Personal Info

Known For

Acting

Known Credits

233

Gender

Male

Birthday

1928-11-17

Deathday

2017-11-25 (89 years old)

Place of Birth

Newkirk, Oklahoma, USA

Also Known As

Harold Engle Beckenholdt

Rance Howard

Biography

Rance Howard (born Harold Engle Beckenholdt; November 17, 1928 – November 25, 2017) was an American actor who starred in film and on television. He was the father of actor and filmmaker Ron Howard and actor Clint Howard, and grandfather of actresses Bryce Dallas Howard and Paige Howard.

Howard appeared in films such as Cool Hand Luke (1967), Chinatown (1974), Splash (1984), Ed Wood (1994), Apollo 13 (1995), Independence Day (1996), A Beautiful Mind (2001), Cinderella Man (2005), Frost/Nixon (2008), Nebraska (2013), and Max Rose (2016). He received a Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Children's Program for co-producing the television film The Time Crystal (1981).

Known For

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Acting

2019		Dads as Self
2019		The Christ Slayer as Devil as Old Man
2019		Apple Seed as Carl

2017		Chasing the Star as Devil as an Old Man
2017		Broken Memories as Jasper

2016		Kalebegiak as José Mari
2016		Max Rose as Walter Prewitt
2016		40 Nights as Devil as an Old Man
2016		Talk Radio as Lou

2015

Solemates as Older Man

2013		Gone Dark as Charles
2013		Nebraska as Uncle Ray
2013		The Lone Ranger as Engineer
2013		Second Chances as Wilbur
2013		Huff as Scotty

2012

Easy Rider: The Ride Back as Andrew Jackson Bennett

2011		Let Go as Dimples
2011		Redemption: For Robbing the Dead as Doctor
2011		Rosewood Lane as Fred Crumb
2011		Spooky Buddies as Mr. Johnson
2011		InSight as Cemetery Presider
2011		Harley's Hill as Charlie
2011		Night Club as Chuck
2011		Beverly Hills Chihuahua 2 as Preacher
2011		The Dilemma as Burt

2010		Once Fallen as Harry
2010		The Trial as Judge Danielson
2010		The Genesis Code as Dr. Tolley
2010		Jonah Hex as Telegrapher
2010		The Child Wanderers as Old Knut
2010		Valentine's Day as Bistro Gardens Diner

2009		NCIS: Los Angeles as Eugene
2009		Within as Deli Owner
2009		Angels & Demons as Cardinal Beck
2009		Play the Game as Mervin Lavine
2009		Lie to Me as Joe Metz
2009		Boppin' at the Glue Factory as Walker Bill

2008		Frost/Nixon as Ollie
2008		Ghost Town: The Movie as Sheriff Tom Parker
2008		Keith as Old Man (uncredited)
2008		Grizzly Park as Ranger Howard
2008		Drillbit Taylor as Older Man
2008		Audie & the Wolf as Dr. Maleosis

2007		Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story as Preacher
2007		Be My Baby as Zippy
2007		Georgia Rule as Dog Bite Man

2006		Sasquatch Mountain as Harris Zeff
2006		Harrison Bergeron as Narrator
2006		Sister Aimee: The Aimee Semple McPherson Story as James Kennedy

2005		Miracle at Sage Creek as Doctor Babcock
2005		Ghost Whisperer as Dirk Abrams
2005		Bones as Jerold Norsky
2005		Cinderella Man as Announcer Al Fazin
2005		Grey's Anatomy as Martin Carroll
2005		Back By Midnight as Priest

2004		Toolbox Murders as Chas Rooker
2004		CSI: NY as Samuel Cooper
2004		Ghost Rock as Cash
2004		The Alamo as Governor Smith
2004		Death and Texas as Circuit Court Judge

2003		The Missing as Telegraph Operator
2003		Arrested Development as Rance Howard
2003		Cold Case as Buddie
2003		The Long Ride Home as Old Man
2003		Legend of the Phantom Rider as Doc Fisher
2003		That's So Raven as Murphy

2002		Jumping For Joy
2002		That '80s Show
2002		D-Tox as Geezer

2001		A Beautiful Mind as White-Haired Patient
2001		Ping! as Old Man
2001		Rat Race as Feed the Earth Spokesman
2001		A Crack in the Floor as Floyd Fryed
2001		Joe Dirt as Bomb Squad Cop

2000		How the Grinch Stole Christmas as Elderly Timekeeper
2000		The Huntress
2000		Son of the Beach
2000		Love & Sex as Earl
2000		Big Wind on Campus as Grandpa Morton

1999		Happy, Texas as Ely
1999		Angel as Marcus Roscoe
1999		Abilene as Arliss
1999		Malevolence as Dr. Burns

1998		Psycho as Mr. Lowery
1998		Land of the Free as Hotel Manager
1998		Two of a Kind as Mr. Fillmore
1998		The Night Caller as Hank
1998		Small Soldiers as Husband
1998		Chairman of the Board as Rev. Hatley
1998		Evasive Action as Train Engineer

1997		Holiday in Your Heart as Blind Man
1997		The Second Civil War as Arnold Tooney, Jr.
1997		Murder, She Wrote: South by Southwest as Jarvis Bean
1997		Money Talks as Reverend
1997		Beyond Belief: Fact or Fiction as Reginald Hannon (segment "The Viewing")
1997		Traveller as Farmer
1997		Just Shoot Me! as Blind Flower Guy
1997		Busted as Mayor Davies

1996		Where Truth Lies as Judge Bloom
1996		Ghosts of Mississippi as Ralph Hargrove
1996		Mars Attacks! as Texan Investor
1996		Clueless
1996		7th Heaven as Old Man in Park
1996		Tiger Heart as Mr. Johnson
1996		Independence Day as Chaplain
1996		Sgt. Bilko as Mr. Robbins

1995		Baywatch Nights
1995		The Colony as Stan Benson
1995		Children of the Corn III: Urban Harvest as Employer
1995		Killing Cupid as Zeke
1995		Apollo 13 as Reverend
1995		Problem Child 3 as The Janitor

1994		Little Giants as Father Kelly
1994		Ed Wood as Old Man McCoy (uncredited)
1994		Terminal Velocity as Stunt Pilot/Chuck
1994		ER as Dr. Oliver Kostin
1994		Runaway Daughters as Minute Man 3
1994		Forced to Kill as Rance
1994		The Paper as Alicia's Doctor
1994		Babylon 5 as David Sheridan
1994		Bigfoot: The Unforgettable Encounter as Todd

1993		Snapdragon as Priest
1993		Diagnosis: Murder as Driver
1993		Fearless as Bald Cabby
1993		Ticks as Sheriff Parker
1993		The X-Files as Old Man
1993		Ed and His Dead Mother as Rev. Praxton

1992		Universal Soldier as John Devreux
1992		Melrose Place as Motel Manager
1992		Far and Away as Tomlin
1992		I Don't Buy Kisses Anymore as Elderly Man
1992		Boris and Natasha as Polygraph Man

1991		Switched at Birth as Frank Hill
1991		Lucy & Desi: Before the Laughter as Bernie
1991		9 1/2 Ninjas! as Ninja Negotiator

1989		Trust Me as Vern
1989		Limit Up as Chuck Feeney
1989		B.O.R.N. as Robert Morrison
1989		Parenthood as Dean at College
1989		Seinfeld as Blind Man
1989		Seinfeld as Farmer
1989		Tales from the Crypt as Des
1989		Listen to Me
1989		Baywatch as Joe
1989		Baywatch as Fireman
1989		Quantum Leap as Doc Graves
1989		Coach as Herman Van Dam
1989		The 'Burbs as Detective #2
1989		B.L. Stryker

1988		Superboy
1988		Dark Before Dawn as Logan

1987		Wiseguy as Ernest Haynes
1987		Innerspace as Supermarket Customer
1987		Married... with Children as Edwin

1986		A Smoky Mountain Christmas as Dr. Jennings
1986		Return to Mayberry as Preacher
1986		Two Soldiers as Paw
1986		Gung Ho as Mayor Conrad Zwart
1986		Gary Coleman: For Safety's Sake as Captain Truck

1985		The Long Hot Summer as Wilk
1985		Creator as Mr. Spencer
1985		Cocoon as St. Petersburg Dectective
1985		A Death in California as Ralph Lee
1985		Playing with Fire as Fireman Goodwin
1985		Scandal Sheet as Mr. Bell

1984		Murder, She Wrote as Fillmore
1984		Finder of Lost Loves as Hank
1984		Splash as McCullough
1984		The Fantastic World of D.C. Collins as Policeman
1984		The Lonely Guy as Minister

1983		Rita Hayworth: The Love Goddess as Still Photographer
1983		Forever and Beyond as Technician
1983		Love Letters as Joseph Chesley
1983		The Thorn Birds as Doc Wilson
1983		The Kid with the 200 I.Q.

1982		Airplane II: The Sequel as Person #1 (uncredited)
1982		The Executioner's Song as Lt. Nelson
1982		The Kid with the Broken Halo as Coach Ramsdell

1981		The Miracle of Kathy Miller as Dr. Jewell
1981		Smokey Bites the Dust as Football Coach
1981		Dynasty

1980		Skyward as Pilot #2
1980		Scout's Honor as The Captain

1979		The Kid from Left Field as Harry the Bartender
1979		Flatbed Annie & Sweetie Pie: Lady Truckers as Mr. Murray

1978		Steve Martin: A Wild and Crazy Guy as Self
1978		Cotton Candy as Mr. Bremmercamp
1978		Battlestar Galactica as Farnes
1978		Mork & Mindy as Guard
1978		Mr. No Legs as Lou's Sidekick

1977		Another Man, Another Chance as Wagonmaster
1977		Grand Theft Auto as Ned Slinker
1977		The Legend of Frank Woods as Howard Blacker

1976		The New Daughters of Joshua Cabe
1976		Eat My Dust as Clark
1976		Laverne & Shirley

1975		Switch as Collins
1975		Huckleberry Finn as Pap Finn

1974		Locusts as Aaron
1974		Little House on the Prairie
1974		Chinatown as Irate Farmer
1974		Where the Lilies Bloom as Roy Luther
1974		Happy Days

1973

The Red Pony as Sheriff Bill Smith

1972		Kung Fu
1972		ABC Afterschool Special as Myron Faraday
1972		The Waltons
1972		The Waltons as Dr. McIvers
1972		The Rookies
1972		Bloody Trail as Jake

1971

Nichols as Deputy

1970		Night Gallery as Cameraman (segment "The Boy Who Predicted Earthquakes")
1970		The Wild Country as Cleve
1970		Dan August as Hobbs

1969

Then Came Bronson

1967		Cool Hand Luke as Sheriff
1967		Gentle Giant as Tater Coughlin
1967		Gentle Ben as Henry Boomhauer

1966		The Monroes
1966		An Eye for an Eye as Harry

1965		Village of the Giants as Deputy
1965		The F.B.I. as Ranger

1963

The Courtship of Eddie's Father as Camp Counselor (uncredited)

1962

The Virginian as Luka

1961

The Mike Douglas Show as Self

1960		The Andy Griffith Show as Treasury agent
1960		The Andy Griffith Show as Bus Driver
1960		The Andy Griffith Show as The Governor's Chauffeur

1958

Bat Masterson as Fletcher

1956

Frontier Woman as Prewitt

1955		Gunsmoke as Judge Alan Franklin
1955		Gunsmoke as Frank Benton

1947

Kraft Television Theatre

Production

1981

Through the Magic Pyramid as Producer

1978

Cotton Candy as Co-Producer

1977

Grand Theft Auto as Associate Producer

Writing

1981

Through the Magic Pyramid as Writer

1977

Grand Theft Auto as Writer

1972

The Rookies as Writer

1967

Gentle Ben as Writer

1960		The Andy Griffith Show as Writer
1960		The Flintstones as Writer