Ron Howard’s Path From Child Star To One Of The Most Highly Acclaimed Directors Of All Time

Jul 28, 2022

From starring in classic hits like "Happy Days" and "American Grafitti" to directing top-grossing blockbusters such as "Apollo 13" and "The Da Vinci Code," who could have imagined how far the red-haired, bushy-tailed son of a sheriff on "The Andy Griffith Show" would go?

Ron Howard was born on March 1, 1954, in Duncan, Oklahoma, to parents in the entertainment industry. His mother, Jean Speegle, was an actress, and his father, Rance Howard, was a director, writer and actor. Howard's first acting gig was at the tender age of 5 in the film "The Journey." But it was when he landed the part of Opie Taylor in "The Andy Griffith Show" that he became a household name. He would go on to play the role for the next eight years. Looking back on the part years later, Howard said: 

"The Andy-Opie relationship wasn't exactly like my dad's and mine and I could differentiate between the two but it felt pretty similar so it wasn't to me a kind of a fantasy world at all. It was just simple straightforward kind of truthfulness."

It would have been nothing unusual for a child star of a TV show to fade into oblivion at the end of its run, but not so for Howard. In 1973, he starred in the George Lucas-helmed "American Graffiti," winning the hearts of teenage girls everywhere. He followed this with another star-making, teenage heartthrob turn in the long-running "Happy Days" TV series playing Richie Cunningham. 

Undoubtedly, Howard could have continued down the acting track and found immense success and popularity in Hollywood, but the young man's head would soon turn to roles behind the camera instead, leading him to become the $200 million net worth director he is now.

Howard made the jump from acting to directing with 1977's light-hearted crime-romance "Grand Theft Auto." While it only saw mild success, 1982's "Night Shift" would make Hollywood sit up and take notice. His keen film instincts and an uncanny talent for understanding what audiences wanted would show in his subsequent hits such as "Parenthood," "Backdraft," and "Far And Away." Meanwhile, 1995's "Apollo 13" reunited Howard with actor Tom Hanks, with whom he had worked on "Splash." The movie, based on a real-life NASA incident in 1970, would go on to win two Oscars. In June 2020, Howard posted a tribute to the film on its 25th anniversary.

"I can't believe it's been 25 years since #Apollo13 was released in theaters. I think all of us involved … recognized from early on that this movie offered a rare opportunity, as both a creative journey and a life experience, which deserved our passionate commitment and effort. I've never worked harder or savored any work experience more."

By now, Howard's status as a top-tier Hollywood director had been cemented, and actors were clamoring to try their luck locking down roles in his movies. His ability to not only churn out critical hits but box-office successes as well made him a darling of the top Hollywood studios. His movies became highly anticipated events and were almost always headlined by the era's biggest names in the business. 

In 2002, Howard would release one of his most critically acclaimed films to date, "A Beautiful Mind," starring Russell Crowe and Jennifer Connelly. The movie centers on John Nash, a brilliant real-life mathematician who struggled with mental and social issues. The film nabbed eight Academy Award nominations and won four, including Best Picture and a Best Director Oscar for Howard.

Since then, Howard has racked up numerous credits, not only as a director but producer, writer and actor. Among them, he directed the critical hit "Frost/Nixon" in 2009, earning him another directing Oscar nomination. He was the narrator for the TV series "Arrested Development," made by his production company Imagine Entertainment, which he co-founded with long-time collaborator Brian Grazer. He reconnected with Hanks yet again for "The Da Vinci Code" in 2006. On their special relationship, Hanks said:

"The first time I met Ron, I was not meeting a filmmaker. I was meeting Opie Taylor, Richie Cunningham and that guy from American Graffiti. I grew up with this slightly older big brother because this guy just took up hours and hours and hours on my television, and when I started doing movies, there he was – I was a fanboy."

Howard's nice guy persona has not only gotten him far in his career but in his personal life as well. Married for 47 years to high school sweetheart Cheryl Ally, he is the proud father of four children, including prominent actress Bryce Dallas, and a grandfather to three young ones.

Now estimated to have a net worth of upwards of $200 million, Howard owns multiple properties across the United States. He and his wife own an apartment in New York's exclusive Eldorado Building worth $11.5 million, as well as another NY apartment worth $712,000. They also bought a 33-acre lakeside estate in Greenwich, Connecticut, in 2014 for $27.5 million and an ocean view apartment in Santa Monica, California, in 2006 for $2.75 million.

While Howard's success has long since relegated Opie to the back of people's minds, it's always a joy to recall his sweet freckled face and kind eyes lighting up our living rooms.

What do you think of Ron Howard's transformation from child star to top director? What are some of your favorite works of his? Let us know and pass this on to all the Howard fans and movie buffs you know!