Clint Howard
Clinton Engle Howard (born April 20, 1959) is an American character actor. He is the younger brother of actor and director Ron Howard. He had roles in the films The Waterboy and Apollo 13, as well as on TV shows, playing characters such as Mark Wedloe on Gentle Ben, Stanley on The Baileys of Balboa (1964–1965), Steve on The Cowboys (1974), and as Creepy Rodney on My Name Is Earl (2006–2008). He has appeared in many films directed by his brother, Ron, as well as many low-budget cult films.
Clint Howard | |
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Howard in Gentle Giant (1967) | |
Born | Clinton Engle Howard April 20, 1959 Burbank, California, U.S. |
Occupation | Actor |
Years active | 1962–present |
Spouse(s) | Melanie Howard
(m. 1995; div. 2017) |
Parent(s) | Rance Howard Jean Speegle Howard |
Relatives |
|
Early life
Born in Burbank, California, Howard's parents are actors Rance Howard and Jean Speegle Howard and his older brother is actor and filmmaker Ron Howard.
Career
Television
Howard began his career when he was two, appearing in five episodes of The Andy Griffith Show, then starring his older brother Ron. He played Leon, a toddler in a cowboy outfit who wandered around Mayberry and silently offered people a bite of his sandwich, to which they would respond, "No thanks, Leon."[1] Other early notable roles include his appearance on The Streets of San Francisco in the episode entitled "The House on Hyde Street", and The Virginian as Tommy, the proud owner of a new litter of pups in the episode entitled "Melanie".
In 1963, he appeared in the ABC medical drama Breaking Point in the role of four year old Mikey in the episode "The Gnu, Now Almost Extinct". He also played little Billy Taft, the nephew of Dr. Richard Kimble, in the season one episode of The Fugitive, "Home is the Hunted" (1964).
His first prominent role was as a regular on the series Gentle Ben (1967–69). He also starred in an episode of Rod Serling's Night Gallery as Herbie, a ten-year-old boy who predicts the near future, and played Billy in the made for television version of John Steinbeck's The Red Pony, with Henry Fonda and Maureen O'Hara.
Howard appeared in various Star Trek episodes:
- In 1966, he appeared as the powerful but childlike alien Balok in "The Corbomite Maneuver," a season one episode of Star Trek: The Original Series (although not the first episode broadcast, it was the first episode of season one to be produced after the pilot episodes). The appearance is a well-remembered one in Star Trek history, and he briefly reprised the character in 2006 on Comedy Central's roast of William Shatner
- "Past Tense Part II," a Star Trek: Deep Space Nine episode
- "Acquisition," a season one episode of Star Trek: Enterprise
- "Will You Take My Hand," a season one episode of Star Trek: Discovery[2]
- As a nod to Howard's prominent place in Star Trek culture, he played a part in Star Trek director J. J. Abrams' series Fringe; in the season one episode, "The Road Not Taken", playing a man who thought he was the son of Sarek of Vulcan. He discussed a fictitious plot by Romulans from the future, much like the one in Abrams' own Star Trek film. (In the next episode, Leonard Nimoy was revealed to be the mysterious character he was discussing.)
In 2003, Howard played Johnny Bark on Arrested Development in the season one episode "Key Decisions", which was produced and narrated by his brother, Ron. He was seen in an episode of Married... with Children as a creepy janitor. He played a car thief/murderer in the season four Seinfeld episode "The Trip". Howard played Creepy Rodney in the season one My Name Is Earl episode "Stole a Badge", and he was a guest star in the season three episode of the NBC show Heroes "I Am Sylar".[3][4]
Film
In his film debut The Courtship of Eddie's Father (1963), he played a child party guest standing on a table at his birthday party.
Howard also voiced Roo in Disney's animated shorts Winnie the Pooh and the Honey Tree (1966) and Winnie the Pooh and the Blustery Day (1968), which were later incorporated into The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh (1977), and Hathi Jr. in The Jungle Book (1967).
Howard has appeared in seventeen films directed by his brother, Ron Howard, including Ron's first directorial effort — a short film called Old Paint — when Clint was ten. He also starred in Ron's first full length feature, Grand Theft Auto. Other roles in the elder Howard's films include: John Dexter in Cocoon (1985), Paul in Gung Ho (both film and TV series), pathologist Ricco in Backdraft (1991), Lou in Parenthood, Flynn in Far and Away (1992), flight controller Seymour Liebergot in Apollo 13 (1995), Ken in EDtv (1999), and Whobris in How the Grinch Stole Christmas (2000).
He also played Sheriff Purdy in The Missing (2003), Lloyd Davis in Frost/Nixon (2008), Herbert Trimpy in The Dilemma, and Paul Lucas in the episodes "Spider" and "We Interrupt This Program" of the HBO miniseries From the Earth to the Moon, which was produced by Ron.
He played Eaglebaur in Rock 'n' Roll High School, Usher in Get Crazy, Paco in The Waterboy, Arthur Lynne in Uwe Boll's Heart of America, cellmate Slinky in Tango & Cash, KJZZ disk jockey in That Thing You Do!, Johnson Ritter in the Austin Powers series, another flight controller in Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian, Nipples in Little Nicky (2000), Gregory Tudor in the low budget film Ice Cream Man (1995), Rughead in The Wraith (1986), Stanley Coopersmith in Evilspeak (1981), Kate the Caterer in The Cat in the Hat, Doctor Koplenson in Halloween (2007), and appeared in the romantic comedies, Play the Game and Speed-Dating.
He also played Sanders in Alabama Moon and Dr. Owen in Nobody Gets Out Alive, which was written and directed by filmmaker Jason Christopher.
He appeared in Solo: A Star Wars Story, which his brother Ron directed.[5]
Music
In 1981, Howard formed The Kempsters, a new wave rock and roll group that was composed mostly of his friends who were neighbors with him on Kemp Street. In 1982, their original drummer, Mike "Spooner" Bauer, was replaced by Tony Rodriquez and the band played regularly at Madame Wong's West. The band retired in 1983. Although The Kempsters never released an album while together, Howard has recently begun distributing No Brains At All, a CD featuring four tracks the band recorded in various studios, and seven tracks recorded live on October 17, 1982 at Madame Wong's.
Personal life
Clint Howard married Melanie Sorich on October 29, 1995. In 2017, it was announced that Clint had filed for divorce.[6]
Howard is a Republican (contrasting with his brother, Ron, a Democrat).[7] On January 29, 2016, three days before the Iowa Caucuses, he endorsed United States Senator Ted Cruz of Texas for the Republican presidential nomination.[8][9]
Howard was an avid golfer who played 150 rounds a year until hip replacements forced him to quit.
He is also known for his activity in the game World of Warcraft. Howard plays the game under the name Extas on the Herod Classic realm.[10]
In 2015, Howard began creating one-of-a-kind snow globes that are occasionally featured on entertainment programs. He brought one with him for his appearance on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon (with, as a guest, Howard's niece Bryce Dallas Howard).
Filmography
Film
Year | Title | Role | Notes |
---|---|---|---|
1963 | The Courtship of Eddie's Father | Child Party Guest | Uncredited |
1966 | Winnie the Pooh and the Honey Tree | Roo (voice) | Short film |
An Eye for an Eye | Jo-Hi Quince – Brian's Son | ||
1967 | The Jungle Book | Hathi Jr. (voice) | |
Gentle Giant | Mark Wedloe | ||
1968 | Winnie the Pooh and the Blustery Day | Roo (voice) | Short film |
1970 | The Wild Country | Andrew Tanner | |
1973 | Salty | Tim Reed | |
1976 | Eat My Dust! | George Poole Jr. | |
1977 | The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh | Roo (voice) | |
Grand Theft Auto | 'Ace' | ||
I Never Promised You a Rose Garden | Baseball Catcher | ||
1978 | Harper Valley PTA | Corley | |
1979 | Rock 'n' Roll High School | Eaglebauer | |
1981 | Evilspeak | Stanley Coopersmith | |
1982 | Night Shift | Jefferey | |
1983 | Get Crazy | Usher | |
1984 | Splash | Wedding Guest | |
1985 | Cocoon | John Dexter | |
1986 | Gung Ho | Paul | |
The Wraith | 'Rughead' | ||
1987 | End of the Line | Les Sullivan | |
1988 | Freeway | Ronnie | |
B.O.R.N. | Jerry | ||
1989 | Parenthood | Lou | |
Tango & Cash | 'Slinky' | ||
1990 | Disturbed | Brian | |
Silent Night, Deadly Night 4: Initiation | Ricky Baker | ||
1991 | Backdraft | Ricco | |
The Rocketeer | Mark | ||
1992 | Far and Away | Flynn | |
1993 | Carnosaur | 'Slim' Friar | |
Ticks | Jarvis Tanner | ||
1994 | The Paper | Ray Blaisch | |
Leprechaun 2 | Tourist | ||
Bigfoot: The Unforgettable Encounter | Gary | ||
Forced to Kill | Drifter | ||
1995 | Fist of the North Star | 'Stalin' | |
Ice Cream Man | Gregory Tudor | ||
Forget Paris | Exterminator | ||
Digital Man | Deakins | ||
Apollo 13 | Sy Liebergot | ||
Not Like Us | Wede | ||
Twisted Love | Gardener | ||
1996 | Barb Wire | Schmitz | |
Unhook the Stars | Gus | ||
That Thing You Do! | KJZZ Disc Jockey | ||
Santa with Muscles | Hinkley | ||
1997 | Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery | Johnson Ritter | (credited as "radar operator") |
The Protector | Hutch | aka Body Armor; Conway | |
1998 | Twilight | EMS Worker | |
The Dentist 2 | Mr. Toothache | ||
Telling You | Customer | Uncredited | |
The Waterboy | Paco | ||
Evasive Action | Hector Miller | ||
1999 | EDtv | Ken | |
Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me | Johnson Ritter | ||
2000 | My Dog Skip | Millard | |
The Million Dollar Kid | Harvey | ||
Little Nicky | 'Nipples' | ||
Ping! | Stu | ||
How the Grinch Stole Christmas | Whobris | ||
2001 | Blackwoods | Greg | |
2002 | Austin Powers in Goldmember | Johnson Ritter | |
Heart of America | Artie Lynne | ||
100 Women | Mr. Willens | ||
2003 | Pauly Shore is Dead | Pauly's Business Manager | |
House of the Dead | Salish | ||
The Cat in the Hat | Kate the Caterer | ||
The Missing | Sheriff Purdy | ||
2004 | Raising Genius | Mr. Goss | |
The Sure Hand of God | Clyde Trotter | ||
I Am Stamos | Himself | Short film | |
2005 | River's End | Mr. Powell | |
My Big Fat Independent Movie | The Mechanic | ||
Cinderella Man | Referee | ||
Planet Ibsen | Henrik Ibsen | ||
Fun with Dick and Jane | INS Agent | ||
2006 | Church Ball | Gene Jensen | |
The Powder Puff Principle | Principal Richard Skelter | Short film | |
Curious George | Balloon Man (voice) | ||
How to Eat Fried Worms | Uncle Ed | ||
Big Bad Wolf | Fulton Chaney | ||
2007 | Music Within | Clerk | |
Halloween | Dr. Koplenson | ||
A Plumm Summer | 'Binky The Clown' | ||
A Christmas Too Many | Todd | ||
2008 | Foreign Exchange | 'Long Larry' | |
Frost/Nixon | Lloyd Davis | ||
Senior Skip Day | Lionel Huffer | ||
2009 | London Betty | Narrator (voice) | |
Play the Game | Dick | ||
Super Capers | Mugger | ||
Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian | Air and Space Mission Control Tech #1 | ||
Curious George 2: Follow That Monkey! | Farmer Dan (voice) | ||
The Haunted World of El Superbeasto | Cthulu (voice) | ||
Alabama Moon | Constable Sanders | ||
2010 | Holyman Undercover | Roy Sr. | |
Speed-Dating | 'Dom' | ||
2011 | The Dilemma | Herbert Trimpy | |
Blubberella | Dr. Wolfgang Mangler | ||
BloodRayne: The Third Reich | |||
Night Club | Cliff | ||
2012 | Last Call | George | |
The Lords of Salem | Carlo | ||
Nobody Gets Out Alive | Dr. Owen | ||
2013 | Assault on Wall Street | Chuck | |
Huff | Karl | ||
Sparks | Gordon Eldridge | ||
The Profane Exhibit | Bob | Segment: "Basement" | |
2014 | Bald | Nathan | Short film |
Sand Castles | Todd Carlson | ||
Balls Out | Philip | ||
2015 | The Funhouse Massacre | Taxidermist | |
2016 | Guys and Girls Can't Be Friends | Gus | |
2017 | Mad Families | 'Gravy' | |
2018 | The Church | Alexander James / The Spirit | |
Solo: A Star Wars Story | Ralakili | ||
F**k You All: The Uwe Boll Story | Himself | Documentary film | |
2019 | Grand-Daddy Day Care | Judge Littles | |
Play the Flute | Mr. Webber | ||
Apple Seed | Hughie | ||
3 From Hell | Mr. Baggy Britches | ||
American Christmas | Lee | ||
2020 | American Pie Presents: Girls' Rules | Joe | |
Television
Year | Title | Role | Notes |
---|---|---|---|
1962–64 | The Andy Griffith Show | Leon / Boy at Church Social (uncredited) | 5 episodes |
1963 | Breaking Point | Mikey | Episode: "The Gnu, Now Almost Extinct" |
1964 | Vacation Playhouse | Little Boy | Episode: "Hey, Teacher" |
1964–65 | The Baileys of Balboa | Stanley | 26 episodes |
1964, 1965 | The Fugitive | Billy Taft / Johnny Stransel | Episodes: "Home Is the Hunted" / "Set Fire to a Straw Man" |
1965 | Bonanza | Michael Thorpe | Episode: "All Ye His Saints" |
1966 | The Patty Duke Show | Ralphie | Episode: "Three Little Kittens" |
1965, 1966 | Please Don't Eat the Daisies | David / Davey | 3 episodes |
1965, 1970 | The F.B.I. | Alan Ellwood / Josh Cobb | Episodes: "An Elephant Is Like a Rope" / "Incident in the Desert" |
1966, 1967, 1971 | The Virginian | Will / Tommy / Manuel | 3 episodes |
1966 | The Jean Arthur Show | Robbie Fielding | Episode: "My Client, the Rooster" |
1966 | Star Trek: The Original Series | Balok | Episode: "The Corbomite Maneuver" |
1966 | Laredo | Midj | Episode: "Leave It to Dixie" |
1967 | The Monroes | Jody Larson | Episode: "Teaching the Tiger to Purr" |
1967 | Judd for the Defense | Tim Oliver | Episode: "A Civil Case of Murder" |
1967–69 | Gentle Ben | Mark Wedloe | 56 episodes |
1970 | Lancer | Willie Sharpe | Episode: "Blue Skies for Willie Sharpe" |
1970 | Love, American Style | David Kaufman | Episode: "Love and the Coed Dorm/Love and the Optimist/Love and the Teacher" |
1970 | The Red Skelton Show | Lemonade Stand Proprietor | Episode: "Stone Walls Do Not a Prison Make: So They Added Iron Bars" |
1970 | The Odd Couple | Randy Granger | Episode: "The Big Brothers" |
1970 | Family Affair | Tom Richards | Episode: "Say Uncle" |
1971 | Gunsmoke | Lonny | Episode: "Murdoch" |
1971 | The Mod Squad | Davey Carr | Episode: "The Price of Love" |
1971 | Marcus Welby, M.D. | Kimmy Rolf | Episode: "Tender Comrade" |
1971 | Night Gallery | Herbie Bittman | "The Boy Who Predicted Earthquakes" |
1971 | Nanny and the Professor | Timmy McGovern | Episode: "One for the Road" |
1971, 1973 | Insight | Larry Gilprin | 2 episodes |
1973 | The Rookies | Dennis Palmer | Episode: "Crossfire" |
1973 | The Red Pony | Jody Tiflin | Television film |
1973–74 | The Streets of San Francisco | Billy Rudolph | 2 episodes |
1974 | Doc Elliot | Paul Scarne | Episode: "A Small Hand of Friendship" |
1974 | The Cowboys | Steve | 12 episodes |
1974 | Movin' On | Mark | Episode: "Life Line" |
1975 | Walt Disney's Wonderful World of Color | Andrew | Episode: "Wild Country: Part 2" |
1975 | Huckleberry Finn | Arch | Television film |
1976, 1980 | Happy Days | 'Moose' | 2 episodes |
1977 | The Death of Richie | 'Peanuts' | Television film |
1978 | The Fitzpatricks | D'Annunzio | Episode: "A Living Wage" |
1978 | Cotton Candy | Corky Macpherson | Television film |
1982 | Lou Grant | Jerry Kovacovich | Episode: "Recovery" |
1986–87 | Gung Ho | 'Googie' | 9 episodes |
1987 | Sledge Hammer! | Police Officer | Episode: "State of Sledge" |
1987 | Santa Barbara | Marshall | Episode: "#1.677" |
1990 | Hunter | Man In Restaurant | Episode: "Kill Zone" |
1992 | Seinfeld | Tobias Lehigh Nagy | Episode: "The Trip" Part 2 |
1993–94 | Space Rangers | Mimmer | 6 episodes |
1994 | Cheyenne Warrior | Otto Nielsen | Television film |
1995 | Star Trek: Deep Space Nine | Grady | Episode: "Past Tense" |
1995 | Married... with Children | Mullen | Episode: "And Bingo Was Her Game-O" |
1995 | Silk Stalkings | Craig P. Sykes | Episode: "Kill Shot" |
1996 | The Outer Limits | Dennis | Episode: "First Anniversary" |
1996 | Humanoids from the Deep | Deputy | Television film |
1997 | Gun | The Homeless Guy | Episode: "The Shot" |
1998 | From the Earth to the Moon | Paul Lucas | Miniseries |
1998 | Addams Family Reunion | Dogcatcher (uncredited) | Television film |
1999 | Total Recall 2070 | Pontifex | Episode: "Baby Lottery" |
1999 | The Pretender | 'Smitty' | Episode: "Qallupilluit" |
1999 | Arthur's Quest | Mr. Whitney | Television film |
2002 | Star Trek: Enterprise | Muk | Episode: "Acquisition" |
2002 | Rapsittie Street Kids: Believe In Santa | Tug (voice) | Television film |
2003 | Crossing Jordan | Gil Runkis | Episode: "The First Six Years" |
2003, 2013 | Arrested Development | Johnny Bark | 2 episodes |
2006, 2008 | My Name Is Earl | Rodney 'Creepy Rodney' | 2 episodes |
2009 | Heroes | Tom Miller | Episode: "I Am Sylar" |
2009 | Fringe | Emmanuel Grayson | Episode: "The Road Not Taken" |
2011 | Workaholics | Replacement For Adam Demamp | Episode: "The Strike" |
2013 | Call Me Crazy: A Five Film | Harold | Television film |
2013 | Hawaii Five-0 | Superintendent | Episode: "Kupouli 'la"; uncredited |
2014 | Key and Peele | Aerobics Director | Episode: "Aerobics Meltdown" |
2014 | The Birthday Boys | Traffic Control Operator | Episode: "Plight of the Working Class" |
2016 | Still the King | Dave 'Crazy Dave' | 2 episodes |
2018 | Star Trek: Discovery | Orion Drug Dealer | Episode: "Will You Take My Hand?" |
2019 | Those Who Can't | Howard | Episode: "Grisly Man" |
2020 | The Shadow Diaries | Dr. Summers | Voice role; podcast |
Year | Title | Voice role |
---|---|---|
1998 | Tex Murphy: Overseer | Larry Hammond |
References
- Day, Patrick Kevin (2012-07-03). "The residents of Andy Griffith's Mayberry: Where are they now?". Los Angeles Times. ISSN 0458-3035. Retrieved 2017-07-08.
- Deb, Sopan (February 11, 2018). "'Star Trek: Discovery' Season Finale: Wrapping Up". The New York Times. Retrieved February 14, 2018.
- "Heroes: I Am Sylar". WMC Action News 5. April 4, 2009. Archived from the original on June 12, 2018. Retrieved June 6, 2018.
- "NBC Universal Media Village". NBC. Retrieved 2009-04-02.
- McNary, Dave (August 3, 2017). "Han Solo Movie: Clint Howard to Appear in 'Star Wars' Spinoff". Variety. Retrieved August 3, 2017.
- Webber, Stephanie (24 April 2017). "Clint Howard, Wife Melanie Separating After 22 Years of Marriage". US Magazine. American Media Inc. Archived from the original on 12 June 2018. Retrieved 6 June 2018.
- Bond, Paul. "Conservative actors bemoan "intolerant" Hollywood". Reuters. Archived from the original on 3 February 2011. Retrieved 30 January 2011.
- Moody, Chris (January 29, 2016). "Why actor Clint Howard is campaigning for Ted Cruz". CNN. Turner Broadcasting System, Inc. Retrieved 6 June 2018.
- "Clint Howard Endorses Ted Cruz for President". tedcruz.org. Archived from the original on February 4, 2016. Retrieved January 29, 2016.
- http://www.myspace.com/mrclinthoward
External links
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Clint Howard. |
- Clint Howard at IMDb
- Clint Howard at AllMovie
- Ron Howard and Clint Howard (November 30, 2017). "Ron and Clint Howard Remember Dad Rance's 'Enthusiasm, Dignity and Fearlessness' (Guest Column)". Variety.