Clint Howard said he and his older brother, director Ron Howard, are "just people" with jobs as the siblings navigate a rare moment in awards-season recognition for both. In a recent interview with Fox News Digital, Clint, 66, stressed that despite decades in entertainment the family is ordinary and deeply connected.
The comments come as the two brothers each received their first acting Emmy nominations this year: Ron, 71, for a guest spot on Apple TV+'s "The Studio," and Clint for a 13-episode turn as Tom Starr on the daytime drama "The Bold and the Beautiful." "I know in heaven, somewhere, my mom is up there just beaming, beaming that her boys got nominated for Emmys," Clint said, calling the dual nominations "a wonderful achievement." He added he will attend the Daytime Emmys for his nomination and watch the Primetime ceremony from home in hopes Ron wins.
Clint reviewed his family’s trajectory with measured pride. He praised Ron’s directing career — which includes films such as "Splash," "Parenthood," "Apollo 13" and "Solo: A Star Wars Story" — and noted Ron’s two Oscars for "A Beautiful Mind" in 2002. He also lauded Ron’s daughter, Bryce Dallas Howard, 44, for her acting and directing work, including starring roles in the "Jurassic World" franchise and recent directorial projects.
Both brothers began as child actors. Ron gained fame as Opie Taylor on "The Andy Griffith Show" beginning in 1960, and Clint first entered the spotlight on the 1967 series "Gentle Ben." Clint has since amassed more than 200 acting credits spanning film and television, with roles in productions ranging from Disney's "The Jungle Book" to recurring parts in several "Star Trek" iterations, as well as appearances in films such as "Dr. Seuss' How the Grinch Stole Christmas." Ron has been nominated for numerous Emmys over the years for his work behind the camera and won a Golden Globe for acting on "Happy Days" in 1978.
Clint described the role that earned him daytime recognition as initially intended to last two episodes after an improvised audition. The character expanded into 13 episodes before being killed off in a whodunit arc. He recounted that his real-life wife, Kat, was on set and caught him when the scene required his character to collapse and die. He also praised the demanding pace of soap-opera production as sharpening his acting skills.
The actor said he finds directing work with his brother particularly rewarding. "I love being directed by Ron," Clint said, calling Ron an "actor's director" who understands when to push performers and when to let them work. He added that Ron has also been generous as an older brother. "He's a better big brother than he is a filmmaker," Clint said. "He really truly is. I was so blessed in my life to have him be my older brother."
Clint noted there has never been rivalry between them. "He's always been my older brother that I love," he said. He also shared that his career continues actively: he appears in the cult horror film "Terrifier 3," is developing a reboot of his 1995 slasher "Ice Cream Man," and said Ron, along with other family members, has agreed to cameo in the reboot. Clint's teenage daughter Raffie is also slated to appear.
The family’s history in Hollywood spans generations; their father, Rance Howard, worked as an actor and appeared with them in early productions. Ron's television work as a director and producer has earned more than two dozen Emmy nominations over the years for non-acting categories, and he remains a prominent figure in both studio filmmaking and streaming-era projects.
Clint framed the siblings’ shared trajectory in pragmatic terms, emphasizing craft and continuity rather than celebrity. "We're just people that make a living. We're just people that have jobs," he said, pointing to the creativity of their work but rejecting a notion of specialness tied to fame. In the weeks ahead, both brothers will track the Emmy races and continue professional projects that keep the family visible across film and television.