Quote Of The Day: Krysten Ritter On Finding Inspiration

Krysten Ritter has made a name for herself playing edgy, quirky characters across TV and film.

Though she started out as a model, Ritter’s acting career began to take off when she played tattooist Jane Margolis, Jesse Pinkman’s (Aaron Paul) ill-fated girlfriend on “Breaking Bad.” More recently, she joined Marvel’s Netflix TV shows as the super-powered private detective, Jessica Jones. She has quickly become a beloved member of the MCU, appearing as Jessica in Disney+’s “Daredevil: Born Again” Season 2.

On the TV side, Ritter also led ABC’s “Don’t Trust the B—- in Apartment 23,” and she played Gia Goodman on “Veronica Mars” and Lucy on “Gilmore Girls.” 

The actress is once again exploring the darker side of life in “Dexter: Resurrection” Season 2, returning to Paramount+ in October 2026. As we wait to see Ritter back on our screens, why not turn to the actress for today’s quote of the day?

“Anything bad that’s happened to me, I try to put it in my work, and afterward, I feel lighter. It’s like spring cleaning. I think that’s what all artists do—it’s a way to communicate their feelings, a way to use their heart and get things out.”

Krysten Ritter’s above quote comes from her 2017 interview with Women’s Health, where she talked about balancing her hard-as-nails role as Jessica Jones in the Marvel Cinematic Universe while writing her debut novel, “Bonfire.” 

Ritter’s forthcoming book follows an environmental lawyer who has to confront her own tragic past when she returns home for a case against a large corporation.While the star assured readers that the story is “not autobiographical,” she drew from her life growing up in a small Philadelphia town.

In Krysten Ritter’s quote above, the actress is saying that creativity can be incredibly cathartic, whether it’s acting, writing, painting, or any kind of artistic venture. It’s not exactly groundbreaking news that art can be used as a therapeutic exercise, but it’s a worthwhile reminder that bad things can fuel positive creations. It’s not always easy to turn negative feelings into motivation, but it can be a great way to work through a problem. 

When it comes to Ritter’s career, she told Women’s Health that after “Jessica Jones” was released, women in real life would tell her “how they felt seen and they felt represented, and because of that they were able to heal from their own sexual assault, or sexual abuse.” Art can be cathartic, whether you’re the person making it or the one appreciating it.

• “The more messy women that we put on screen, that we put in books, the more women can feel represented and seen, then they can access their own stuff, feel it’s okay, and then have the strength to speak out about things like we’re talking about. About rising up.” — from a 2017 interview with NPR

• “It’s hard to always be reduced to the way you look, or your sex appeal, or what that is. I’ve spoken up when things didn’t feel right to me.” — from a 2017 interview with NPR
• “I think we all have things in the back of our mind that gnaw at us, and until you dig through the ashes and deal with it and rise up stronger than ever, we all have that s***. That’s stuff that I always like to talk about in life and explore in anything creative.” — from a 2017 interview with Entertainment Weekly