Rance Howard

Rance Howard
Rance Howard
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Portrays:	Farnes
Date of Birth:	November 17, 1928
Date of Death:	November 25, 2017
Age at Death:	89
Nationality:	USA
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		@ BW Media
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Rance Howard (born November 17, 1928 in Oklahoma) is an American character actor, writer, and producer.

Howard is the father of actors Ron Howard (child actor of The Andy Griffith Show, co-star of Happy Days, and popular motion picture director of films including Splash, Apollo 13 and Cast Away) and Clint Howard (child actor in the original Star Trek episode "The Corbomite Maneuver," and character actor in many TV and motion picture roles). Howard is the grandfather of Lady in the Water actress Bryce Dallas Howard (Ron's daughter, and supporting actress in Spider-Man 3).

The patriarch of the Howard acting clan, Rance Howard has an extensive acting career in television and film since the 1950s. Married to the late Jean Speegle Howard (herself a venerable actress in her own right), Howard made his marks in classic American television with roles in shows such as The Andy Griffith Show, That Girl, Bonanza (starring Original Series actor Lorne Greene), Gunsmoke, The Waltons, Little House on the Prairie, Happy Days and many other programs throughout the end of the 20th Century.

Howard has taken some writing credits for episodes of Andy Griffith, The Flintstones, and The Rookies. As producer, Howard has credits for Grand Theft Auto, Cotton Candy and Through the Magic Pyramid.

Science fiction fans may remember Howard in the brief appearances in Babylon 5, where Howard portrayed David Sheridan, the father of the lead character, John Sheridan, who reminded his son of his first lesson in fighting before a climactic battle in the series: "Never start a fight, but always finish it."

Howard had a brief role as Farnes, the ill-fated constable in the Original Series episode "The Magnificent Warriors".