Career Highlights: Men Don't Leave, Crisscross, Amistad
First Major Screen Credit: Door to Door (1984)
Biography
American actor Arliss Howard was born in Missouri, but he became well known to moviegoers of 1987 as a Texan named "Cowboy" in Stanley Kubrick's Vietnam picture Full Metal Jacket. Many viewers assumed that this tall, lithe actor made his film debut in the Kubrick picture, but Howard had in fact been showing up in "hick" roles for several years, notably as the naive vacuum cleaner salesman in Door To Door (84). After his tour of duty with Kubrick, Howard was back to baby-faced roles with his performance as a 24-year-old detective posing as a high schooler in Plain Clothes (88). Howard has developed into something of a George Brent for the 1990s, willing to play second fiddle (albeit a very good one) to some of the more dynamic actresses of the era. He was one of lovelorn Jessica Lange's many "Mr. Perfect" candidates in Men Don't Leave (90); he was second-billed to Goldie Hawn as a disturbed Vietnam vet in Crisscross (92); and in 1991's For the Boys, Howard appeared unbilled as USO performer Bette Midler's doomed GI husband. Arliss Howard's TV movie appearances have included I Know My First Name is Stephen (89) and Iran: Days of Crisis (91). ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
Howard was born in Independence, Missouri in 1954, and graduated from Truman High School and Columbia College (Columbia, Missouri). Howard established his career with stand-out roles in Full Metal Jacket and Ruby. In Till Death Us Do Part (1992), Howard portrayed author and attorneyVincent Bugliosi, who led the prosecution in the Tate-LaBianca murder trial. He has had a recurring role in the NBC weekly drama series Medium and has directed several episodes. Howard has extensive stage credits, including a role in the 2009 revival of August Wilson's Joe Turner's Come and Gone on Broadway. He also starred in and directed the films Big Bad Love and Dawn Anna, both co-written with James Howard, his brother. His wife, Debra Winger, stars in both films. He has two sons, one from a previous marriage and one with Winger (Babe Howard, age 11).