Clint Howard
Posted on 10/11/2010 2:46:40 PM PDT by RatherBiased.com
We all know the stereotype: Hollywood is filled to the brim with die-hard liberals.
Actor Clint Howard doesn't disagree.
"The entertainment business is a liberal business," Howard, whose brother is actor/director Ron Howard, told POLITICO. "There are more liberals working in the business than conservatives. By a long shot, we understand that."
Still Howard said that conservatives have found their own little comfort zone in Tinseltown.
"There is a growing fellowship of conservative-minded people in our business, and that has given me a nice place to go and nice people to be with,” he said.
Howard, who's had small roles in such films as "Apollo 13," "Austin Powers," "How the Grinch Stole Christmas" and "The Waterboy," has decided "to come out of the conservative closet," as he puts it, and has begun appearing in conservative-leaning web videos for Heritage Action for America, the Heritage Foundation's advocacy arm. In them, Howard plays a congressman.
"If I can help out and if I can support causes that I believe in — whether they be local candidates or whether they be a national issue — I feel a little more fortified to step up and do my part,” he said.
Ron Howard supported Barack Obama's campaign in 2008. But Clint told POLITICO that any report of a politically-created rift between the two brothers would be overblown.
"The one thing that hurts me a little bit is that people think that Ron is some sort of raving liberal and he's not," Howard said. "Ron and I both understand that it's really easy to get characterized as somebody far left or far right.
His brother even offered him some tips on the Heritage videos, and the exchanges have sparked "some wonderful, spirited conversations politically,” Howard said.
"Most of the time they end at a draw — I think I've won and I think he thinks he's won,” Howard explained. “But we respectfully agree to disagree. ... It happens all the time, where family members have one guy sitting on the left side of the dinner table and one guy sitting on the right side. And that's cool. Listen: I'll cancel out his vote!"
Since Clint isn't an A-List Hollywood celebrity, he's not too worried about how his conservative beliefs might affect his career.
"I'm in a good spot because, you know what? It doesn't really matter,” he said. “The fact is, the studios aren't banging down my door, the networks aren't banging down my door. I work in a lot of little funky movies ... so it's not like I'm throwing everything away by stepping out of the closet."
In fact, Howard said that he hopes his Heritage videos might actually help his acting career.
After playing so many goofy characters, he said, "selfishly for me, this was an opportunity for me to get a piece of tape of myself that is attorney-like, doctor-like, politician-like. ... It was a nice opportunity as an actor to step up and show my skills."
Still, he said, it would be wise for young Hollywood conservatives to exercise caution when speaking their minds.
"I'd tell young people trying to break into and succeed in the business: Be careful about this stuff,” he said.
"In general, we've all sort of kept our mouths shut," Howard said of his Republican cohort. "A lot of us got fed up with the harsh attacks on President Bush when he made the decision to prosecute the first war in Afghanistan and then to make the move into Iraq. ... On a few sets, I did not speak up. I wanted to, but there were some real liberal-minded people that were just throwing nasty stuff around about our president and I just felt like that's what I wanted to do — fight back – and instead of fighting back, this like-minded fellowship has given us all a bit of release and a place to go and share."
Despite Howard's newfound confidence to talk politics, he's not about to hang up his acting hat for politicking.
"Heavens no," said Howard. "I really don't see myself as a politician, I see myself as a citizen. I have my beliefs and I help where I can."
Ann Landers sucks!
Oops! I mistakenly called Clint the liberal one instead of the conservative one in my headline. Please fix?
There are “more working” in the industry because of an ideological blacklist. One that diehard Red Communists used to wear with a badge of honor on their sleeves when they talked of being “unfairly smeared” for loving Joe Stalin, butcher of tens of millions.
Now that they are doing the blacklisting, you don’t hear of it.
If Ron Howard still supports 0bummer he’s very liberal or stupid. And I’ve never thought of him as stupid.
I may be missing something, but what does Ann Landers have to do with this thread?
Link at #6....you are missing information.
Clint Howard
LOL...You beat me to it
I always figured he was smarter than his brother.
Looks like that Andy Griffin episode with "Dopey Opey" really hit close to home.
not sure either, but just for the record, Ann Landers (or was it sister Abby or both?) was a hard core liberal, outspoken Democrat, pro-abort.
She was a dreadful adviser to millions of gullible readers. She rendered incalculable damage to the social fabric of our nation.
Now her liberal shoes are being filled by a daughter and Ask Amy.
Now back to the regular station. :-)
Clint and Ron used to have great hair. Both are really bald.
Clint had A small part in Andy of Mayberry. He was Leroy
the little boy who offered his PB and J to Barney.
Would you like a glass of tranya?
I never get tired of watching Apollo 13, primarily for the performances that Clint Howard, Gary Sinise, Ed Harris, and Kevin Bacon turn in.
OK, so they weren’t given top billing. Stole it, nonetheless.
imho.
I’m trying to figure out how Balok’s “alter ego” mannequin escaped and became Speaker of the House of Representatives.
I remember him from Gentle Ben.
Gary Sinise is a good guy and is not a lib. I got sick watching that POS Tom Hanks play Jim Lovell. Lovell was a real hero. Hanks is a real piece of garbage.
Ed Harris is a lib. I like Kevin Bacon - he mostly keeps his mouth shut about politics.
I only wish Gentle Ben had eaten little Opie in an accident. Andy the lib too.
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