Neva Howell | |
|---|---|
| Born | October 31, 1955 |
| Occupation |
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| Years active | 1989–present |
Neva Howell is an American actress. She is best known for playing Ma Kent in the 2025 superhero film Superman .
Howell was born in Tennessee. As a child she would act out songs in front of her family. Her family moved frequently when she was younger. She attended North Sand Mountain High School in Bryant, Alabama, before graduating from Dade County High School in Trenton, Georgia. While attending Northeast Alabama Community College in Rainsville, Alabama, she performed in every play put on in her time as a student, and she met Ann Everitt, who convinced her to audition for the National Shakespeare Conservatory in New York City. [1]
Shows and films she has appeared in include Ned's Declassified School Survival Guide , The Originals , and Diary of a Wimpy Kid: The Long Haul . [2] Her first big role in a movie was playing Ms. Crawford in the 2024 crime comedy Greedy People . [3] Her biggest role so far has been playing Ma Kent in the superhero film Superman . [4] [5] When she first auditioned, a year and a half before the film's release, she was unaware she was Superman's mother. After getting the role she felt relieved after having many near misses in the past. [6]
When she is not traveling for auditions or filming, Howell lives in Trenton, and stays busy with online resale. [7]
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1989 | Deadly Addiction | Dancer in Nightclub | |
| 1993 | The Conviction of Kitty Dodds | Millie | |
| 1996 | My Fellow Americans | Charlene | |
| 1999 | October Sky | Neighbour | |
| 1999 | A Good Baby | Woman at Mailboxes | |
| 2003 | A Painted House | Darla Latcher | |
| 2005 | Worms | Petty J. Sackamn Strubble | Short |
| 2006 | Two Weeks | Grocery Clerk | |
| 2008 | Billy: The Early Years | Shea Secretary | |
| 2014 | The Cameraman | Irene Wilkes | Short |
| 2014 | Strangers Yesterday | Ms. Quinn | Short |
| 2014 | Fever Dreams | Irene Wilkes | |
| 2017 | Novitiate | Sister Eleanor | |
| 2017 | Diary of a Wimpy Kid: The Long Haul | Farmer Lady | |
| 2017 | Logan Lucky | Woman on the News | |
| 2017 | The Nobodies | Woman | |
| 2018 | Burden | Gina | |
| 2018 | Run the Race | Martha | |
| 2019 | Fever Dreams Movie | Irene Wilkes | |
| 2021 | Bennie | Josie | Short |
| 2021 | Ghosts of the Ozarks | Miss Roberts | |
| 2024 | Greedy People | Ms. Crawford | |
| 2025 | Superman | Ma Kent |
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2005 | America's Most Wanted | Wanda Jane Parnell | Episode; Jason Morris Howard |
| 2007 | Ned's Declassified School Survival Guide | Alien Abduction Woman | Episode; Fundraising & Competition |
| 2011-2013 | Beckinfield | Leda Jo Gupta | 31 episodes |
| 2013 | The Castlehassle | The Nanny | 2 episodes |
| 2013 | The Edge of Sanity | Nurse Gertrude | 7 episodes |
| 2016 | Still the King | Waitress June | Episode; The King Has Left the Building |
| 2017 | Mercy Street | Alma | 2 episodes |
| 2017 | Outcast | DeeDee | 2 episodes |
| 2018 | The Originals | Bus Driver | Episode; Ne Me Quitte Pas |
| 2019 | The Resident | Sour Apple | Episode; Stuck as Foretold |