Ken Howard
Howard at the 2014Toronto International Film Festival
1st National President of theSAG-AFTRA
In office March 30, 2012 – March 23, 2016
Preceded by	Office established
Succeeded by	Gabrielle Carteris
President of theScreen Actors Guild
In office September 24, 2009 – March 30, 2012
Preceded by	Alan Rosenberg
Succeeded by	Office abolished
Personal details
Born	Kenneth Joseph 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.
Spouses	Louise Sorel ​ ​ (m. 1973; div. 1975)​ Margo Lederer ​ ​ (m. 1977; div. 1991)​ Linda Fetters ​ (m. 1992)​
Education	Amherst College (BA) Yale University Kent State University (MFA)
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 known for his roles asThomas Jefferson in1776 (1972) and as high school basketball coach and formerChicago Bulls player Ken Reeves in the television showThe White Shadow (1978–1981). Howard won theTony Award for Best Featured Actor in a Play in 1970 for his performance inChild's Play, and won thePrimetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Miniseries or a Movie for his work inGrey Gardens (2009).

Howard had co-starring roles in the filmsTell Me That You Love Me, Junie Moon (1970),Such Good Friends (1971), andThe Strange Vengeance of Rosalie (1972). In the 1980s, he worked mostly in television, winning aDaytime Emmy Award for the CBS afternoon specialThe Body Human: Facts for Boys (1980). He later appeared in numerous character parts in films such asClear and Present Danger (1994),The Net (1995),Michael Clayton (2007), andThe Judge (2014).

In September 2009, Howard was elected president of theScreen Actors Guild (SAG), the actors'union.^[1] He was reelected to a second term in September 2011.^[2] He was the last president of the Screen Actors Guild and the first president of the newly combinedSAG-AFTRA union, after the Screen Actors Guild and theAmerican Federation of Television and Radio Artists (AFTRA) voted to merge in 2012. He was reelected to head the new organization in 2015.^[3]

Howard was born on March 28, 1944, inEl Centro, California, the son of Martha Carey (née McDonald) and Kenneth Joseph Howard, a stockbroker,^[4][5] being the elder of their two sons. His younger brother, the late Don Howard, was also an actor and director.^[6][7] His approximately 6-foot 6-inch (1.98 m) stature earned him the nickname "Stork" as a high school student. He grew up inManhasset, New York, onLong Island.^[8]

The nickname "The White Shadow" was given to him by the Long Island press in 1961, as, at age 17, Howard was the only white starter on theManhasset High School varsity basketball team.^[9]

A member of theNational Honor Society in high school, Howard turned down several offers of basketball scholarships in favor of a more focused academic education. He graduated in 1966 fromAmherst College, where he served as captain of the basketball team.^[10] He was also a member of thea cappella singing group The Zumbyes. He attended theYale School of Drama but left to make hisBroadway debut before completing his master's degree^[11] – which he achieved in 1999.

Howard began his career on Broadway inPromises, Promises withJerry Orbach. In 1970, he won aTony Award as Best Supporting or Featured Actor (Dramatic) forChild's Play. Howard later starred onBroadway asThomas Jefferson in1776 and reprised the role in the1972 film. His other Broadway appearances includedSeesaw in 1973 andThe Norman Conquests. Howard portrayed several U.S. presidents in the 1975 Broadway musical1600 Pennsylvania Avenue and appeared asWarren G. Harding inCamping with Henry and Tom in 1995.^[12] He appeared in legitimate theater in many cities, most recently asTip O'Neill in a one-man showAccording to Tip, at theNew Repertory Theatre in Watertown, Massachusetts.^[13]

On television, Howard appeared as Ken Reeves, a Los Angeles high school basketball coach, inThe White Shadow, produced byBruce Paltrow in 1978. Howard had the starring role in the 1973 TV seriesAdam's Rib opposite his good friend (and Paltrow's wife)Blythe Danner, who also played wife Martha to his Thomas Jefferson in the film version of1776. He starred inThe Manhunter, a crime drama that was part of CBS's lineup for the 1974–75 television season.

Howard starred in the TV movieFather Damien in 1980 (in which he replacedDavid Janssen in the title role after Janssen died a few days after the movie started production) and won aDaytime Emmy Award in 1981 for his performance as the ideal father in the CBS afternoon specialThe Body Human: Facts for Boys. Howard's additional credits included "Sidney Sheldon'sRage of Angels, 1983", the 2000miniseriesPerfect Murder, Perfect Town, and the feature filmDreamer: Inspired by a True Story, both co-starringKris Kristofferson. He played the title character in the 1984 American Playhouse production ofMark Twain'sPudd'nhead Wilson, having earlier played Twain onBonanza. Later, he appeared asGarrett Boydston inDynasty and its spin-offThe Colbys. In the late 1980s, he appeared onMurder, She Wrote; and, from 2001–04, inCrossing Jordan as the title character's father. In 2007, he appeared in theJimmy Smits seriesCane.

Howard guest-starred on numerous television dramas. He was guest villain inHart to Hart Returns, a 1993 made-for-TV movie. He also appeared in season one ofThe West Wing as President Bartlet's first choice for US Supreme Court Justice in the episode "The Short List". His other dramatic guest roles includedNYPD Blue,The Practice,Boston Legal,Cold Case,Dirty Sexy Money,Eli Stone,Brothers and Sisters,Law & Order: Special Victims Unit,Curb Your Enthusiasm,Fairly Legal,Crossing Jordan,The Closer,Blue Bloods,The Golden Girls,The Office, and30 Rock.

Howard made his movie debut in 1970, inTell Me That You Love Me, Junie Moon, oppositeLiza Minnelli. Numerous dramatic and comedic movie roles followed, including:Otto Preminger'sSuch Good Friends withDyan Cannon andJennifer O'Neill,1776,The Strange Vengeance of Rosalie,Independence,Second Thoughts,Oscar withSylvester Stallone in 1991,Ulterior Motives,Clear and Present Danger withHarrison Ford in 1994,The Net withSandra Bullock in 1995,Tactical Assault,Dreamer: Inspired by a True Story, andIn Her Shoes in 2005.

In 2007, Howard appeared again with Stallone inRambo, and inGeorge Clooney'sMichael Clayton. In 2010, he starred inThe Numbers Game withSteven Bauer. He next appeared asHarlan F. Stone inClint Eastwood'sJ. Edgar.

He gave an acclaimed performance asPhelan Beale in the 2009HBO filmGrey Gardens, playing oppositeJessica Lange, for which he received anEmmy Award.^[14] His last films wereBetter Living Through Chemistry (2013),A.C.O.D.(2013),The Judge (2014),The Wedding Ringer (2015) and thebiographicalcomedy-drama filmJoy (2015).

Ken Howard was elected the National President of the Screen Actors Guild on September 24, 2009.

Howard was the author of the 2003 bookAct Natural: How to Speak to Any Audience,^[15] based on the drama courses he had taught atHarvard University. He was a popular reader for audiobooks.^[3]

Howard was married three times. His first wife was actressLouise Sorel (m. 1973–75). His second wife was writer and advice columnistMargo Lederer (m. 1977–91). His final marriage was to stuntwoman Linda Fetters Howard (m. 1992–2016).^[16]

In 2000, Howard underwent akidney transplant; the donor was family friendJeannie Epper,^[17] with whom Linda had worked in the stunt community.^[18]

In 2007, Howard was diagnosed withstage fourprostate cancer. In March 2016, he was hospitalized inValencia, California, withshingles, where he died on March 23, five days before his 72nd birthday.^[19] He was the first and, as of 2025^[update], the onlyScreen Actors Guild or SAG-AFTRA national president to die in office.

• Ken Howard at theInternet Broadway Database
• Ken Howard at theInternet Off-Broadway Database (archived)
• Ken Howard atIMDb
• Variety Profile

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