Rance Howard

Rance Howard
Rance Howard, December 2007
Born	Harold Rance Beckenholdt (1928-11-17) November 17, 1928 (age 88) Duncan, Oklahoma, U.S.
Alma mater	University of Oklahoma
Occupation	Actor
Years active	1956–present
Spouse(s)	Jean Speegle Howard (m. 1949; d. 2000) Judy Howard (m. 2001)
Children	Ron Howard Clint Howard
Relatives	Bryce Dallas Howard (granddaughter) Paige Howard (granddaughter)
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Rance Howard (born November 17, 1928) is an American actor who has starred in film and on television. He is the father of actor, producer, and film director Ron Howard, and the grandfather of the actress Bryce Dallas Howard.

Howard was born Harold Rance Beckenholdt in Duncan, Oklahoma, the son of Ethel Cleo (née Tomlin) and Engel Beckenholdt, a farmer. He changed his name to "Rance Howard" when he became an actor. He married actress Jean Speegle Howard in Burbank, California in 1949. Their sons are actor/director Ron Howard and actor Clint Howard. He is also the grandfather of actresses Bryce Dallas Howard and Paige Howard. His son Ron was born while he served three years in the United States Air Force.

Howard attended the University of Oklahoma, where he went to drama school. 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 TV and film was playing the part of Lindstrom in the touring company of the play Mister Roberts with Henry Fonda in 1950, playing the character for about a year-and-a-half in major cities across the U.S.

Both Rance and oldest son Ron, who was 2 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.