Cheers to Clint…no, not Eastwood

You’d know him to see him. His unconventional looks make him instantly recognizable. He’s also director extraordinaire, Ron Howard’s, younger brother, and he’s been a gainfully employed actor in his own right for nearly 50 years. He broke into the biz at age three when he starred in several episodes of The Andy Griffith Show, and has been acting steadily ever since.

With ties to a family with a long history in the movie business and in having a large and diverse body of work to his credit, it’s surprising that Clint Howard never achieved leading man status. His career has been defined mostly by character acting and supporting roles in film, 17 of which were directed by his brother, Ron.

Clint Howard’s filmography reads like a movie store shelf. He’s starred in comedies, dramas, action flicks, horror and animated movies, and even romantic comedies. Despite having made tons of good, quality films that achieved huge critical and commercial success, Howard never quite garnered the kind of fame of a marquee movie star. Rather, he carved out a niche for himself as a supporting actor tapped to appear in a variety of genres alongside some of Hollywood’s biggest stars, and he’s played his roles well.

In 1998, Howard was awarded the MTV Movie Awards Lifetime Achievement award proving that he and his work hadn’t gone unnoticed after all. Here are a few of Clint Howard’s most memorable films:

Apollo 13

In this adaptation of true events, Howard plays Seymour "Sy" Abraham Liebergot, a NASA flight controller who served during the Apollo program and helped guide Apollo 13 back to Earth.

Backdraft

In this film directed by his brother Ron, Howard plays a morgue attendant who works on the bodies of victims who have perished in violent fires.

Cocoon

Howard plays a worker in a retirement home where a group of elderly residents experience miraculous rejuvenating affects from a group of aliens.

Tango and Cash

Howard has a small role in this action-comedy, starring Sylvester Stallone. Howard plays prison inmate, Slinky, and cellmate to Stallone’s wrongfully convicted cop character, Tango. Howard is perfectly cast as the irritating, whiny character that plays with his slinky toy incessantly, eventually becoming tied up by his beloved toy after Tango gets fed up with him.

The Austin Powers series

In this wildly popular and hilarious franchise, Howard plays a space tracking agent.

Edtv

In another small role, Howard is cast as a television director of a reality show starring a guy named Ed.

The Waterboy

Howard’s shining moment from The Waterboy can be seen in this clip:

Do you have a favourite Clint Howard role? Let us know in the comments section.