Although Rance Howard's solid frame, wind-blown face, and lilting Midwestern voice may not be as easily recognizable as the faces of his sons director-actor Ron Howard and actor Clint Howard, Rance has been seen by TV and movie audiences dozens of times, usually in guest star appearances (often westerns) and more recently in virtually every film directed by son Ron. Rance Howard was born and raised in Oklahoma, a state settled by his earliest American ancestors, whose story was fictionalized in Ron Howard's 1992 movie, "Far and Away." As a child, Rance was in a touring children's theatre, and as he reached maturity, he toured with Henry Fonda in "Mister Roberts" before moving to Baltimore to become resident director of The Hilltop Theatre, a repertory company. Moving to New York a year later, Howard was cast along with his eldest son in "The Journey," his first feature. His TV debut came with a live episode of "Kraft Theatre," and he has not stopped since, being seen by audiences in "Bat Masterson," "Gunsmoke," "The Waltons," and as a regular in "Gentle Ben," which co-starred his younger son, Clint. On the big screen, Howard already had "The Wild Country" and "Eat My Dust" to his credit before he joined with Ron to write "Grand Theft, Auto," through which Ron made his directorial debut. Rance has since appeared in most of Ron's films -- "Splash," "Cocoon," "Apollo 13," etc., as well as in "The End," "Salty," Love Letters" and in a chief role in "Big Foot: The Unforgettable Encounter" in 1995. Howard is also an active theatre director in the Los Angeles area.