# Rance Howard dies at 89 **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [November 26, 2017, 1:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rance-howard-dies-at-89/802718 "2017-11-26T01:42:01Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 11\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![aceplace57](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aceplace57/32/3500_2.png) [@aceplace57](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aceplace57)\ **Post date:** [November 26, 2017, 1:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rance-howard-dies-at-89/802718/1 "2017-11-26T01:42:01Z")
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 > **[Rance Howard, actor and father of Ron Howard, dies at 89, family says | CNN](https://www.cnn.com/2017/11/25/entertainment/rance-howard-father-of-ron-obit/index.html)** > > Longtime film and television actor Rance Howard, father of director Ron Howard, has died, according to a Saturday tweet from Ron Howard’s verified account. > **[Ron Howard's father Rance dies at the age of 89 after life in show biz](https://www.dailymail.co.uk/tvshowbiz/article-5117637/amp/Rance-Howard-dies-age-89.html)** > > Rance Howard has died at the age of 89. His son, filmmaker Ron Howard announced his dad's passing on Saturday via Twitter. > [@](#): > > He moved to New York and was cast with son Ron Howard in “The Journey,” the TCM archives said. He soon found work in television and won roles in shows such as “Bat Masterson,” “Gunsmoke” and “The Waltons.” He had a regular role on “Gentle Ben,” along with his younger son, Clint Howard. > > Rance Howard had appeared in numerous films, starting with “Frontier Woman” in 1956 and ending with “Nebraska” in 2013. He appeared in six movies nominated for best-picture Oscars: “The Music Man,” “Chinatown,” “Apollo 13,” “A Beautiful Mind,” “Frost/Nixon” and “Nebraska,” according to the IMDb ---
**Author:** ![Bullitt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bullitt/32/5725_2.png) [@Bullitt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bullitt)\ **Post date:** [November 26, 2017, 1:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rance-howard-dies-at-89/802718/2 "2017-11-26T01:48:58Z")
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. ---
**Author:** ![aceplace57](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aceplace57/32/3500_2.png) [@aceplace57](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aceplace57)\ **Post date:** [November 26, 2017, 2:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rance-howard-dies-at-89/802718/3 "2017-11-26T02:06:59Z")
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 [![]( " - YouTube") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ALTH5Adp7yY) He’s really good here and has lines. [![]( " - YouTube") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C8hQQsViQGY) ---
**Author:** ![Leaffan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/leaffan/32/299_2.png) [@Leaffan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leaffan)\ **Post date:** [November 26, 2017, 2:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rance-howard-dies-at-89/802718/4 "2017-11-26T02:11:32Z")
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? ---
**Author:** ![E-DUB](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/e-dub/32/403_2.png) [@E-DUB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/E-DUB)\ **Post date:** [November 26, 2017, 2:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rance-howard-dies-at-89/802718/5 "2017-11-26T02:31:03Z")
Wow. This is one of those “I though he’d died years ago” things. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Tooth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/c67d28/32.png) [@The\_Tooth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Tooth)\ **Post date:** [November 26, 2017, 2:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rance-howard-dies-at-89/802718/6 "2017-11-26T02:33:33Z")
Taking even a small role on Babylon 5 is like signing your own death warrant. ---
**Author:** ![Bullitt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bullitt/32/5725_2.png) [@Bullitt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bullitt)\ **Post date:** [November 26, 2017, 2:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rance-howard-dies-at-89/802718/7 "2017-11-26T02:44:29Z")
> [@Leaffan](#): > > 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? I liked that show and watched it a lot, but never heard that. ---
**Author:** ![cochrane](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cochrane/32/10441_2.png) [@cochrane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cochrane)\ **Post date:** [November 26, 2017, 3:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rance-howard-dies-at-89/802718/8 "2017-11-26T03:05:06Z")
> [@Leaffan](#): > > 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? 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. ---
**Author:** ![aceplace57](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aceplace57/32/3500_2.png) [@aceplace57](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aceplace57)\ **Post date:** [November 26, 2017, 3:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rance-howard-dies-at-89/802718/9 "2017-11-26T03:38:57Z")
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. > **[Grand Theft Auto (1977) - IMDb](https://m.imdb.com/title/tt0076100/?ref_=m_nmfmd_dr_39)** > > Grand Theft Auto: Directed by Ron Howard. With Ron Howard, Nancy Morgan, Elizabeth Rogers, Barry Cahill. A rich girl steals her dad's Rolls Royce and heads off to Las Vegas to get married. However, her angry parents, a jealous suitor, and a bunch of... ---
**Author:** ![ftg](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ftg/32/2801_2.png) [@ftg](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ftg)\ **Post date:** [November 26, 2017, 2:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rance-howard-dies-at-89/802718/10 "2017-11-26T14:18:41Z")
> [@aceplace57](#): > > I’ve wondered if Rance and Bryce appear in a film together? IMDb has a search function for [that](http://www.imdb.com/search/title?roles=nm0397555,nm0397171&title_type=feature,tv_episode,video,tv_movie,tv_special,mini_series,documentary,game,short). 5 films, mostly Howard family projects. There’s also Clint Howard who appeared in several films with other family members, most notably _Apollo 13_. ---
**Author:** ![DooWahDiddy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e9bcb4/32.png) [@DooWahDiddy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DooWahDiddy)\ **Post date:** [November 26, 2017, 3:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rance-howard-dies-at-89/802718/11 "2017-11-26T15:27:43Z")
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.