Ken Howard facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Ken Howard
Howard at the 2014 Toronto International Film Festival
1st National President of the Screen Actors Guild‐American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (SAG-AFTRA)
In office 2012 – March 23, 2016
Preceded by	Office established
Succeeded by	Gabrielle Carteris
28th President of the Screen Actors Guild
In office 2009–2012
Preceded by	Alan Rosenberg
Succeeded by	Merged with the American Federation of Television and Radio Artists
Personal details
Born	Kenneth Joseph Gerard Howard Jr. (1944-03-28)March 28, 1944 El Centro, California, U.S.
Died	March 23, 2016(2016-03-23) (aged 71) Valencia, California, U.S.
Education	Amherst College (BA) (1966) Yale University Kent State University (MFA) (1999)
Occupation	Actor, comedian, politician
Awards	Tony Award for Best Featured Actor in a Play 1970: Child's Play Daytime Emmy Award for Outstanding Performer in Children's Programming 1981: The Body Human Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Miniseries or a Movie 2009: Grey Gardens
1966–2015

Kenneth Joseph Howard Jr. (March 28, 1944 – March 23, 2016) was an American actor. He was famous for playing Thomas Jefferson in the movie 1776. He also starred as basketball coach Ken Reeves in the TV show The White Shadow.

Ken Howard won a Tony Award in 1970 for his role in the play Child's Play. Later, he earned an Emmy Award for his work in the 2009 film Grey Gardens. He was also the president of a big actors' union, Screen Actors Guild (SAG), and later led the combined SAG-AFTRA union.

Early Life and Basketball

Ken Howard was born on March 28, 1944, in El Centro, California. His parents were Martha Carey and Kenneth Joseph Howard. He had a younger brother, Don, who was also an actor.

Growing up in Manhasset, New York, Ken was very tall, about 6 feet 6 inches. This earned him the nickname "Stork" in high school. In 1961, the local newspapers called him "The White Shadow." This was because he was the only white player starting on his high school basketball team.

Ken was a great student and a member of the National Honor Society. He chose to focus on his studies instead of accepting basketball scholarships. He graduated from Amherst College in 1966, where he was the captain of the basketball team. He also sang in an a cappella group called The Zumbyes. He later studied at Yale School of Drama.

Acting on Stage

Ken Howard started his acting career on Broadway. His first show was Promises, Promises. In 1970, he won a Tony Award for his role in the play Child's Play.

He also played Thomas Jefferson in the Broadway musical 1776. He later played the same role in the 1972 movie version. Ken appeared in other Broadway shows like Seesaw and The Norman Conquests. He even played several U.S. presidents in the musical 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue.

Television Roles

Ken Howard became well-known on television for his role as Ken Reeves. He played a high school basketball coach in the show The White Shadow from 1978 to 1981. He also starred in the 1973 TV series Adam's Rib with Blythe Danner.

In 1980, he starred in the TV movie Father Damien. He won a Daytime Emmy Award in 1981 for his role in The Body Human: Facts for Boys. Ken also appeared in many other TV shows. These included Dynasty, Murder, She Wrote, and Crossing Jordan.

He made guest appearances on popular dramas like NYPD Blue, The Practice, Boston Legal, and Law & Order: SVU. Later, he was seen in comedies like Curb Your Enthusiasm, The Office, and 30 Rock.

Film Career

Ken Howard's first movie was Tell Me That You Love Me, Junie Moon in 1970. He then appeared in many films, both dramas and comedies.

Some of his notable movie roles include:

• 1776 (1972) as Thomas Jefferson
• Oscar (1991) with Sylvester Stallone
• Clear and Present Danger (1994) with Harrison Ford
• The Net (1995) with Sandra Bullock
• Dreamer: Inspired by a True Story (2005)
• Michael Clayton (2007) with George Clooney
• Rambo (2008) again with Sylvester Stallone

He won an Emmy Award for his praised performance in the 2009 HBO film Grey Gardens. His last films included The Judge (2014) and Joy (2015).

Author and Union President

In 2003, Ken Howard wrote a book called Act Natural: How to Speak to Any Audience. This book was based on drama classes he taught at Harvard University. He was also known for reading audiobooks.

Ken Howard was elected president of the Screen Actors Guild (SAG) in 2009. This is a union that represents actors. He was reelected in 2011. In 2012, SAG merged with another union, the American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (AFTRA). Ken became the first president of the new combined union, SAG-AFTRA. He was reelected again in 2015.

Personal Life and Passing

Ken Howard was married three times. His first wife was actress Louise Sorel. His second wife was writer Margo Howard. His final marriage was to stuntwoman Linda Fetters Howard.

Ken Howard passed away on March 23, 2016, just five days before his 72nd birthday. He died from pneumonia, which was made worse by shingles and prostate cancer. He was the first president of the SAG-AFTRA union to die while still in office.

Filmography

Film

Television

Theatre

Awards and Honors

Ken Howard received several important awards for his acting:

See also

In Spanish: Ken Howard para niños