Rance Howard, father of Ron Howard and a familiar face on The Andy Griffith Show, had quite the unexpected experience while filming. The late Rance, who passed away in 2017 at the age of 89, made several appearances on the beloved series in various roles. In a candid interview, he recounted a moment when he was suddenly called to fill in for a guest actor who had collapsed due to “semi-hysteria.”
Primarily, Rance worked as a dialogue coach for young Ron, who was just six years old when the show premiered in 1960. At that age, Ron couldn’t read, and Rance played a crucial role in helping him memorize his lines and develop his acting skills. “My dad taught me the dialogue,” Ron explained. “In retrospect, he was instilling solid fundamentals about acting.”
Reflecting on working with child actors, Ron acknowledged the common pitfalls that directors can fall into, including treating young talents more like performing pets than actors. He emphasized the importance of genuine acting, thanks to his father’s guidance. “My dad was teaching me to act, and he became an integral part of the process.”
Rance Howard didn’t expect to act in the episode in question, where he had made smaller appearances before, like playing the governor’s chauffeur and a “G-man.” However, while sitting on set during rehearsals, he witnessed a guest actor suffer a medical emergency.
“I remember he seemed fine at first,” Rance shared on the Two Chairs No Waiting podcast. “He did a couple of scenes but then suddenly stood up looking strange. He apologized to everyone and then broke down, sobbing uncontrollably, before collapsing on the soundstage.”
As the crew quickly assessed the situation and called for medical assistance, the director looked to Rance for a solution. “Everyone was panicking, wondering what to do. The director said, ‘Hey, Rance can do that!’” Rance recalled. The wardrobe team quickly suited him up in one of Andy Griffith’s outfits, and he found himself trying to learn the lines for the FBI character on the fly. And just like that, Rance Howard became a last-minute replacement, demonstrating the spirit of teamwork that defined the show.
