Jean Frances Howard (née Speegle; January 31, 1927 – September 2, 2000) was an American actress who acted primarily in film and on television. She appeared in over 30 television shows, mostly sitcoms, such as Married... with Children (1994–1996), but she also had guest spots on such series as Grace Under Fire and Buffy the Vampire Slayer beginning from 1975 (mostly during the 1980s and 1990s) until her death. She was best known for her roles as Mrs. Phelps in Matilda (1996 film) and Mrs. Baker in Two of a Kind (American TV series).
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Early life
Howard was born Jean Frances Speegle in Duncan, Oklahoma, the daughter of Louise (née Dewey) and William Allen Speegle.
Career
Although she was an actress in film and television early on, her son Ron Howard said she largely put her career aside to raise her sons, Ron, born in 1954, and Clint, born in 1959. She appeared in the 1956 film Frontier Woman alongside husband Rance Howard and their son Ron Howard, aged two years at the time. In 1975, the entire family would act in the television film Huckleberry Finn. Howard appeared in a bit part in the 1985 film Cocoon. In the 1986 Christmas film A Smoky Mountain Christmas, Howard played Old Lady Jezebel alongside her husband, who played Dr. Jennings.
