Howard appeared in films such as Cool Hand Luke (1967), Chinatown (1974), Splash (1984), Ed Wood (1994), Apollo 13 (1995), Independence Day (1996), A Beautiful Mind (2001), Cinderella Man (2005), Frost/Nixon (2008), Nebraska, and Max Rose (both 2013).

[4][5] His professional acting career began in 1948 when he went to New York City, auditioned, and landed a job in a children's touring company.

[1] The role that got him noticed nationally for television and film was playing the part of Lindstrom in the touring company of the play Mister Roberts with Henry Fonda in 1950, portraying the character for about a year-and-a-half in major cities across the U.S.[6] Both Rance and elder son Ron, who was two at the time, made their feature-film debuts together in the 1956 Western Frontier Woman.

[8] Howard acted in many of his son Ron's films including Splash (1984), Cocoon (1985), Apollo 13 (1995), A Beautiful Mind (2001), Cinderella Man (2005) and Frost/Nixon (2008).

[10] He often took parts as a priest or minister, county sheriff, or western marshal, and made numerous appearances in films by Joe Dante.

[17] Howard died on the morning of November 25, 2017, in Los Angeles, California from heart failure spurred on by a West Nile virus infection.