Ron Howard

Ron Howard is one of Hollywood’s most accomplished directors. He got his start as a childhood actor, first appearing in The Andy Griffith Show as Opie Griffith. From 1974 to 1984, he played the role of Richie Cunningham on the sitcom Happy Days, which gained him recognition with audiences nationwide. It was his experience as a childhood actor that solidified his decision to go into directing later in life. He briefly attended the University of Southern California but did not graduate.

In 1978, Howard made his directing debut with the comedy film Grand Theft Auto. In 1986, he collaborated with colleague Brian Grazer to create production company Imagine Entertainment. He continued to accumulate both producing and directing credits for films such as No Man’s Land and How the Grinch Stole Christmas from the ‘80s to early 2000s. In 2001, his film A Beautiful Mind would be the first of many to land him an Oscar, Golden Globe and Critics Choice Award.

The highlights of Howard’s career are many. He boasts producing and directing credits on anything from children’s TV shows to Oscar winning films, including Splash (1984), Apollo 13 (1995), and Inferno (2016). Some of his later projects include the drama Hillbilly Elegy (2020), and thriller Eden (2024).

Howard wed high school sweetheart Cheryl Alley in 1975. The couple share four children: daughter Bryce (born in 1981), twin daughters Joyce and Paige (born in 1985), and son Reed (born in 1987).