Ron Howard
Ronald William Howard (born March 1, 1954) is an American filmmaker and actor. He first came to prominence as a child actor, guest-starring in several television series, including an episode of The Twilight Zone. Howard gained national attention for playing young Opie Taylor, the son of Sheriff Andy Taylor (played by Andy Griffith) in the sitcom The Andy Griffith Show from 1960 through 1968. During this time, he also appeared in the musical film The Music Man (1962), a critical and commercial su
Howard was cast in one of the lead roles in the coming-of-age film American Graffiti (1973), which received widespread acclaim and became one of the most profitable films in history. The following year, Howard became a household name for playing Richie Cunningham in the sitcom Happy Days, a role he would play from 1974 through 1984. Howard continued appearing in films during this time, such as the western film The Shootist (1976) and the comedy film Grand Theft Auto (1977), which also marked his directorial debut.
In 1984, Howard left Happy Days to focus on directing, producing and occasionally writing variety films and television series. His films include the science-fiction/fantasy Cocoon (1985), the fantasy Willow (1988), the thriller Backdraft (1991), the historical docudrama Apollo 13 (1995), the Christmas comedy How the Grinch Stole Christmas (2000), the biographical drama A Beautiful Mind (2001), the biographical sports drama Cinderella Man (2005), the thriller The Da Vinci Code (2006), the historical drama Frost/Nixon (2008), Solo: A Star Wars Story (2018), and the documentary Pavarotti (2019). For A Beautiful Mind, Howard won the Academy Award for Best Director and Academy Award for Best Picture. He was nominated again for the same awards for Frost/Nixon.
In 2003, Howard was awarded the National Medal of Arts. He was inducted into the Television Hall of Fame in 2013. Howard has two stars on the Hollywood Walk of Fame for his contributions in the television and motion pictures industries.
Born
Mar 01, 1954
Duncan, Oklahoma, USA
Known For
Directing
Movies
88 acting
154 crew
Popularity
3.5
Known For
A Beautiful Mind
2001
as Man at Governor's Ball (uncredited)
John Candy: I Like Me
2025
as Self - Director, Splash (archive footage)
Osmosis Jones
2001
as Tom Colonic (voice)
American Graffiti
1973
as Steve Bolander
The Shootist
1976
as Gillom Rogers
The Music Man
1962
as Winthrop Paroo
Night Shift
1982
as Annoying Sax Player (uncredited)
More American Graffiti
1979
as Steve Bolander
Donald Trump's The Art of the Deal: The Movie
2016
as Himself
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