Neva Howell

Neva Howell

Actor

Manchester, Tennessee
October 31, 1955

Biography

Neva attended acting school in New York and spent a few years in Los Angeles, where she studies with some terrific teachers like Stephen Tobolowsky and Lisa Dalton. She also completed round one of The Groundlings training with Patrick Bristow. Though Neva attended many classes during her stay, she considers these three to be highlights of her time in Los Angeles. Appeared as Ma Kent in Superman (2025). Before that, she played Ms. Crawford in Greedy People (2024) and the gruff Miss Roberts in Ghosts of the Ozarks (2021). In addition, Neva was a rather racist clerk named Gina in Burden (2018), which won Audience Award, dramatic, at Sundance 2018. Neva has enjoyed a wide range of mostly small town characters in her 30+ year career. She was Salt-of-the-earth Alma in Mercy Street (2016). She can be heard delivering an inside Steven Soderbergh joke (subtle, did you catch it?) in Logan (2017). She worried about a boy and a pig in Diary of a Wimpy Kid: The Long Haul (2017) and appeared as an impatient bus driver with in episode 5 of the final season of The Originals (2013). Mean nurses seemed a theme for a while, including Martha in Run the Race (2018) and Dee Dee in The Common Good (2017). However, Neva loves comedy. She is Sister Eleanor in Novitiate (2017) and the hard-nosed waitress in The King Has Left the Building (2016). Neva loves bringing life to small, interesting parts. It's like polishing a little diamond in a big necklace of precious gems. Neva's passions include holistic health and wellness education. She was a full-time healing facilitator for many years. She looks at life through a spiritual lens. Her greatest desire for her career is that she be invited to inhabit roles in films that want to make a positive difference on earth. That being said, she knows illuminating what's negative is sometimes a strong route to understanding and positive shift.

Photo

Neva Howell 1

Representative Works

Superman
Superman
7.3
/ English
Logan Lucky
Logan Lucky
6.7
/ English
Greedy People
Greedy People
6.3
/ English
October Sky
October Sky
7.7
/ English
Novitiate
Novitiate
6.5
/ English
My Fellow Americans
My Fellow Americans
6.1
/ English
Run the Race
Run the Race
6.8
/ English
A Good Baby
A Good Baby
6.5
/ English
The Nobodies
The Nobodies
6.6
/ English

Awards and Honors

Critical Favorites

Superman
2025Nominee

Best Performance

Superman

Logan Lucky
2017Nominee

Best Performance

Logan Lucky

Greedy People
2024Nominee

Best Performance

Greedy People

Career Highlights

October Sky
1999Highlight

Best Performance

October Sky

Diary of a Wimpy Kid: The Long Haul
2017Highlight

Best Performance

Diary of a Wimpy Kid: The Long Haul