INSTANT NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER
"This extraordinary book is not only a chronicle of Ron's and Clint's
early careers and their wild adventures, but also a primer on so many
topics--how an actor prepares, how to survive as a kid working in
Hollywood, and how to be the best parents in the world! The Boys will
surprise every reader with its humanity." -- Tom Hanks
"I have read dozens of Hollywood memoirs. But The Boys stands alone.
A delightful, warm and fascinating story of a good life in show
business." -- Malcolm Gladwell
Happy Days, The Andy Griffith Show, Gentle Ben--these shows
captivated millions of TV viewers in the '60s and '70s. Join
award-winning filmmaker Ron Howard and audience-favorite actor Clint
Howard as they frankly and fondly share their unusual family story of
navigating and surviving life as sibling child actors.
"What was it like to grow up on TV?" Ron Howard has been asked this
question throughout his adult life. in The Boys, he and his younger
brother, Clint, examine their childhoods in detail for the first time.
For Ron, playing Opie on The Andy Griffith Show and Richie Cunningham
on Happy Days offered fame, joy, and opportunity--but also invited
stress and bullying. For Clint, a fast start on such programs as Gentle
Ben and Star Trek petered out in adolescence, with some tough
consequences and lessons.
With the perspective of time and success--Ron as a filmmaker, producer,
and Hollywood A-lister, Clint as a busy character actor--the Howard
brothers delve deep into an upbringing that seemed normal to them yet
was anything but. Their Midwestern parents, Rance and Jean, moved to
California to pursue their own showbiz dreams. But it was their young
sons who found steady employment as actors. Rance put aside his ego and
ambition to become Ron and Clint's teacher, sage, and moral compass.
Jean became their loving protector--sometimes over-protector--from the
snares and traps of Hollywood.
By turns confessional, nostalgic, heartwarming, and harrowing, THE
BOYS is a dual narrative that lifts the lid on the Howard brothers'
closely held lives. It's the journey of a tight four-person family unit
that held fast in an unforgiving business and of two brothers who
survived "child-actor syndrome" to become fulfilled adults.
