Rance Howard (born Harold Rance Beckenholdt; November 17, 1928 – November 25, 2017) was an American actor, producer, and writer best known for Cool Hand Luke (1967), Independence Day (1996), and Cinderella Man (2005).
He was married to Jean Speegle and Judy Howard. His sons are Ron Howard and Clint Howard and his grandchildren are Bryce Dallas Howard and Paige Howard.
Howard died in 2017 at the age of 89 from heart failure related to West Nile virus.
Filmography
open/close all folders
Film Roles
- 1956: Frontier Woman as Prewitt
- 1962: The Music Man as Oscar Jackson (Uncredited Role)
- 1963: The Courtship Of Eddies Father as Camp Counselor (uncredited)
- 1965: Village of the Giants as Deputy
- 1965: The Desert Raven as Reggie
- 1966: An Eye For An Eye as Harry
- 1967: Gentle Giant as Tater Coughlin
- 1967: Cool Hand Luke as Sheriff (uncredited)
- 1970: The Wild Country as Cleve (uncredited)
- 1972: Bloody Trail as Jake
- 1973: The Red Pony as Sheriff Bill Smith
- 1974: Where The Lilies Bloom as Roy Luther
- 1974: Chinatown as Irate Farmer
- 1974: Locusts as Aaron
- 1975: Huckleberry Finn as Pap Finn
- 1976: Eat My Dust as Clark
- 1977: The Legend Of Frank Woods as Howard Blacker
- 1977: Grand Theft Auto (1977) as Ned Slinker (also writer and producer)
- 1977: Another Man Another Chance as Wagonmasker
- 1978: Mr. No Legs as Lou's Sidekick
- 1978: Cotton Candy as Mr. Bremmercamp (also producer)
- 1979: Flatbed Annie And Sweetiepie Lady Truckers as Mr. Murray
- 1979: The Kid From Left Field as Harry the Bartender
- 1980: Scouts Honor as The Captain
- 1980: Skyward as Pilot #2
- 1981: The Miracle Of Kathy Miller as Dr. Jewell
- 1981: Smokey Bites The Dust as Coach
- 1982: The Kid With The Broken Halo as Coach Ramsdell
- 1982: The Executioners Song as Lt. Nelson
- 1982: Airplane II: The Sequel as Person #1 (uncredited)
- 1983: Love Letters as Joseph Chesley
- 1983: Forever And Beyond as Technician
- 1983: Rita Hayworth The Love Godess as Still Photographer
- 1984: The Lonely Guy as Minister
- 1984: The Fantastic World Of DC Collins as Policeman
- 1984: Splash as McCullough
- 1985: Scandal Sheet as Mr. Bell
- 1985: Playing With Fire 1985 as Fireman Goodwin
- 1985: Cocoon as St. Petersburg Detective
- 1985: Creator as Mr. Spencer
- 1986: Gung Ho as Mayor Conrad Zwart
- 1986: Return to Mayberry as Preacher
- 1986: Two Soldiers as Paw
- 1986: A Smoky Mountain Christmas as Dr. Jennings
- 1987: Innerspace as Supermarket Customer
- 1988: Dark Before Dawn as Logan
- 1989: Trust Me as Vern
- 1989: The 'Burbs as Detective
- 1989: Listen to Me as Tucker's Father
- 1989: Parenthood as Dean at College
- 1989: BORN as Robert Morrison
- 1989: Limit Up as Chuck Feeney
- 1991: Nine And A Half Ninjas as Ninja Negotiator
- 1991: Lucy And Desi Before The Laughter as Bernie
- 1992: Boris and Natasha as Polygraph Man
- 1992: I Dont Buy Kisses Anymore as Elderly Man
- 1992: Far and Away as Tomlin
- 1992: Universal Soldier as John Devreux
- 1992: Wishman as Det. Sturgis
- 1993: Ticks as Sheriff Parker
- 1993: Fearless as Bald Cabby
- 1993: Ed And His Dead Mother as Rev. Paxton
- 1993: Snapdragon as Priest
- 1994: The Paper as Alicia's Doctor
- 1994: Forced To Kill as Rance
- 1994: The Cowboy Way as Old Gentleman
- 1994: Terminal Velocity (1994) as Chuck
- 1994: Ed Wood as Old Man McCoy
- 1994: Little Giants as Priest
- 1995: Savate as Farmer
- 1995: Bigfoot The Unforgettable Encounter as Todd Brandell
- 1995: Problem Child 3 Junior In Love as The Janitor
- 1995: Children of the Corn III: Urban Harvest as Employer
- 1995: Apollo 13 as Reverend
- 1995: The Colony as Stan Benson
- 1996: Tiger Heart as Mr. Johnson
- 1996: Sgt Bilko as Mr. Robbins
- 1996: Where Truth Lies as Judge Bloom
- 1996: Independence Day as Chaplain
- 1996: Mars Attacks! as Texan Investor
- 1996: Ghosts of Mississippi as Ralph Hargrove
- 1997: Busted as Mayor Davies
- 1997: Traveller as Farmer
- 1997: The Second Civil War as Arnold Tooney Jr.
- 1997: Money Talks as Reverend
- 1997: The Lay Of The Land as Dr. Brown
- 1997: Holiday In Your Heart as Blind Man
- 1998: The Sender as Max
- 1998: Chairman of the Board as Rev. Hatley
- 1998: Land Of The Free as Hotel Manager
- 1998: Small Soldiers as Husband
- 1998: The Night Caller as Hank
- 1998: Psycho (1998) as Mr. Lowery
- 1999: Happy, Texas as Ely
- 1999: Malevolence as Dr. Burns
- 1999: Shadows Of The Past as Arliss
- 2000: Love And Sex as Earl
- 2000: Ping as Old Man
- 2000: Big Wind On Campus as Grandpa Morton
- 2000: How the Grinch Stole Christmas! as Elderly Timekeeper
- 2001: Joe Dirt as Bomb Squad Cop
- 2001: A Crack In The Floor as Floyd Fryed
- 2001: Rat Race as Feed the Earth Spokesman
- 2001: A Beautiful Mind as White-Haired Patient
- 2002: D-Tox as Geezer
- 2002: Legend Of The Phantom Rider as Doc Fisher
- 2003: The Long Ride Home as Old Man
- 2003: Ghost Rock as Cash
- 2003: The Missing as Telegraph Operator
- 2004: Death And Texas as Circuit Court Judge
- 2004: Toolbox Murders as Chas Rooker
- 2004: The Alamo (2004) as Gov. Smith
- 2004: Eulogy as Lance Sommers
- 2004: Back By Midnight as Priest
- 2005: Cinderella Man as Announcer Al Fazin
- 2005: Killing Cupid as Zeke
- 2005: Miracle At Sage Creek as Dr. Babcock
- 2005: Aimee Semple Mc Pherson as James Kennedy
- 2006: Sasquatch Mountain as Harris Zeff
- 2007: Georgia Rule as Dog Bite Man
- 2007: Be My Baby as Zippy the Messenger
- 2007: Ghost Town The Movie as Sheriff Tom Parker
- 2007: Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story as Preacher
- 2008: Grizzlypark as Ranger Howard
- 2008: Drillbit Taylor as Older Man
- 2008: Audie And The Wolf as Dr. Maleosis
- 2008: Frost/Nixon as Ollie
- 2008: Skip Tracer as Old Man Dickens
- 2009: Play The Game as Mervin Lavine
- 2009: Angels & Demons as Cardinal Beck
- 2009: Within as Deli Owner
- 2009: Shadowheart as Wedding Preacher
- 2009: Boppin At The Glue Factory as Walker Bill
- 2009: Play Dead as Old Man
- 2010: Valentine's Day as Bistro Gardens Diner
- 2010: Once Fallen as Harry
- 2010: Jonah Hex as Telegrapher
- 2010: The Genesis Code as Dr. Tolley
- 2011: The Dilemma as Burt
- 2011: Beverly Hills Chihuahua 2 as Preacher
- 2011: Night Club as Chuck
- 2011: Space Buddies as Mr. Johnson
- 2011: Rosewood Lane as Fred Crumb
- 2011: Let Go as Dimples
- 2012: Easy Rider 2 The Ride Home as Andrew Jackson Bennett
- 2013: Huff 2013 as Scotty
- 2013: Max Rose as Walter Prewitt
- 2013: Nebraska! as Uncle Ray
- 2013: The Lone Ranger as Engineer
- 2016: Forty Nights as Devil as an Old Man
- 2016: Home On The Range 2016 as Cal Harlan
- 2017: Chasing The Star as Devil as an Old Man
Television Roles
- 1958: How To Marry A Millionaire as Corporal
- 1959: Bat Masterson as Fletcher
- 1959: Zane Grey Theatre as Deputy Shaker
- 1960: The Danny Thomas Show as TV Crewman
- 1960-1961: Death Valley Days as Mace/Gideon
- 1962-1964: The Andy Griffith Show as Party Guest/1st Treasury Agent/Governor's Chauffeur/Bus Driver
- 1963: Combat! (1962) as Wilkerson
- 1963-1964: The Fugitive as Man in parking lot/Doctor
- 1965-1966: That Girl as Customer II
- 1966: The Virginian as Luka
- 1966: The Jean Arthur Show as Reporter #1
- 1967: The Monroes as Al
- 1967-1969: Gentle Ben as Henry Boomhauer
- 1970: Then Came Bronson as Carl Mueller
- 1970: Here Comes The Bride as Goff
- 1970: Dan August as Hobbs
- 1970-1974: Gunsmoke as Frank Benton/Judge Alan Franklin
- 1971: Night Gallery as Cameraman
- 1971: The Smith Family as Apartment Manager/Doctor
- 1971-1972: Bonanza as Bogardus/Sam
- 1972: Nichols as Deputy
- 1973: The F.B.I. as Ranger
- 1973: Kung Fu as Sheriff Boyd
- 1973-1975: The Waltons as Dr. McIvers
- 1975: The Rookies as Truck Driver
- 1975: Switch as Collins
- 1976-1979: Happy Days as Mr. Burkhart/Ben Wilson/Announcer
- 1977: Little House on the Prairie as Simpson
- 1978: Battlestar Galactica (1978) as Farnes
- 1979: Laverne & Shirley as Doctor
- 1980-1981: Heres Boomer as Foldy/Sheriff
- 1980: Mork & Mindy as Guard
- 1983: The Thorn Birds as Doc Wilson
- 1984: Dynasty (1981) as Gifford
- 1984: Maximum Security as Prison Guard
- 1984: Finder Of Lost Loves as Hank
- 1984: Murder, She Wrote as Fillmore
- 1985: Days of Our Lives as Henry Clovis
- 1985: A Death In California as Ralph Lee
- 1985: The Long Hot Summer as Wilk
- 1988: Wiseguy as Ernest Haynes
- 1989: The Adventures of Superboy as Colonel
- 1989: BL Stryker as Richard Walton
- 1989-1992: Baywatch as Joe/Fireman
- 1990: Equal Justice as Mr. Williams
- 1991: Quantum Leap as Doc Graves
- 1993: Coach as Herman Van Dam
- 1993-1996: Seinfeld as Farmer/Blind Man
- 1994: Diagnosis: Murder as Driver
- 1994: Rebel Highway as Minute Man 3
- 1994: Tales from the Crypt as Des
- 1996: Melrose Place as Motel Manager
- 1996-1997: Married... with Children as Reverend/Edwin
- 1996-1997: Babylon 5 as David Sheridan
- 1997: Beyond Belief: Fact or Fiction as Reginald Hannon
- 1999: Just Shoot Me! as Blind Flower Guy
- 2000: 7th Heaven as Old Man in Park
- 2001: The Huntress as Foreman
- 2001: Angel as Marcus Roscoe/Angel
- 2002: That '80s Show as Mr. Bailey
- 2002: Son of the Beach as Dean Faraday
- 2004: Cold Case as Buddie
- 2004: That's So Raven as Murphy
- 2005: Ghost Whisperer as Dirk Abrams
- 2006: CSI: NY as Samuel Cooper
- 2009: Lie to Me as Joe Metz
- 2009: ER as Dr. Oliver Kostin
- 2011: Workaholics as Jerry
- 2012: Grey's Anatomy as Martin Carroll
- 2013: NCIS: Los Angeles as Eugene
- 2014: Kroll Show as Dr. Stanley Armond
- 2014: Review as Willie
- 2014: Bones as Jerold Norsky
- 2015: The X-Files as Old Man
- 2018: Arrested Development as Rance Howard
Writer
- The Flintstones (1964-1965)
- The Andy Griffith Show (1966)
- Gentle Ben (1968)
- The Rookies (1972)
- Partridge Family 2200 AD (1974)
- The Time Crystal (1981) (also producer)
