Kyle Howard

Kyle Howard (born April 13, 1978) is an American actor best known for his early leading role as Grover Beindorf in the family comedy film House Arrest (1996) and his portrayal of Dave "The Stand-In" May in the satirical sitcom Grosse Pointe (2000–2001).^[1][2] Born in Loveland, Colorado, Howard began his performing career in local theater productions as a child, including roles in The Sound of Music and Charlie and the Chocolate Factory at the Carousel Dinner Theatre in Fort Collins.^[3] After graduating high school, he relocated to Los Angeles to pursue professional opportunities, debuting on screen with guest appearances on shows like Chicago Hope (1997) before landing his breakout film role.^[2] Throughout the late 1990s and early 2000s, Howard built a steady presence in both film and television, often playing relatable young adult characters in comedic and coming-of-age stories. His film credits include the supporting role of Dickie in the family adventure Baby Geniuses (1999), directed by Bob Clark, and Arlo in the teen comedy Orange County (2002), starring Colin Hanks and Jack Black.^[1][2] On television, he appeared in recurring capacities on series such as Related (2005–2006) and Royal Pains (2012–2013) as Dr. Paul Van Dyke, showcasing his versatility in ensemble casts.^[1] Howard also starred in Disney Channel projects, including the original movie The Paper Brigade (1996) as Gunther Wheeler and the lead role of Budd Skriff in the fantasy film Upside-Down Magic (2020), adapted from the book series by Sarah Mlynowski and Lauren Myracle.^[4] In recent years, Howard has continued to work in independent and streaming projects, with notable appearances in the crime thriller Val (2021) as Officer Myers and a guest spot on The Neighborhood (2021).^[5] His career spans over two decades, emphasizing lighthearted family-oriented narratives and supporting roles in ensemble television, and he received a Young Artist Award nomination for his role in House Arrest (1996). He continues to act as of 2025.^[1]

Biography

Early life

Kyle Howard was born on April 13, 1978, in Loveland, Colorado, USA.^[1] He grew up in Loveland, a small town in northern Colorado, where details about his family background remain limited in public records.^[1] Howard attended local schools, including Truscott Elementary^[6] and Bill Reed Middle School,^[7] during his formative years. His interest in performing arts emerged early, as he performed in his first play at Bill Reed Middle School.^[7] At ages 13 to 14, Howard secured his first job as a performer at the Carousel Dinner Theatre in nearby Fort Collins, Colorado, where he appeared in several productions during the summers, including The Sound of Music, The Best Christmas Pageant Ever, The Unsinkable Molly Brown, and Charlie and the Chocolate Factory.^[1] He also worked as a busboy at the same theater to support his budding career.^[7] To fund his ambitions, Howard took on additional side jobs, including delivering newspapers on a paper route and saving earnings toward purchasing a car and trips to Los Angeles for auditions.^[7] In his late teens, after graduating from high school, he relocated to Los Angeles to pursue acting full-time. He graduated from Thompson Valley High School.^[8][9]

Personal life

Kyle Howard was romantically linked to actress Beau Garrett in 2007, with the pair first photographed together at a private party in January of that year.^[10] From 2008 to 2011, Howard was in a long-term relationship with designer and former reality television star Lauren Conrad, whom he met through mutual connections in the entertainment industry.^[11][12] The couple, who kept their romance relatively private away from Conrad's show The Hills, ended their three-year relationship in June 2011 due to differing priorities regarding their careers and public exposure.^[13] As of 2025, Howard remains single, with no public reports of subsequent long-term relationships, marriages, or children.^[14] He has maintained a low profile concerning his personal life since the peak of his career in the 2000s and 2010s, rarely sharing details about his family, residence, or romantic involvements.^[15]

Professional career

Television roles

Howard made his television debut with a guest appearance on the medical drama Chicago Hope in 1997, playing the role of Alexander Verdulyak in the episode "Split Decisions." This early role marked his entry into episodic television, showcasing his ability to handle dramatic scenes amid established ensembles. His first ongoing series role came in 1998 as Danny Kennedy, the teenage son of the ship's captain, on the revival Love Boat: The Next Wave, where he appeared in 25 episodes across two seasons.^[16] The family-oriented cruise ship comedy allowed Howard to develop comedic timing in a lighthearted ensemble, transitioning from one-off guest spots to more sustained character work. Howard achieved a breakthrough in 2000 with the lead role of Dave "The Stand-In" on the satirical comedy Grosse Pointe, appearing in all 17 episodes of the single-season WB series.^[17] In this meta show depicting the behind-the-scenes chaos of a fictional teen drama reminiscent of Beverly Hills, 90210, Howard's character navigated unrequited crushes and industry absurdities, earning praise for blending humor with relatable youthful angst and helping establish him as a comedic talent in ensemble formats.^[18] Following this, Howard took on recurring and guest roles that diversified his portfolio. He portrayed Joel in 14 episodes of the family dramedy Related from 2005 to 2006, playing a supportive brother figure in a story of sibling dynamics. Guest appearances included Jeff Powell on CSI: Crime Scene Investigation in 2006, where his character met a dramatic end in the episode "Time of Your Death," and Travis Ackerman on Ghost Whisperer in 2008's "Pieces of You," contributing to supernatural family narratives. In 2011, he guest-starred as Carter on Love Bites in the pilot episode "Firsts," exploring romantic entanglements in an anthology-style comedy.^[19] Howard's most prominent television lead was as Bobby Newman on the TBS comedy My Boys from 2006 to 2010, appearing in all 49 episodes as the affable, sports-obsessed best friend to a female sports columnist.^[20] The role, which highlighted his charm in a gender-reversed "guys' night out" dynamic, solidified his presence in adult-oriented sitcoms and ran for four seasons, boosting his visibility in cable comedy. In the mid-2010s, Howard starred as Oliver Weston in the short-lived TBS sitcom Your Family or Mine in 2015, playing a young husband navigating in-law tensions across all five episodes of the single season.^[21] He also had a recurring role as Dr. Paul Van Dyke on the medical drama Royal Pains from 2011 to 2016, appearing in 29 episodes. He continued with supporting roles in later projects, including Budd Skriff, a quirky professor at a magic academy, in the 2020 Disney Channel TV movie Upside-Down Magic. A one-episode guest spot as Josh followed on The Neighborhood in 2021's "Welcome to the Splurge," where he appeared amid family holiday antics.^[22] Most recently, Howard led as Phil Davis, a stepfather in a blended family dealing with a shape-shifting child's powers, in all 10 episodes of the 2024 Apple TV+ sci-fi dramedy Me.^[23] Throughout his career, Howard shifted from teen-centric roles in shows like Love Boat: The Next Wave and Grosse Pointe to mature comedic parts in My Boys and beyond, leveraging television's episodic format to maintain steady work and audience recognition even as film opportunities fluctuated.^[1] This trajectory underscores how TV provided consistent platforms for character-driven performances, sustaining his industry presence into the 2020s.

Film roles

Howard began his film career in 1996 with three releases, marking his transition from stage work to screen acting. In House Arrest, he portrayed Grover Beindorf, the inventive son who locks his parents in the basement to force reconciliation, sharing the screen with Jamie Lee Curtis and Jennifer Tilly in this family comedy directed by Harry Winer.^[24] That same year, Howard took the lead role of Gunther Wheeler in the Disney adventure-comedy The Paper Brigade, where a group of boys battles bullies to save their paper route, co-starring Robert Englund.^[4] He also appeared in a supporting capacity as Zach Douglas in the science-fiction action film Robo Warriors, alongside James Remar, playing a young protagonist aiding a legendary fighter against a dystopian threat.^[25] In 1997, Howard starred as Zach Crane in the mystery-thriller Skeletons, directed by David DeCoteau, where he played the son uncovering family secrets in a haunted house setting, opposite Ron Silver and Jeff Corey.^[26] His mid-career highlight came in 1999 with Baby Geniuses, a family action-comedy by Bob Clark, in which Howard played Dickie, the teenage caretaker navigating baby superheroes' antics, featuring co-stars Christopher Lloyd and Kathleen Turner.^[27] Howard's breakthrough in mainstream comedy arrived with 2002's Orange County, directed by Jake Kasdan, where he portrayed Arlo, the loyal friend supporting a college admission mishap, alongside Colin Hanks and Jack Black in this coming-of-age satire.^[28] That year, he also appeared in the independent drama Home Room as Jay, a student grappling with school violence, though the film's limited release underscored his shift toward varied genres. Following Orange County, Howard's film output slowed in the 2000s and 2010s, reflecting a primary focus on television, but he continued with supporting roles in independent projects. In 2003's Easy Six, he played Jake, a hapless participant in a web of romantic entanglements, directed by Nigel Dick. By the late 2010s, he returned to features with Miss Arizona (2018), portraying Rick, the unsupportive husband in this comedy-drama about a beauty pageant hopeful, co-starring Johanna Braddy and Missi Pyle.^[29] The same year, in Aaron Fradkin's romantic comedy Electric Love, Howard appeared as William, contributing to the film's exploration of modern relationships.^[30] His recent work includes the 2020 Disney+ family fantasy Upside-Down Magic as Budd Skriff, a quirky groundskeeper at a magic academy, and the 2021 thriller Val, where he played Officer Myers in a tense home invasion story.^[31] This evolution highlights Howard's progression from child-star leads in teen-oriented comedies to nuanced supporting parts in adult-oriented indies.

Filmography

Film

• House Arrest (1996) as Grover Beindorf, dir. Harry Winer, co-starring Jamie Lee Curtis and Jennifer Love Hewitt.^[24]
• Robo Warriors (1996) as Zach Douglas, dir. Eric Louzil, co-starring James Brolin and David Carradine.^[25]
• Address Unknown (1997) as R.J., dir. Stephen W. Carpenter, co-starring Michael Ansara and A Martinez.^[32]
• Baby Geniuses (1999) as Dickie, dir. Bob Clark, co-starring Christopher Lloyd and Kathleen Turner.^[27]
• Orange County (2002) as Arlo, dir. Jake Kasdan, co-starring Colin Hanks and Jack Black.^[28]
• Easy Six (2003) as J.P. Stallman, dir. Marcus Cole, co-starring Craig Bierko and Lara Flynn Boyle.
• Extreme Movie (2008) as Boyfriend, dir. Adam Jay Epstein and Andrew Jacobson, co-starring Frankie Muniz and Matthew Lillard.
• All-Stars (2014) as Brad Twersky, dir. Miles Swartzwelder, co-starring Eric Close and J. Michael Trautmann.
• Bad Roomies (2015) as Smith, dir. Brendan McNamara, co-starring Ross Philips and Michael J. Aronin.
• Electric Love (2018) as William, dir. Aaron Fradkin, co-starring Mia Serafino and Zachary Mooren.
• Miss Arizona (2018) as Rick, dir. Michael Keusch, co-starring Johanna Braddy and David Eigenberg.
• Upside-Down Magic (2020) as Budd Skriff, dir. Joe Nussbaum, co-starring Izabela Rose and Siena Agudong.
• Val (2021) as Officer Myers, dir. Tingting Feng, co-starring Ireene Song and Peter Vack.

Television

• Chicago Hope (1996, 1 episode) as Timmy^[1]
• The Paper Brigade (1996, TV movie) as Gunther Wheeler^[33]
• Home Improvement (1997, 1 episode) as Greg Clark^[33]
• Chicago Hope (1997, 1 episode) as Alexander Verdulyak^[33]
• Skeletons (1997, TV movie) as Zach Crane, dir. David DeCoteau, co-starring Ron Silver and Christopher Plummer.^[26]
• Love Boat: The Next Wave (1998–1999, 2 episodes) as Jim Kennedy / Passenger Jim Kennedy^[1]
• Grosse Pointe (2000, 17 episodes) as Dave May^[17]
• Yesterday's Children (2000, TV movie) as Kevin Cole^[34]
• Opposite Sex (2000, 8 episodes) as Phil Steffan^[35]
• The Drew Carey Show (2002–2003, 2 episodes) as Evan^[36]
• Friends (2001, 1 episode) as Alan Lewis
• 8 Simple Rules (2003, 1 episode) as Kenny^[36]
• Run of the House (2003, 7 episodes) as Kurt Fashner^[36]
• What I Like About You (2003–2004, 2 episodes) as Ben^[36]
• Boston Public (2001–2002, 3 episodes) as Colin Andrews^[37]
• Related (2005–2006, 14 episodes) as Joel^[1]
• My Boys (2006–2010, 49 episodes) as Bobby Newman
• CSI: Crime Scene Investigation (2007, 1 episode) as Trevor Pines
• Holiday in Handcuffs (2007, TV movie) as Jake Chandler
• Nip/Tuck (2008, 1 episode) as Kevin Miller
• Ghost Whisperer (2008, 1 episode) as Travis Ackerman^[38]
• Made for Each Other (2009, TV movie) as Ed
• Love Bites (2011, 1 episode) as Carter^[39]
• Royal Pains (2011–2016, 16 episodes) as Dr. Paul Van Dyke^[40]
• The Closer (2011, 1 episode) as Ryan Tanner^[1]
• Your Family or Mine (2015, 13 episodes) as Oliver Weston^[41]
• Into the Dark (2019, 1 episode: "A Nasty Piece of Work") as Ted^[42]
• The Neighborhood (2021, 1 episode) as Josh^[38]
• Me (2024, 10 episodes) as Phil Davis^[43]