Veteran Actor Rance Howard, Father Of Director Ron Howard, Has Died At 89
TodayRon Howardis an accomplished director who first got his start in show business as a child actor on classic television shows likeThe Andy Griffith Show. But we never would have seen theHappy Daysstar turn into the Oscar-winning director ofA Beautiful Mindif it wasn’t for the career of his father,Rance Howard. Sadly, the veteran actor who appeared in several of his son’s films has passed away at 89. We remember the life and career of Rance Howard below.
News of Rance Howard dead came director from Ron Howard’s Twitter over the weekend:
Clint & I have been blessed to be Rance Howard’s sons. Today he passed at 89. He stood especially tall 4 his ability to balance ambition w/great personal integrity. A depression-era farm boy, his passion for acting changed the course of our family history. We love & miss U Dad.
— Ron Howard (@RealRonHoward)July 21, 2025
According toTurner Classic Movies, Rance Howard began his acting career at a young age in a touring children’s theater, which would gradually turn into an adult career that saw him touring with Henry Fonda in a production ofMister Robertsbefore becoming the director of a repertory company called The Hilltop Theatre. Eventually, Rance Howard would hit the big screen in a film calledFrontier Woman, which also marked the acting debut of his son, then known as Ronny Howard.
Like his son, Rance Howard began his career appearing in several classic television shows such asCombat!, The Fugitive, Night Gallery, Bonanza, Gunsmoke, The Waltons, Little House on the Prairie, and even a few episodes ofThe Andy Griffith Show. He would also appear in several movies with little Ronny Howard, includingThe Courtship of Eddie’s Father(which marked the screen debut ofClint Howard),Village of the GiantsandThe Wild Country.
As his son Ron Howard began a directing career with his feature debutGrand Theft Auto, Rance Howard almost always had a role in whatever his son was working on. He appeared inSplash, Cocoon, Gung Ho, The Paper, Apollo 13, Parenthood, A Beautiful Mind, How the Grinch Stole Christmas, Frost/Nixon, Angels & Demonsand more, most of which also featured his son Clint Howard as well.
Outside of working with his sons, Rance Howard enjoyed an eclectic career that also included roles in shows likeDynasty, Murder She Wrote, Baywatch, Tales from the Crypt, Seinfeld, Married with Children, Babylon 5, Just Shoot Me, Angel, Lie to Me, Workaholics, Grey’s Anatomy, Kroll Show, Review, andThe X-Files. Other feature film appearances includedInnerspace, Far and Away, Little Giants, Ed Wood, Mars Attacks!, Independence Day, Sgt. Bilko, Small Soldiers, Joe Dirt, Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story, Georgia Rule, Valentine’s Day, The Lone RangerandNebraska.
Rance Howard has a few upcoming projects that he had already completed, as well as some in post-production, and some in pre-production. It’s nor clear how those projects will fare in the wake of Rance Howard’s death, but it’s good to know that we have more work from the veteran actor to look forward to, including the filmBroken Memories, which will be released imminently (pictured above). Without Howard’s longtime work, we may never have gotten to witness the careers of Ron Howard, Clint Howard and his granddaughterBryce Dallas Howard. Our thoughts go out to his family and friends during this difficult time.
