Story highlights Rance Howard was cast in many of his son's moviesHe had a regular role in the TV show "Gentle Ben"(CNN) Longtime film and television actor Rance Howard, father of director Ron Howard, has died, according to a Saturday tweet from Ron Howard's verified account. "Clint & I have been blessed to be Rance Howard's sons. A depression-era farm boy, his passion for acting changed the course of our family history. We love & miss U Dad," Ron Howard tweeted. Rance Howard was born Harold Engle Beckenholdt on November 17, 1928, in Oklahoma, according to the Internet Movie Database.

Source: CNN November 26, 2017 00:00 UTC