Meet Clint Howard: Director Ron Howard’s Famous Brother Who Followed in His Footsteps

Director Ron Howard is the man behind some of the biggest blockbuster films of all time like The Da Vinci Code and Apollo 13. His contributions to the world of entertainment are unmatched and have been praised for over six decades. His younger brother, Clint Howard, has been by his side supporting him through it all and even launched a successful show business career of his own.

Ron and Clint grew up in a household full of actors. Their parents, Jean Speegle Howard and Rance Howard were also in show business. Ron was born in 1954 and Clint was born in 1959. Their parents decided to uproot their farm life in Oklahoma in the 1950s and move the family to Los Angeles to pursue their acting dreams.

Ron booked his breakout role of Opie Taylor on The Andy Griffith Show in 1960. Jean would take Clint to the set to watch Ron perform. Director Bob Jones spotted Clint one day and decided he wanted to create a role for him on the show too. Clint was just 2 years old at the time when he played the role of Little Leon on The Andy Griffith Show. Even though the Howard brothers were both child actors, there was never any kind of rivalry between them.

“Ron and I were never in competition, as siblings so often are,” Clint wrote in the duo’s 2021 book The Boys: A Memoir of Hollywood and Family. “I looked up to him. Coming along second gave me a greater vantage point from which to watch and learn.”

Clint got his big break working on the series Gentle Ben from 1967 to 1969. In the show, Clint worked with a live black bear during his scenes and was praised for being so mature at a young age. When Ron had days off on The Andy Griffith Show, he would fly down to Florida to visit Clint on set. Producer Ivan Tors wrote in parts for Ron on Gentle Ben so the brothers could act together.

“I loved watching Clint act,” Ron shared in the memoir. “I was always conscious of hitting my mark, not making mistakes, pleasing the director. Clint didn’t give a damn! He had a go-for-broke quality that worked because he was so well-prepared and naturally talented.”

Growing up in the spotlight certainly had some drawbacks for both Ron and Clint. In his early teens, Clint wondered if he should pursue a different career path as a journalist. Now a published author with his brother, the pair still have a bond that is stronger than ever. Clint has starred in 16 films directed by Ron throughout his career including Parenthood and Night Shift.

Clint became a regular on Star Trek in the late ‘60s. He also worked with Disney on several Winnie the Pooh films before taking on the role of Hathi Jr. in The Jungle Book. Clint has over 250 acting credits that range from comedies, dramas and sci-fi films. He recently appeared in Solo: A Star Wars Story in 2018, another Disney film that was directed by Ron.

Aside from his busy life in Hollywood, Clint is a loving husband to Kat C. Howard. The pair were married in a 2020 Las Vegas ceremony. He was previously married to Melanie Howard for over 22 years. The pair divorced in 2017 and never had any children. Clint is a proud uncle of Ron’s children, Bryce, Paige, Reed and Jocelyn.