Actor
Howard McNear (2026)
Howard McNear was an American stage, screen, and radio character actor best known for playing Floyd Lawson, also known as Floyd the Barber, on The Andy Griffith Show. He was also well known for playing Doc Adams on the radio version of Gunsmoke. McNear’s acting career included radio, television, and film roles from the late 1930s until 1967.
| Quick Info | |
|---|---|
| Full Name | Howard Terbell McNear |
| DOB | 27 January 1905 |
| Birthplace | Los Angeles, California, the U.S. |
| Zodiac Sign | Aquarius |
| Nationality | American |
| Ethnicity | White |
| Father | Franklin E. McNear |
| Mother | Lucetta M. Spencer |
| Siblings | 3 |
| Wife | Helen Spats McNear |
| Children | 1 |
| Net Worth | $1 million - $5 million |
| Death | 3 January 1969 |
| Cause of Death | Pneumonia |

Where was McNear born and raised?
Howard, whose real name is Howard Terbell McNear, was born on 27 January 1905 in Los Angeles, California, the U.S. as a son of a father, Franklin E. McNear, and a mother, Lucetta M. Spencer. He had three older siblings: Frank Wood McNear, Ruth Ellis, and Ellis Hedges McNear. They are all older than him.
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Howard McNear’s Childhood
Howard spent his childhood happily with his family and grew up in a good environment. He had three siblings, but he could not meet his sister Ruth Ellis because she died after the eight months of her birth. Further information about his family was secret, as he liked keeping his things private.
Howard McNear’s Education
To talk about his education, he attended the Oatman School of Theatre. However, he is quiet about his further education.
How did McNear start his Career?
Howard started his career as a voice actor, where he provided his voice over the minor role in the series “NBC Comics” in 1950. After that, he played various roles in the series “Four Star Playhouse”. Later, he also made his appearances in several series like “Willy”, “The Millionaire”, “Lassie”, “I Love Lucy”, “The Brothers”, and more.
From 1956 to 1964, he provided his voice on an American radio and television Western drama series “Gunsmoke” created by Norman Macdonnell. He also got many positive feedbacks after he played the roles in this series. After that, he made his appearance in the series “The Thin Man” in 1958, and later, in 1958, he played the role of Mr. Dingle in a half-hour weekly television series “The Thin Man”.

Further, he appeared in several series like “Angel”, “Laramie”, and more. However, he is most popularly known for playing the role of Floyd Lawson in the American situation comedy television series “The Andy Griffith Show” from 1961 to 1967. Likewise, in 1964, he provided his voice-over Howard Rudd’s character in the American radio and television drama series “Gunsmoke” where he shared the screen with Dennis Hopper.
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Besides this, he started his film career after being cast as Watson in the movie “Escape from Fort Bravo” in 1953. After that, he got the roles in several movies like ‘Bundle of Joy”, “-30-“, “Blue Hawaii”, “The Fortune Cookie”, and more.
Who was Howard married to?
McNear was a married man, having married his wife, Helen Spatz McNear, in 1935. The couple had a son together, Christopher McNear. They remained married until Howard’s death in 1969, supporting each other through a long and loving marriage, including through his 1963 stroke, after which he continued his acting career with the help of accommodating set designs.
Physical Description
Howard was very secretive about his things. He kept all the information about his physical statistics like height, weight, body measurements, hair color, eye color, and more still has a question mark.
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Howard Net Worth
A good-looking, active, and talented actor, Howard McNear was a well-known American stage, screen, and radio character actor, popularly known for his role as Floyd Lawson (“Floyd the Barber”) on The Andy Griffith Show, as well as for originating the voice of Doc Adams on radio’s Gunsmoke. Over his career, he built an estimated net worth of $1 million to $5 million, though this figure comes from limited, lower-detail sourcing rather than verified financial records.

Death
McNear established himself as an American stage screen and radio character actor who took his last breath on 3 January 1969 at San Fernando Valley Veterans Hospital. At that time, he is 63 years old, and the cause of his death is pneumonia caused by a stroke.
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