Carla Novinger is an acting teacher and acting-workshop manager who is best known publicly as the mother of actor Steve Howey, star of Reba and Shameless. She also worked alongside her husband, acting coach Bill Howey, in the family’s acting-training business.
Unlike her son, Novinger has largely remained outside the entertainment spotlight. The most substantial public reporting about her career comes from a 2011 Los Angeles Times profile of the Howeys’ acting workshop, which described Carla as having taught acting with Bill for about 30 years and handling the business side of their workshop.
| Category | Details |
|---|---|
| Full Name | Carla Novinger |
| Married Name | Carla Howey |
| Known For | Mother of actor Steve Howey; acting teacher |
| Profession | Acting teacher |
| Date of Birth | December 7, 1950* |
| Age | 75 years old in 2026* |
| Spouse | Bill Howey |
| Marriage Date | October 11, 1975* |
| Children | Steve Howey, Bret Howey and Tammy Howey |
| Son | Steve Howey, actor known for Reba and Shameless |
| Career | Acting teacher; worked with Bill Howey in acting training |
| Known Location | Denver, Colorado, according to biographical records |
| Education | Not reliably verified |
| Net Worth | Not publicly verified |
| Public Profile | Largely private |
| Current Status | Limited reliable public information is available |
Early Life and Background
Public information about Carla Novinger’s early life is limited. A biographical database lists her birth as December 7, 1950, but that information is not supported by a comparable primary or major-media source, so her exact birth date is best treated cautiously.
An alumni profile identifies her as Carla Howey, née Novinger, and lists her as a member of the 1968 graduating class of Cherry Creek High School. The same profile describes her occupation as managing an acting workshop.
Beyond these records, reliable sources do not provide enough information to construct a detailed account of her childhood or upbringing.
Career as an Acting Teacher
Novinger’s professional life has been closely connected with acting education.
The Los Angeles Times reported in 2011 that Carla and Bill Howey had been teaching acting together for approximately three decades. Their workshops operated in Beverly Hills and Burbank, later spending several years in Denver before the couple returned to Southern California. At the time of the article, their studio was in Burbank.
The report described Carla as running the business side of the workshop, while Bill served as the principal acting coach. She was also involved in the practical organization of classes and student enrollment.
Industry listings further document Carla’s role with the Howey acting operation. A Backstage directory identified Carla Howey as manager of the Howey Acting Studio in Mesa, Arizona, describing the studio as offering private and ongoing acting coaching.
A separate Backstage listing for the Bill Howey Acting Workshop also named the Burbank studio and documented its scene-study and private-coaching offerings.
Work With Bill Howey
Carla Novinger’s career cannot be separated from the work of her husband, Bill Howey, an actor, director and longtime acting coach.
According to the Los Angeles Times, Bill began his professional acting career at the Cleveland Play House and later worked in television, film and theater. He also wrote and directed independent films and worked as an acting and dialogue coach for television productions.
The couple’s acting workshop provided training for both aspiring and professional actors. Students worked on scenes and received critiques during the classes. The newspaper reported that Carla was an active part of the operation rather than simply being associated with it through her husband.
A 2019 industry directory likewise listed Carla Howey as the manager of the Howey Acting Studio.
Family and Steve Howey
Carla Novinger is publicly identified as the mother of actor Steve Howey. Multiple biographical sources identify Bill Howey and Carla Novinger as Steve’s parents.
Steve Howey was born in San Antonio, Texas, on July 12, 1977. He later became known for playing Van Montgomery on Reba and Kevin Ball on Shameless.
His family’s connection to acting influenced his early professional path. After attending Northeastern Junior College on a basketball scholarship, Howey moved toward acting and became involved with his father’s acting work. Sources documenting his biography also identify his mother as Carla Novinger.
The family also includes Bret Howey and Tammy Howey, who are listed as Steve’s siblings in biographical records.
Personal Life
Carla Novinger married Bill Howey, and public biographical records list their marriage as beginning in 1975.
The couple built their professional life around acting education, eventually operating workshops in several locations. Their work brought them into contact with actors at different stages of their careers.
Beyond her work and immediate family, Novinger has maintained a relatively private public profile. Reliable sources do not provide enough information about her current personal circumstances to support more detailed claims.
Education
The available evidence suggests that Carla Novinger attended Cherry Creek High School and was part of its 1968 graduating class. An alumni profile lists her under the name Carla Howey and identifies Novinger as her maiden name.
No reliable source found in the available public record establishes a college degree or other formal higher-education qualification for her.
Net Worth
There is no reliable, publicly verified estimate of Carla Novinger’s net worth.
Although she spent decades working in acting education and workshop management, publicly available sources do not provide sufficient financial information to calculate her personal wealth. Online net-worth figures should therefore not be treated as established facts.
Interesting Facts About Carla Novinger
- Carla Novinger is publicly identified as Steve Howey’s mother.
- She worked with her husband, Bill Howey, in acting education for decades.
- The Los Angeles Times reported that she handled the business side of the Howey acting workshop.
- The Howeys operated acting workshops in Beverly Hills, Burbank and Denver, among other locations.
- An industry directory later listed Carla Howey as manager of the Howey Acting Studio in Mesa, Arizona.
- An alumni record identifies her as a member of the Cherry Creek High School Class of 1968.
- Her son Steve Howey became known for major television roles in Reba and Shameless.
FAQs About Carla Novinger
Who is Carla Novinger?
Carla Novinger is an acting teacher and workshop manager best known publicly as the mother of actor Steve Howey. She worked for decades alongside her husband, acting coach Bill Howey.
Is Carla Novinger Steve Howey’s mother?
Yes. Multiple biographical sources identify Carla Novinger as Steve Howey’s mother.
What does Carla Novinger do?
Novinger worked as an acting teacher and manager of the Howey acting workshop. A Los Angeles Times profile specifically described her as handling the business side of the workshop she operated with Bill Howey.
Who is Carla Novinger’s husband?
Her husband is acting coach Bill Howey. IMDb’s biography for Bill Howey lists Carla Howey as his spouse and identifies Steve Howey among their children.
Does Carla Novinger have other children besides Steve Howey?
Public biographical records identify Bret Howey and Tammy Howey as Steve Howey’s siblings, indicating that Carla and Bill’s family included those children as well.
When was Carla Novinger born?
A biographical database lists December 7, 1950, but that date is not sufficiently corroborated by major independent sources. Her exact birth date should therefore be treated as unconfirmed.
What is Carla Novinger’s net worth?
No credible public source provides a verified figure for Carla Novinger’s personal net worth.
Conclusion
Carla Novinger has spent much of her professional life away from the screen, working in acting education and workshop management. Her decades-long partnership with Bill Howey included running acting workshops in several U.S. locations, with Novinger handling important administrative and business responsibilities.
She is also publicly known as the mother of Steve Howey, whose television career eventually made the Howey family name familiar to a much wider audience. Beyond those documented aspects of her life, Novinger has remained comparatively private, leaving many personal details unconfirmed.
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