The Boys

INSTANT NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER

âThis extraordinary book is not only a chronicle of Ronâs and Clintâs early careers and their wild adventures, but also a primer on so many topicsâ"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.â   â" 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.â   â" Malcolm Gladwell

Happy Days, The Andy Griffith Show, Gentle Benâ"these shows captivated millions of TV viewers in the â60s and â70s. 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.

âWhat was it like to grow up on TVâ 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 opportunityâ"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 successâ"Ron as a filmmaker, producer, and Hollywood A-lister, Clint as a busy character actorâ"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 Clintâs teacher, sage, and moral compass. Jean became their loving protectorâ"sometimes over-protectorâ"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 brothersâ closely held lives. Itâs the journey of a tight four-person family unit that held fast in an unforgiving business and of two brothers who survived âchild-actor syndromeâ to become fulfilled adults.