's the most important thing to me."

Added Lynskey, "He's very talented! I can't be with someone who's not talented. That's my big thing."

Jason Ritter Gets Emotional Speaking About His Alcoholism Before Marrying Melanie Lynskey

The New Zealand native's comments come after Ritter, 43, revealed his struggles with alcoholism in the early days of the relationship. Asked by Drew Barrymore about the "moment" they knew they were the one for each other, Ritter said, "I knew how incredible Melanie was early on."

"It's not as cute of a story as you would like to think. It was messy and interesting and weird," he continued. "But mixed in the mix, [I was] dealing with some alcoholism issues."

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As the couple both grew emotional, the A Million Little Things star continued, "At a point, I knew how amazing she was, and I thought she would be incredible for someone who deserved her, basically."

"And I didn't feel like I was that person. I thought [I was] a little bit too crazy," he added. "So it was only after like maybe a year into not drinking where I started to go, 'Oh, maybe I can promise some things to someone else. Maybe I can be this person.' It's been like a slow burn."

Melanie Lynskey and Jason Ritter's Relationship Timeline

Lynskey and Ritter met while costarring in the 2013 film The Big Ask. They began dating shortly after and eventually got married in 2020. They now share a 4-year-old child.

Ritter recently said it's "so satisfying, it's so incredible" to witness the surge in Lynskey's success amid the popularity of Yellowjackets.

"She's just been so wonderful for so long and she never really put a lot of thought process into anything else aside from her work," he told E! News. "That was always the most important thing to her."

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Yellowjackets airs Sundays at 9 p.m. ET on Sunday.