Bill's Reviews > The Boys: A Memoir of Hollywood and Family

We were grinders and scrappers. Showbiz may seem glamorous, but each battle is won in the trenches with heavy doses of perspiration and preparation. We spent our nights doing two sets of homework: our assignments for school and our run-throughs of the next day's lines with Dad.

I'm a couple of years older than Ron Howard and grew up watching him on The Andy Griffith Show, in the movie The Music Man, and on Happy Days. It was a pleasure to read this well-written, dual memoir by Ron and his younger brother Clint, which focuses on the lives of their parents, their childhoods, and the beginnings of their adult careers. Their dad, Rance, and mom, Jean, both actors with realistic aspirations for Hollywood success, generously and without missing a beat, shifted gears to support and coach Ron and Clint as child actors, and to keep them grounded. Ron worked hard to transition from acting into directing in his twenties, while Clint struggled with addictions to alcohol and drugs, but overcame them and achieved a successful, lifelong career as a character actor. Highly recommended, especially for anyone who's watched the boys on screen.