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Dennis Weaver introduced Ron Howard's parents to each other
Twenty years later, he shared the screen with Clint Howard!
It's always interesting to hear how people met their partners. Alan Alda fell for his wife when they were the only two people who would eat cake off the floor. Vicki Lawrence married the makeup artist who she worked with on The Carol Burnett Show.
However, in the case of Ron Howard's parents, there was an unconventional cupid responsible — deputy Chester Goode himself, Dennis Weaver!
Rance Howard and Jean Frances Speegle were both at University of Oklahoma in 1947. They were in a drama class together, along with another classmate — Dennis Weaver. Weaver, an upperclassman at the time, paired Rance and Jean together for a project in the class, and sparks flew. By 1949, they were married.
In 1967, twenty years after Weaver played matchmaker in university, he starred in a movie called Gentle Giant... along with young Clint Howard, Ron's younger brother, who you may remember as little Leon the cowboy in The Andy Griffith Show! Weaver and Clint Howard returned for the TV series that continued the story, Gentle Ben.
You never know how a small thing like pairing two people up for a class project may cause lifelong changes. Or even give you a future co-star!
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1 Comments
suggested he come to NYC with him and try acting. Chapman later became a fine character
actor, as did Rance Howard, Dennis Weaver too before he hit TV stardom as a lead actor.