Rance Howard

He received a Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Children's Program for co-producing the television film The Time Crystal (1981). He was best known for his role as Mr. Fillmore in Two of a Kind (American TV series) starring Mary-Kate Olsen and Ashley Olsen.

• Name — Rance Howard • Birth Name — Harold Engle Beckenholdt • Born — 17 November 1928 • Birthplace — Newkirk, Oklahoma, U.S. • Died — 25 November 2017 • Place of death — Los Angeles, California, U.S. • Resting Place — Hollywood Forever Cemetery, Los Angeles, California, U.S. • Education — University of Oklahoma • Occupation — Actor • Years Active — 1948–2017 • Children — * Ron • Clint • Relatives — * Bryce Dallas Howard (granddaughter) • Paige Howard (granddaughter)

Howard was born Harold Engle Beckenholdt in Newkirk, Kay County, Oklahoma, the son of Ethel Cleo (née Tomlin) and Engel Beckenholdt, a farmer. He legally changed his name to "Rance Howard" when he became an actor. Howard graduated from Shidler High School in 1946 and studied at the University of Oklahoma. While in the Air Force, Howard directed plays in Special Services, a unit that provided entertainment for service members.

His professional acting career began in 1948 when he went to New York City, auditioned, and landed a job in a children's touring company. The role that got him noticed nationally for television and film was playing the part of Lindstrom in the touring company of the play Mister Roberts with Henry Fonda in 1950, portraying the character for about a year-and-a-half in major cities across the U.S. Both Rance and elder son Ron, who was two at the time, made their feature-film debuts together in the 1956 Western Frontier Woman. Later in the 1950s, Rance's roles included his TV debut in the series Kraft Theatre, on which he appeared three times in 1956–57. After son Ron went on to play Opie in The Andy Griffith Show in the early 1960s, Rance had guest parts in five episodes of the show. Howard was known best for his role on television in 25 episodes of the 1960s TV series Gentle Ben starring his younger son, Clint. Howard played Henry Boomhauer, a backwoodsman who befriended the family. Another well-known TV role was on Babylon 5, in which he had a recurring role as David Sheridan, the father of Babylon 5 captain John Sheridan. He also starred in the short-lived 2000 TV series Driving Me Crazy. His television guest appearances include Gunsmoke, Bonanza, Kung Fu, The Waltons, CBS Schoolbreak Special 1986 episode "The Drug Knot", Angel, Married... with Children, 7th Heaven, Two of a Kind, Cold Case, That's So Raven, and two appearances on Seinfeld (as different characters). On The Waltons, Howard portrayed Dr. McIver in five different episodes, one of which included Ron. Howard appeared in over 100 films, including the movies The Music Man (1962) (in an uncredited bit part playing "Oscar Jackson"), Cool Hand Luke (1967), Chinatown (1974), and many other films. Howard acted in many of his son Ron's films including Splash (1984), Cocoon (1985), Apollo 13 (1995), A Beautiful Mind (2001), Cinderella Man (2005) and Frost/Nixon (2008). He also appeared as Dottie and Kit's father in A League of Their Own (1992), as well as in the films Ed Wood (1994), Independence Day (1996) and Max Rose (2013). In 2013, he played Woody Grant's brother in Nebraska. He often took parts as a priest or minister, county sheriff, or western marshal, and made numerous appearances in films by Joe Dante. His final film role, completed in September 2017, is also the largest in his career. He plays the role of Carl Robbins in the Michael Worth road-trip drama, Apple Seed, playing on film for the first time the father of his real-life son Clint.

Howard married actress Jean Speegle Howard in Winchester, Kentucky, in 1949. They remained married until her death in September 2000. Their sons are actor and filmmaker Ron Howard and actor Clint Howard, their granddaughters include actresses Bryce Dallas Howard and Paige Howard. Ron was born while his father served three years in the United States Air Force. In 2001, Howard married Judy O’Sullivan. Judy Howard died in January 2017 in Burbank, 10 months before Howard's death.

Howard died on the morning of November 25, 2017, in Los Angeles, California from heart failure spurred on by a West Nile virus infection.

• Sources:

• Year — Title — Role — Notes • 1956 1957 — Kraft Television Theatre — 3 episodes • 1958 — How to Marry a Millionaire — Corporal — Episode: "Hit and Run" • 1959 — Bat Masterson — Fletcher — Episode: "Promised Land" • 1962 1964 — Combat! — Wilkerson — Episode: "The Bridge at Chalons" • The Andy Griffith Show — Bus Driver / First Treasury Agent / Governor's Chauffeur / Party Guest — 5 episodes • 1966 — That Girl — Customer #2 — 2 episodes • The Virginian — Luka — Episode: "Ride a Cock-Horse to Laramie Cross" • 1967 — The Monroes — Al — Episode: "Teaching the Tiger to Purr" • 1967 1969 — Gentle Ben — Henry Boomhauer — 13 episodes • 1970 — Then Came Bronson — Mr. Carl Mueller — Episode: "That Undiscovered Country..." • 1971 — Night Gallery — Cameraman — Episode: "The Boy Who Predicted Earthquakes/Miss Lovecraft Sent Me/The Hand of Borgus Weems/Phantom of What Opera?" • 1971 1972 — Bonanza — Sam / Bogardus — 2 episodes • 1973 — The F.B.I. — Ranger — Episode: "Desperate Journey" • 1973 — Kung Fu — Sheriff Byrd — Episode: "The Hoots" • 1973 1975 — The Waltons — Dr. McIvers — 5 episodes • 1974 — Gunsmoke — Frank Benton — 2 episodes • 1976 1979 — Happy Days — Announcer / Ben Wilson / Mr. Burkhart — 3 episodes • 1977 — Little House on the Prairie — Simpson — Episode: "Quarantine" • 1978 — Battlestar Galactica — Farnes — Episode: "The Magnificent Warriors" • 1978 — Cotton Candy — Mr. Bremmercamp — Also director Television film • 1979 — Laverne & Shirley — Doctor — Episode: "Who's Papa?" • 1981 — Mork & Mindy — Guard — Episode: "Mork Meets Robin Williams" • 1983 — The Thorn Birds — Doctor — Episode: "Part 3" • 1984 — Dynasty — Gifford — Episode: "The Voice: Part 2" • 1985 — The Long Hot Summer — Wilk — Television film • 1986 — A Smoky Mountain Christmas — Doctor — Television film • 1986 — Return To Mayberry — Preacher — Made for TV Movie • 1989 1992 — Baywatch — Fireman / Joe — 2 episodes • 1991 — Lucy & Desi: Before the Laughter — Bernie — Television film • 1993 — Coach — Herman Van Dam — Episode: "Christmas of the Van Damned" • 1993 1996 — Seinfeld — Blind Man / Farmer — Episode: The Glasses and The Bottle Deposit • 1994 — Diagnosis: Murder — Driver — Episode: "Murder with Mirrors" • 1995 — Problem Child 3: Junior in Love — The Janitor — Television film • 1996 1997 — Babylon 5 — David Sheridan — 3 episodes • Married... with Children — Edwin / Reverend — 2 episodes • 1996 — Melrose Place — Motel Manager — Episode: "Full Metal Betsy" • 1997 — Beyond Belief: Fact or Fiction — Reginald Hannon — Episode: "The Viewing/The Subway/Kid in the Closet/Justice is Served/The Tractor" • 1998 — Clueless — Mr. Bell — 2 episodes • Two of a Kind — Mr. Fillmore — 2 episodes • 1999 — Just Shoot Me! — Blind Flower Guy — Episode: "When Nina Met Elliott" • 2000 — 7th Heaven — Old Man in Park — Episode: "Help!" • 2001 — Angel — Marcus Roscoe / Angel — Episode: "Carpe Noctem" • 2002 — That '80s Show — Mr. Bailey — Episode: "Tuesday Comes Over" • 2004 — Cold Case — Buddie — Episode: "Factory Girls" • That's So Raven — Murphy — Episode: "Sweeps" • 2005 — Ghost Whisperer — Dirk Abrams — Episode: "Lost Boys" • 2006 — CSI: NY — Samuel Cooper — Episode: "Fare Game" • 2006 — Sasquatch Mountain — Harris Zeff — Television film • 2009 — ER — Dr. Oliver Kostin — Episode: "A Long, Strange Trip" • Lie to Me — Joe Metz — Episode: "Moral Waiver" • 2011 — Workaholics — Jerry — Episode: "The Strike" • 2012 — Grey's Anatomy — Martin Carroll — Episode: "The Lion Sleeps Tonight" • 2013 — NCIS: Los Angeles — Eugene — Episode: "Purity" • 2014 — Bones — Jerold Norsky — 2 episodes • Kroll Show — Dr. Stanley Armond — Episode: "Banff Is on Fire" • Review — Willie — Episode: "Teaching the Tiger to Purr" • 2016 — The X-Files — Old Man — Episode: "My Struggle" • 2018 — Arrested Development — Rance Howard — Episode: "Emotional Baggage" Posthumous release

Rance Howard was recorded at birth as Harold Engle Beckenholdt. His recorded language was English. He married Jean Speegle Howard. 2 children are recorded: Ron Howard and Clint Howard.

Rance Howard is recorded as actor, screenwriter and film producer.