He had a long career as a character actor on the and in movies. 280 acting credits on the imdb.
His biggest role was father to director Ron Howard and grandfather to actress Bryce Howard.
Rance was one of those character actors you could spot in almost anything. They were often very small roles.
RIP
Ron Howard frequently included him in movies. Without looking it up, one role was in Apollo 13 he played the priest/clergyman who was comforting Marilyn Lovel and family during the suspenseful moments.
R.I.P., Rance Howard.
Ron kept Rance working in films right up to the end.
Rance did a lot of tv and commercials separate from Ron’s career. YouTube has a couple of his Gunsmoke roles.
I’ve wondered if Rance and Bryce appear in a film together?
Rance in a car commercial
He’s really good here and has lines.
Remember the TV show “The White Shadow”?
It was basketball-related and starred one Ken Howard.
Everyone told me that was Ron’s brother. I learned today that that’s not the case.
Anyone else hear that back in the day?
Wow. This is one of those “I though he’d died years ago” things.
Taking even a small role on Babylon 5 is like signing your own death warrant.
I liked that show and watched it a lot, but never heard that.
No, I have never heard that, and I have never thought they were related.
The producer of the show, however, Bruce Paltrow, was married to Blythe Danner and is Gwyneth Paltrow’s father.
Rance is credited with Ron as cowriters of Grand Theft Auto. That’s one of the two films that Ron agreed to star in for Roger Corman. Grand Theft Auto got Ron into the Directors Guild.
Ron acted in East My Dust to get his directing gig with Corman.
I didn’t realize Ron & his Dad wrote it too.
IMDb has a search function for that. 5 films, mostly Howard family projects.
There’s also Clint Howard who appeared in several films with other family members, most notably Apollo 13.
Oh man, I was literally just talking about him yesterday! Parenthood (the movie) was on HBO, and I pointed out to my wife that he was the guy at the graduation ceremony who introduces Fantasy Kevin, who turned out perfectly and gives thanks to Steve Martin’s character.
I thought he was Ron’s brother too, though, along with Clint (who is also in the movie, as the kid baseball player’s abrasive dad). I guess I just assumed that; don’t remember hearing it anywhere in particular. He was also in a Seinfeld episode; thanks for the laughs, and RIP.