Carla Novinger: Steve Howey’s Mother & Acting Coach

Carla Novinger is an acting teacher and acting-workshop manager best known publicly as the mother of actor Steve Howey. She worked alongside her husband, acting coach Bill Howey, for decades, helping operate and teach at their acting workshops in California and Colorado. A 2011 Los Angeles Times profile described the couple as having taught acting together for about 30 years, with Carla handling the business side of the operation.

Although Steve Howey later became known for roles in television series including Reba and Shameless, Carla Novinger built her own career largely behind the scenes in acting education. Her public record is relatively limited, so details that cannot be independently confirmed are best left out.

Early Life and Background

Public records identify Carla Novinger as a graduate of Cherry Creek High School in Colorado's Englewood area. An alumni profile lists her as a member of the Class of 1968 and later identifies her married name as Carla Howey.

A separate class directory also lists Carla Novinger among the school's Class of 1968 members, providing additional support for the graduation-year information.

Some biography websites give December 7, 1950, as Carla Novinger's birth date. However, this information is not supported by a sufficiently authoritative primary source, so her exact age and date of birth are not treated as firmly established here.

Education

Carla Novinger's publicly documented education centers on Cherry Creek High School in Colorado. Her alumni profile identifies her as a member of the Class of 1968.

There is not enough reliable public information to establish additional college or professional educational qualifications, so they are not included.

Career as an Acting Teacher and Workshop Manager

Carla Novinger's most clearly documented professional work was connected to the acting workshops she operated with Bill Howey.

In a 2011 Los Angeles Times profile, Bill Howey was described as an experienced actor, director and acting coach. The article reported that he and his wife Carla had been teaching acting for roughly three decades. Carla was responsible for the business side of their operation, while their workshops served students ranging from beginners with limited experience to professional actors.

The couple operated an acting workshop in Beverly Hills before moving to Burbank. They later spent several years in Denver and eventually returned to California, where they established a workshop in North Hollywood. Carla also spoke about the structure of their classes and the progression actors made through different levels of training.

Industry listings provide further evidence of Carla's involvement. A Backstage directory for acting schools and coaches listed Carla Howey as the manager of the Howey Acting Workshop, where private coaching and ongoing classes were offered.

By the late 2010s, industry listings for the Howey Acting Studio in Mesa, Arizona, likewise identified Carla Howey as manager. The studio's classes were based on Bill Howey's approach to character preparation and included scene-study and private coaching.

This work makes Carla's connection to the acting profession more substantial than her public identification simply as Steve Howey's mother. She was involved in the practical operation of an acting-training business for many years.

Relationship With Bill Howey

Carla Novinger was married to acting coach Bill Howey. IMDb's biographical listing for Bill Howey identifies Carla Howey as his spouse and Steve Howey as their son. The biography also credits Carla Howey with writing Bill's IMDb mini-biography.

Their professional partnership was closely connected to their family life. The Los Angeles Times reported that the couple taught together for decades and built their acting workshop business around Bill's coaching.

Carla Novinger and Steve Howey

Carla Novinger is best known to many readers because she is the mother of actor Steve Howey. Howey was born in San Antonio, Texas, in 1977 and later grew up in Colorado. Public biographies consistently identify Bill Howey and Carla Novinger as his parents.

Steve's exposure to acting began within a family environment closely connected to performance. His father was an acting coach, while his mother was involved in the family's acting workshop. That background gave him early access to the profession, although his subsequent acting career developed independently.

Howey eventually became widely recognized for playing Van Montgomery on Reba and Kevin Ball on Shameless. His career brought considerably more public attention to the Howey family, including his parents.

Personal Life and Family

Publicly available sources identify Carla Novinger and Bill Howey as the parents of three children: Steve Howey, Bret Howey and Tammy Howey.

Carla has otherwise maintained a relatively low public profile. Most reliable information about her comes from records associated with her acting-workshop work or from biographical information connected with her husband and son.

Because she is not a major entertainment figure herself, claims about her private circumstances, current residence, finances or other personal matters should be treated cautiously unless supported by reliable sources.

Net Worth

There is no sufficiently credible public estimate of Carla Novinger's net worth. Online figures are not supported by reliable financial reporting, so no net-worth amount is included.

Interesting Facts

Carla Novinger is the mother of actor Steve Howey.

She and Bill Howey taught acting together for approximately three decades, according to a 2011 Los Angeles Times profile.

Carla handled the business side of the couple's acting workshop while Bill focused heavily on acting instruction.

Their acting workshops operated in locations including Beverly Hills, Burbank, Denver and later North Hollywood.

An industry directory listed Carla Howey as manager of the Howey Acting Workshop and described private coaching and ongoing acting classes.

A public alumni record identifies Carla Novinger as a member of Cherry Creek High School's Class of 1968.

FAQs

Who is Carla Novinger?

Carla Novinger is an acting teacher and former acting-workshop manager who is also known publicly as the mother of actor Steve Howey.

Is Carla Novinger Steve Howey's mother?

Yes. Public biographical sources identify Carla Novinger as Steve Howey's mother.

What does Carla Novinger do?

Carla Novinger worked as an acting teacher and helped manage the acting workshops operated with her husband, Bill Howey. The Los Angeles Times reported that she handled the business side of their workshop.

Who is Carla Novinger's husband?

Carla Novinger was married to acting coach Bill Howey. IMDb's biography for Bill Howey identifies Carla Howey as his spouse.

How many children does Carla Novinger have?

Public sources identify three children: actor Steve Howey, Bret Howey and Tammy Howey.

Where did Carla Novinger go to school?

A public alumni profile identifies Carla Novinger as a member of Cherry Creek High School's Class of 1968 in Englewood, Colorado.

How old is Carla Novinger?

Her exact age cannot be established confidently from sufficiently authoritative public sources. Some websites publish a December 7, 1950, birth date, but that detail has not been independently verified to a standard strong enough to present it as confirmed.

Conclusion

Carla Novinger's public story extends beyond her connection to Steve Howey. She spent decades involved in acting education and helped run the workshops she shared with Bill Howey, contributing to the practical and business side of training actors.

While Steve Howey's television career brought the family into the public eye, Carla's own professional work remained largely behind the scenes. The available record supports her role as an acting teacher, workshop manager and mother, while leaving many details of her private life undocumented.