Ron Howard’s father Rance Howard died Saturday at the age of 89, the filmmaker announced on his Twitter account.
‘Clint & I have been blessed to be Rance Howard’s sons. Today he passed at 89,’ the Oscar-winner said on behalf of himself and his actor brother. ‘He stood especially tall 4 his ability to balance ambition [with] great personal integrity.
‘A depression-era farm boy, his passion for acting changed the course of our family history. We love & miss U Dad.’
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Throwback: Rance Howard has died at the age of 89; his son, Ron Howard revealed the news on Twitter; seen in May 2005
Rance, a native of Duncan, Oklahoma, had celebrated his 89th birthday November 17. He had a show business career that spanned six-and-a-half decades, as he got his beginnings as a touring stage actor, working with the late Henry Fonda in Mister Roberts, People reported.
He amassed dozens of silver screen credits, with roles in motion pictures such as Chinatown, Cool Hand Luke, Joe Dirt and Psycho; as well as films his son Ron directed, such as A Beautiful Mind, Apollo 13, Far and Away and Parenthood.
He appeared in many notable TV shows throughout the decades, including Seinfeld, Married with Children, Melrose Place, Laverne & Shirley, Mork & Mindy, The Waltons, The Fugitive, Dynasty, The Andy Griffith Show and Happy Days; the latter two alongside his son Ron.
Rance was honored earlier this month at the premiere of one of his last films Broken Memories, with Ron telling The Hollywood Reporter that his performance in the drama marked ‘the role of his career to date.
Veteran performer: Rance posed in 2013 with wife Judy, who died earlier this year
Devoted: Ron described his late dad, pictured in 2004, as ‘a depression-era farm boy’
‘He has an undying love of the process, which has made him appreciate every day on a film or television set,’ he said. ‘And he’s never lost the youthful excitement for being a part of a process that tells a story that reaches audiences in different ways and reflects the work of a team of collaborators that share that excitement and that always rubbed off on me, that joy of being lucky enough to be among the storytellers.’
Rance’s granddaughter Bryce Dallas Howard hailed him for his persistence to his craft, leaving a vast cinematic legacy despite having ‘never broken out as a movie star.
She continued, ‘He’s never made the money that people dream of, and yet he’s carved out this incredibly unique and remarkable and beautiful career of a character actor. He’s an example of that stick-to-it-ness and what that adds up to in a life.’
Say cheese: Rance posed with granddaughter Bryce Dallas Howard and Ron in 2011
Never give up: Bryce Dallas praised her grandfather for his persistence over six decades in show business