Oscar-winning filmmaker Ron Howard and his brother, actor Clint Howard, have written a memoir together.
The Boys: A Memoir of Hollywood and Family will be published October 12th by William Morrow, an imprint of HarperCollins Publishers. The book will examine the brothers’ Hollywood childhoods, beginning with their careers as child actors. Although Ron found success on The Andy Griffith Show and Happy Days, he describes in the memoir the stress that came with his newfound fame and the bullying he endured by his peers. Likewise, although Clint snagged roles on Star Trek, Gentle Ben and other shows (including guest-star slots alongside his brother), his acting career petered out when he was an adolescent, sending him into a period of struggle and crisis.
“When our dad passed in 2017, Clint and I began reflecting upon our lives and realized that while our childhoods seemed normal, they were anything but,” Ron Howard said in a statement. “Who grows up on a soundstage hanging out with Andy Griffith and Don Knotts, or with a trained bear? And what are the ways that particular childhood forever informed the choices I would make as a husband, father and filmmaker? We’re excited to share the story of how our parents pulled this off— raising two show-business kids who had no clue that their lives were out of the ordinary while rooting them in a loving, slightly off-beat family.”
Clint Howard added, “Mom and Dad’s teachings are treasures to this day but I’ve realized that I took their presence for granted. Writing The Boys with my brother has been the topper of a wonderful lifetime.”