Ron Howard’s mother was cast in a role many years after abandoning her own acting aspirations for her sons, which brought Ron to tears of pride.

Ron Howard and his brother Clint had well-known actor parents who helped them navigate this exciting business as they grew up.

The memoir of their family, “The Boys: A Memoir of Hollywood and Family,” written by Ron and Clint in memory of their parents, Rance Howard and Jean Speegle, included information on how their parents discovered their ancestry.

Before an accident that left her unable to walk, Speegle started her studies at the American Academy of Dramatic Arts in New York.

Fortunately, Speegle bounced back and kept performing at the University of Oklahoma, where she ran into Rance.

In their book, Ron and Clint portrayed their father as a thin, attractive man who relished his cowboy lifestyle. Her boys claimed that Speegle had a doll face and red, curly hair.

Rance and Speegle fell in love right away and realized they would marry. The two decided to leave university soon after they started dating to follow their dream of becoming actors.

Rance and Speegle struggled to find stable work, but eventually found it as traveling actors in a children’s theatre. According to rumors, Speegle has portrayed princesses like Cinderella and ingenues. Rance, on the other hand, was a prince or huntsman.

After a year and a half of cross-country touring, the Howards got hitched in Kentucky while on the road with the children’s theatre.

 

 

 

 

 

View this post on Instagram

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A post shared by RealRonHoward (@realronhoward)

Ron and Clint, the couple’s first two sons, were born to Rance and Speegle. Before quitting to focus on her family in the 1950s, the mother of two performed for another decade.

Rance continued to perform while overseeing Ron and Clint as they worked on other projects. When Ron was six years old, he started appearing on “The Andy Gryphon Show”. He made his film debut at the age of eight in “The Music Man.”

Clint had cameo appearances in the classic films “Star Trek,” “Bonanza,” and “Gentle Ben.” Rance and Speegle did everything they could to help their kids through their newfound fame, putting their son’s earnings in a trust account.

In an interview, Ron and Clint discussed their lives before becoming well-known child performers. The question of lifestyle came up first. The Howard brothers may have led an opulent lifestyle since they were making money from their several businesses.

However, Ron admitted that they did live off his father’s salary to give them a normal childhood. They were approached about creating a clothing line, which would have brought them additional income, according to Ron, but Rance didn’t want his kids to lose their childhood to fame.

Clint also noted that as kids, they had all the necessities. However, nothing was extravagant because they only bought new clothes once a year, did not travel, and did not own fancy cars. Rance and Speegle met the demands and dispelled any fantasies of living the high life in Hollywood.

Clint and Ron acknowledged that living in Hollywood as children were challenging, but they commended their father for constantly protecting their mental health and assuring them that they did not mature too rapidly.

Ron remembers being on set with older kids one day when he was ten years old. When the cast members started using vulgar language, Rance stepped in to correct them by reminding them of his son’s age and the inappropriateness of their behavior.

Clint continued to feature in films like “The Grinch,” “Parenthood,” and others while his brother Ron went on to become a well-known and award-winning filmmaker.

After 30 years, Ron’s mother, who had given up acting to raise her children, decided to make a comeback. In 1995, soon before Ron shot his movie “Apollo 13,” Speegle made a comeback.

She was referred to by her son Ron as the “new old woman on the comedy block,” so when the director suggested casting Speegle in “Apollo 13,” he admitted he was scared.

Ron’s career depended on the image, therefore there was a lot of pressure to get it right. The director decided to use his mother as Tom Hanks’ mother after giving his father’s suggestion some thought.

To make it less formal, Ron said he preferred not to conduct it at the studio. He then went to his parent’s home and told them that although his mother was anxious, she was prepared for her audition.

They went through the routine, and the “Andy Griffen Show” actor admitted that seeing his mother in action made him cry. Ron claimed that in addition to being proud of her as a son, the fact that she had the opportunity to succeed made him cry.

With 29 of the 59 nominations it received, including two Academy Awards, “Apollo 13” turned out to be a success.

In 2000, the Howard brothers’ mother passed away. Speegle’s cardiac and respiratory issues caused his death at the age of 73.

Clint & I have been blessed to be Rance Howard’s sons. Today he passed at 89. He stood especially tall 4 his ability to balance ambition w/great personal integrity. A depression-era farm boy, his passion for acting changed the course of our family history. We love & miss U Dad.

— Ron Howard (@RealRonHoward) November 25, 2017

At the age of 89, Rance passed away in 2017. Ron posted a heartfelt note on Twitter to announce his father’s passing and to thank him for leveraging his love of acting to leave a legacy for his family.

Being Rance Howard’s son has been a blessing for Clint and me. At 89, he died today. He distinguished out in particular for having a strong sense of moral character while juggling ambition. His love of acting, as a farm lad during the Great Depression, altered the direction of our family’s history. We miss and love you, Dad.

The Howard brothers realized they were orphans after Rance passed away and would need to rely only on one another to go through the rest of their lives.

Clint acknowledged that he struggled with the idea of dying. The actor insisted he did not panic after his father passed away, but he felt he was holding back the pain and preventing himself from expressing his sorrow.

Nevertheless, he was appreciative of Ron’s help. The brothers decided to publish their work, “The Boys: A Memoir of Hollywood and Family,” in honor of Rance and Speegle’s lives.