Rance Howard

Rance Howard (born November 17, 1928) is an American actor who has starred in film and on television. --- 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 actress Bryce Dallas Howard. His son Ron was born while he served three years in the United States Air Force. Howard was known for his role on television in the 1960s TV series Gentle Ben as Henry Broomhauer. Another well-known TV role was on Babylon 5 in which he had a recurring role as David Sheridan, the father of Babylon 5 captain John Sheridan. He also starred in the short-lived 2000 TV series Driving Me Crazy. His television guest appearances include The Andy Griffith Show, The Monroes, Kung Fu, The Waltons, CBS Schoolbreak Special 1986 episode The Drug Knot, Babylon 5, Angel, 7th Heaven, Cold Case, That's So Raven, and two appearances on Seinfeld, both as different characters. Howard has acted in over 100 films, including his first film in 1956 called Frontier Woman, the 1967 movie Cool Hand Luke, The Music Man (in an uncredited bit-part playing "Oscar Jackson"), and many other films. He often takes parts as a priest or reverend, county sheriff or western marshal and has made numerous appearances in films by Joe Dante. Howard has acted in many of his son Ron's films, with the exception of Night Shift, Willow, Backdraft, Ransom, EDtv and The Da Vinci Code. He also appeared as Dottie and Kit's father in A League of Their Own. In 2013, he played Woody Grant's brother in Nebraska.