Alternate Best Supporting Actor 1976: Ron Howard in The Shootist

Ron Howard did not receive an Oscar nomination, despite being nominated for a Golden Globe, for portraying Gillom Rogers in The Shootist.

Ron Howard for some reason was the only actor to receive any recognition for film, although maybe just the Globes really like him. Howard's role here marks one of his last notable roles as an actor as it was just around this time as he was focusing more on being director. This role isn't any major departure from his earlier work other than The Shootist is a bit more dramatic than either Happy Days or The Andy Griffith Show. Howard's performance early enough seems right in his usual repertoire with his enthusiastic, perhaps overly enthusiastic delivery to most everything. To be fair to Howard though it fits the character of Gillom who's basically in the process of hero worshiping J.B. Books (John Wayne) from a distance. Howard plays Gillom just as a fan boy basically in the early scene where he discovers that his mother's new tenant is such a man that he dreams he would like to be. Howard importantly does not go too far this and just naturally portrays the admiration in Gillom for Books that technically is shallow though certainly pure.

Howard does well enough of portraying this adoration of Books, without overplaying too much, and nicely has just some slight other moments to give Gillom just a bit of variation in personality so he's not purely defined by that, even though that's mostly the point of his character. Although at first the young Gillom is mostly just getting his kicks from his slight interactions with Books, as well as his interaction with anything possibly associated with him. Eventually though Books allows Gillom to go shooting with him, and after they try Howard portrays Gillom as being appropriately cocky after he shoots almost nearly as well as the legendary gunfighter. This leads Books to let Gillom know about the truth behind killing man, which has more to do with will than accuracy. The scene belong unquestionably to Wayne, but Howard does offer some fine support in portraying the way the initial cockiness runs from Gillom face, as he begins to portray a more honest understanding of Gillom towards Books as a man instead of a legend.

Books eventually has Gillom gather the local wannabe gunmen who would not mind to gain the fame from ending the life of the legendary Books. This leads to a final showdown which stands in Books favor it was not for another shooter in the mix, which causes Gillom to step in and live out the moment that he no doubt fantasized in the past. Howard actually is very good in this moment giving the appropriately emotional intensity as Gillom shoots the man, as he portrays that will of conviction to kill in the moment, not for personal glory though but rather something rawer since he's only doing to avenge Books. Howard continues to be very effective as he portrays Gillom sudden realization of what it feels to kill, and shows the complete lack of glory in the moment. I will say much of his performance Howard does not make that much of an impact, although his performance works just fine in the context of what he is given to do. I'll give credit where it is due though since he does give some of the needed power to the pivotal final scenes of the film through his performance.