Ron Howard’s Touching Father-Daughter Dance At Paige Howard's Wedding Was A ‘Great Moment’ That Was So ‘Precious’

May 05, 2023 by apost team

Ron Howard might have swapped being in front of the camera for a legendary career behind it, but the Hollywood icon is still very well known thanks to his early start on "The Andy Griffith Show" at the age of 5, where he played Opie. Later on, he starred as Richie Cunningham on TV’s "Happy Days" from 1974 to 1980, as well as a leading role in the coming-of-age movie "American Graffiti."

But Ron says he always knew his true calling was to work behind the camera as a director. He once told People, “I was an actor who dreamed of being a director.” So that's exactly what Ron did — turned his attention to behind the camera. Now, he's a world-famous director and producer of movies such as “Splash,” "Apollo 13," "The Da Vinci Code" and "A Beautiful Mind," for which he won an Oscar for Best Director in 2002.

One aspect of Howard's life that isn't talked about much is his 48-year marriage to his wife Cheryl Howard (née Alley). The couple first met while attending John Burroughs High School in Burbank, California, and have been together ever since. The director told People in the same interview, "I met her, and there was never anybody else." 

He described the "instant connection" that existed between them, and clearly, that's never faded, as the couple is only a few years off from celebrating their 50th wedding anniversary. One of Hollywood's most understated long-term couples, Ron and Cheryl have raised four kids together and are the proud grandparents to six young children as well.

Family is extremely important to Ron, as proven by a touching clip of him and Paige Howard sharing a father-daughter dance during her wedding in May 2022.

Ron often praises his wife for her constant and unconditional love. 

“She’s unbelievably supportive and always has been,” he told People, and added, “our compatibility has endured through all kinds of experiences.” Ron also revealed one of the secrets behind their long-lasting love.

“People say, ‘How’d you do it?’ There’s no technique. There’s no tactic other than communication is really important. You have to learn to communicate and have difficult conversations in constructive ways, beyond that, there’s an element of luck because people either grow together or they don’t and I don’t think you can force that,” he divulged. 

Alley has been by Ron’s side through it all. The couple has raised their four children — actress Bryce Dallas Howard, 42, twins Paige and Jocelyn Howard, 37, and son Reed Howard, 36, outside of Hollywood in Greenwich, Connecticut. 

Ron’s appeared to have such a positive influence on his kids that both Bryce and Paige have followed in his footsteps and become actresses. Bryce is known for her roles in films such as the "Jurassic World" franchise and "The Help." Paige made her film debut in 2009 with "Adventureland" and has been in a few other projects since then. 

Bryce has previously said that she looks at her dad as her mentor. In June 2018, she told People she and her husband, Seth Gabel, have modeled their parenting style after her parents. She said:

“What I try to consciously replicate from you… is that you're you're an excellent teacher and you're really, really, really patient and – you got this from granddad I'm sure – you were never one of those parents that like, if I had a question, you would just sort of like rush through it… you would stop and take the time to explain things.”

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Ron is also close to his other children, including his younger daughter, Paige. When Paige’s big day came to walk down the aisle, her father was there every step of the way.

Paige and her now-husband, actor Tim Abou-Nasr, had gotten engaged and planned to marry in 2020. That is until the pandemic scuppered their plans. However, they were back on track soon enough and on May 1, 2022, the pair headed out to wed in New York’s Central Park.

Paige posted a carousel of photos from the big day that included one of Ron officiating their nuptials! The other photos showed the beautiful bride in a gorgeous pink tulle dress and the newlyweds and their guests tucking into a meal at a cozy venue. She captioned the post:

“Hubby @timmyabou and I are still walking on air… however, all the decadent, buttery French food and wine we’re consuming will no doubt land us on our feet again soon 😋🤤 HUGE thank you to all our loved ones and everyone who brought their magic touch to the occasion.” 

She relived some memories on Father’s Day that same year and posted a video of herself dancing with Ron to “our song,” which was Louis Armstrong’s “What A Wonderful World.” The pair held each other in a tight embrace as the sight of the father-and-daughter bond brought tears to the eyes of many watching.

“Precious moments captured in time – thanks for sharing the beautiful love between you and your Daddio!!❤️” one user wrote as another commented, “How do I get a life filled with love like this??”

Ron also took to the comment and wrote:

“That was such a great moment. I’m a lost dancer but used it as a chance for (a) hug I’ll always remember. Love you Daughter!”

How sweet is Ron’s bond with his daughter Paige? If you enjoyed the video, be sure to pass this along to family and friends who’d love to watch it too.