Ron Howard
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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 success. He was credited as Ronny Howard in his film and television appearances from 1959 to 1973. 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.
Known for
Credits
A Beautiful Mind (2001)
as Man at Governor's Ball (uncredited)
John Candy: I Like Me (2025)
as Self - Director, Splash (archive footage)
Marty, Life Is Short (2026)
as Self
American Graffiti (1973)
as Steve Bolander
The Shootist (1976)
as Gillom Rogers
Osmosis Jones (2001)
as Tom Colonic (voice)
Night Shift (1982)
as Annoying Sax Player (uncredited)
Music by John Williams (2024)
as Self - Filmmaker
Willow: Behind the Magic (2023)
as Self - Director, Willow, 1988 / Executive Producer, Willow, 2022
Dads (2019)
as Self
Corman's World (2011)
as Self - Filmmaker
The Music Man (1962)
as Winthrop Paroo
The First Nudie Musical (1976)
as Auditioning Actor
Cannes: All Access (2007)
as Self
First Works (1989)
as Self
Sheldon Leonard's Wonderful Life (2011)
as Self
Grand Theft Auto (1977)
as Sam Freeman
Roger Corman, the Pope of Pop Cinema (2021)
as Self
Frank Capra's American Dream (1997)
as Self
The Happy Days of Garry Marshall (2020)
as Self
The Arrested Development Documentary Project (2013)
as Self
Radioman (2012)
as Self
Sci-Fi Channel: The Making of Apollo 13 (1995)
as Self
Donald Trump's The Art of the Deal: The Movie (2016)
as Himself
More American Graffiti (1979)
as Steve Bolander
The Courtship of Eddie's Father (1963)
as Eddie Corbett
The Twilight Zone: A 60th Anniversary Celebration (2019)
as Wilcox Boy (archive footage)
The Magical World of Chuck Jones (1992)
as Self
Don't Say No Until I Finish Talking: The Story of Richard D. Zanuck (2013)
as Self
Chuck Jones: Extremes and In-Betweens - A Life in Animation (2000)
as Self
Inside a Beautiful Mind (2002)
as Self
The Horror Hall of Fame II (1991)
as Self
Happy Mother's Day, Love George (1973)
as Johnny
Hans Zimmer: Hollywood Rebel (2022)
as Self
The Journey (1959)
as Billy Rhinelander
Roger Corman: Hollywood's Wild Angel (1978)
as Self
Classic TV Bloopers Uncensored (2011)
as Richie Cunningham (archive footage)
The Spikes Gang (1974)
as Les
NBC Salutes the 25th Anniversary of the Wonderful World of Disney (1978)
as Self - Host
Welcome to Hollywood (2000)
as Ron Howard
Enterprise or Love: The Story of Far and Away (2024)
as Self
Star Wars: The Magic & the Mystery (1997)
as Self
The Making of 'American Graffiti' (1998)
as Self
A Special: Olivia Newton-John (1976)
Actor
Weezer: Video Capture Device - Treasures from the Vault 1991-2002 (2004)
as Richie Cunningham ("Buddy Holly") (archive footage)
Peanuts in Space: Secrets of Apollo 10 (2019)
as Self
The Death and Return of Superman (2011)
as Max's Son
George Lucas: Creating an Empire (2002)
as Self
Television: The First Fifty Years (1999)
as Self / Opie Taylor / Ritchie Cunningham (archive footage)
Willow: The Making of an Adventure (1988)
as Self - Director
Sitcom: The Adventures of Garry Marshall (1979)
as Self
Tom Hanks: A League of His Own (2016)
as Self
Laddie: The Man Behind the Movies (2017)
as Self
Hollywood's Funniest All-Star Bloopers (1985)
as Self (archive footage)
I'm a Fool (1977)
as Andy
From Star Wars to Star Wars: The Story of Industrial Light & Magic (1999)
as Self
Five Minutes to Live (1961)
as Bobby Wilson
Lost Moon: The Triumph of Apollo 13 (1996)
as Self
Fire on the Mountain (1981)
as Lee Mackie
Tell Them Who You Are (2004)
as Self
Village of the Giants (1965)
as Genius
The Independent (2000)
as Ron Howard
Industrial Light & Magic: Creating the Impossible (2010)
as Self
Tom Hanks: The Nomad (2023)
as Self (archive footage)
The Wild Country (1970)
as Virgil Tanner
'Tis the Season: The Holidays on Screen (2022)
as Self
Fuck Coin (2021)
as Self
The Migrants (1974)
as Lyle Barlow
Christopher Plummer: A Man For All Stages (2002)
as Self
The Shootist: The Legend Lives On (2001)
as Self (archive footage) (uncredited)
Jews and Baseball: An American Love Story (2010)
as Self
A Boy Called Nuthin’ (1967)
as Richie 'Nuthin'' Caldwell
Eat My Dust (1976)
as Hoover Niebold
Act of Love (1980)
as Leon Cybulkowski
A Walking Tour of Sesame Street (1979)
as Richie Cunningham (archive footage)
From Morf to Morphing: The Dawn of Digital Filmmaking (2001)
as Self - Director
Bitter Harvest (1981)
as Ned De Vries
Blacklist: Hollywood on Trial (1996)
as Herbert Biberman
Huckleberry Finn (1978)
as Huckleberry Finn
John Wayne: Cowboys & Demons (2023)
as Self
Henry Fonda: Hollywood's Quiet Hero (1997)
as Self
Return to Mayberry (1986)
as Opie Taylor
Smoke (1970)
as Chris (as Ronny Howard)
Making a 'Splash' (2004)
as Self - Director
Ron Howard: 50 Years in Film (2008)
as Self
Hollywood on Hollywood (1993)
as Host
Kasdan on Kasdan (2018)
as Self
Channel 99 (1988)
Actor
Locusts (1974)
as Donny Fletcher