Ron and Clint Howard are both child
actor success stories. They started young with parents who encouraged but
didn’t force them to become actors. They’re still doing what they love
and remain close. That’s why one of them became concerned when the other
began walking down a dangerous path. Clint doesn’t blame the influence of Hollywood
for the change, but it did mirror many other child stars. He began to struggle with addiction
and wouldn’t have been able to claw himself out of it without help from his entire family.
Keep watching to learn why Ron Howard reveals he is frightened for his brother’s life.
Growing Up Famous Having not one but two child actors in a
family is a unique situation. The Howard brothers had early success but were lucky
to have parents who guided the way. They now look back on the experience as an important
part of shaping them into the men they are now. Starting Out
Jean and Rance Howard were simple farmers from Oklahoma. They also had dreams
of acting and moved to Los Angeles in the 1950s. They eventually had two children. Ron
Howard was born on the first of March, 1954. Clint followed on April 20, 1959.
Rance saw the need for child actors soon after taking the family to Los Angeles. He also
noticed Ron’s natural talent and ability to take direction. He knew that they would be a great fit.
Ron first started acting when he was only 6. He appeared as Opie Taylor on The Andy Griffith Show
from 1960-1968. Clint also found success in shows such as Star Trek and Gentle Ben. They were
a hit as soon as they stepped into the light. Parental Influence
The boys remember that their father had a strict and negative upbringing but brought a gentler
form of tough love to them. He would work to make their experiences as child actors into more
than a career. Ron said that he would remind them they had a chance to create something valuable.
He never pitted them against each other for parts, and they always seemed to get whatever they
went out for. The advice he gave them sticks with them today. Ron still remembers how much his
father emphasized the importance of preparation. The brothers did argue and fight over
small things. Clint was jealous when his brother first got a hit show.
Their father always stepped in with advice again, reminding them that they’d value
their friendship later in life, which they did. The boys also remember their mother. She would
call them “sophisticated hicks.” Clint admits they picked on her but valued her unwavering optimism
because it encouraged them to follow their dreams. Their parents had a permanent effect on them. Ron
was surprised at how comfortable they were with themselves and the aura of confidence they gave
off. It didn’t matter where they came from. They knew who they were and that their
family was destined for greatness. Clint also doesn’t believe that the brothers’
success ever bothered their father. It was true that he never achieved his dreams of being a
singing cowboy like Gene Autry because he couldn’t sing a tune. At the same time, he didn’t see
it as a competition. Their mother and father focused on being devoted parents instead.
The brothers also agree that they couldn’t have had the career they did without their
mother. Jean was a leader who helped guide their way. She also had a relationship with
their father that the boys could look up to. Looking Back
Clint says he did consider putting acting behind him when he was
in his teens. He inherited his mother’s love of words and considered being a journalist. It
was an alternative option, but he stuck out being an actor and is now an author as well.
Ron calls his experience as a child actor a “survival story.” He believes the business
often sets them up to fail and forces them to use formulaic tricks. He’s grateful
that his father never made him do that. He always believed his boys had the emotional
intelligence to understand what scenes were about and how to portray characters honestly.
They both thank their parents for sparking their work ethic and helping them grow their talent. Ron
recognizes their mistakes but considers himself lucky to call Jean and Rance Howard his parents.
He also wonders how they managed to do what they did now that he has four children of his own.
Stressful Times on Happy Days The Howard boys fortunately had
parents that didn’t force them to compete. That didn’t mean they were beyond
showbusiness rivalries with other actors. Ron said he would have “benefited from seeing a
psychotherapist” during his time on Happy Days. Henry Winkler’s “The Fonz” was an early fan
favorite and began to eclipse his character Richie Cunningham. ABC even brought up the
idea of renaming the show Fonzie’s Happy Days. The stress was too much for Ron, but he kept
it all inside until it started to show in his body. He would break out in eczema rashes and his
hair started thinning and coming out in clumps. The situation eventually calmed down when show
creator Garry Marshall said he wouldn’t change the show’s name if Ron “didn’t support
it.” He empathically said that he didn’t. Keeping the title didn’t affect the success
of Happy Days, which ran from 1974-1984. It spawned two spinoffs, Mork & Mindy and Laverne
& Shirley as well as one turnkey Joanie Loves Chachi. It may have invented the term
“jumping the shark,” which refers to a show’s drop in quality in later seasons, but
it remains one of the world’s favorite sitcoms. Ron and Henry also remained friends. They reunited for 1982’s Night Shift, which Ron directed.
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watching to learn why Ron Howard revealed he was frightened for his brother’s life.
Clint’s Addictions The show business industry can often
lead to addiction, but Clint doesn’t blame its influence. He doesn’t blame his
childhood at all. He simply needed to numb his feelings. He started with pot and
alcohol and then went to heavier drugs. Clint says there were no early signs of
his growing addiction, but Ron disagrees. He regrets that he didn’t notice anything. He
also regrets that when he did start to see them, he didn’t take action. He would tell his parents
to “let him live his life” when they began to worry. He wishes he’d gone the other way and
been a bit tougher to save him pain later. That all changed one day. Ron eventually decided
to step up and do whatever he could. Even though he admits the line is a bit cheesy,
he told his brother “It’s one thing to use drugs and another to let drugs use you.”
Clint says that “as good as he is as a director, Ron is an even greater older brother.” He can’t
thank him enough for everything he did for him, including casting him in his movies to give him
steady work. He also thanked his parents again for their help and that they didn’t back away.
They took the keys from him in a gesture of tough love that worked. He also thanks groups
such as Alcoholics Anonymous and Al-Anon. Clint’s first attempts to get sober began in 1984
when he found a treatment program at Beverly Glen Hospital. He tried a few times but marks June
14, 1991, as his first official day of sobriety. The New Book
The Boys: A Memoir of Hollywood and Family is filled with
segments from Ron and Clint. It’s an honest look into their lives as children and adults.
The brothers were inspired to start writing after the death of their father. They
remember how clearly he saw the world, looking at his successes and failures honestly
and helping them to do the same. Clint says it feels like his hand is still on his shoulder
the way he used to do to encourage his sons. Clint says the book gave him a chance to
look back on the industry of showbusiness. Hindsight helped him see both what
was different and what hadn’t changed. He says that he grew up in an industry full
of grizzled WW II veterans. It’s now a more diverse place full of college-educated
and curious souls. The thing that hasn’t changed is the principles of telling a story
that reaches and entertains an audience. Ron saw that not all of his dreams were meant
for him. He thought that it was a “forgone conclusion” that he’d become a director and
succeed as an adult actor. He eventually won Academy Awards for A Beautiful Mind, Apollo
13, Cocoon, and Splash. No matter what, his parents always believed in him.
The book doesn’t talk much about his early directorial work. It often
focuses more on the experiences behind the set, even the ones that are a bit personal.
Ron admits that Cindy Williams, his costar in 1973’s American Graffiti, had to teach him
how to kiss. They weren’t attracted to each other but he said she “taught me how to make out
convincingly for the camera without overstepping.” There’s also an amusing detail about Clint’s
costar on Gentle Ben. The “only negative” about the bear he worked with was his odor.
He smelled and took “prodigious dumps due to his equally prodigious diet.”
The book also doesn’t shy away from details about Clint’s addiction. It
includes details about how he tried to get over it and how his family helped him.
Clint also says that the book helped bring him and his family closer together. His son Bryce
did a documentary called Dads. It got him to admit that he was always trying to live up to
his parents. They were the key to their success, making them an important part of the book as well.
Fans of the Howard brothers can get a new perspective on their life and work from
the book. It helps show them as full human beings and not just actors. They’ve been
in the spotlight since they were children, but there’s so much about their real
lives that the world doesn’t know. Who’s your favorite child actor?
Let us know in the comments below.
