Who Is Ron Howard?
Ronald William Howard is an American actor, film director & producer, television director & producer, and screenwriter.
Howard has enjoyed a successful acting career since his childhood. He began by guest-starring in various television series, including in the episode “Walking Distance” of the series The Twilight Zone. He then shot to the national limelight for his role as young Opie Taylor in the sitcom The Andy Griffith Show (1960 to 1968). Around the same period, Howard appeared in the critically and commercially successful film, The Music Man (1962).
In 1973, Ron Howard landed a lead role in the film American Graffiti. His exceptional performance in this movie positioned him as one of the most promising actors of his generation. He went on to feature in several movies and television series throughout the 70s, including playing Richie Cunningham in the sitcom Happy Days from 1974 to 1980.
In 1980, after a 2-decade-long acting career, Ron Howard began to venture into directing, producing, and screenwriting. Some of the earlier movies Howard directed, produced, or wrote the screenplay for include Night Shift (1982), Splash (1984), Cocoon (1985), Willow (1988), Backdraft (1991), and The Paper (1994). Howard’s directorial success continued with 1995’s Apollo 13.
After Apollo 13, Ron Howard went on to direct How the Grinch Stole Christmas (2000), A Beautiful Mind (2001), Cinderella Man (2005), The Da Vinci Code (2006), Frost/Nixon (2008), Angels & Demons (2009), and Rush (2013). More recently, Howard is known for directing the films In the Heart of the Sea (2015), Inferno (2016), The Beatles: Eight Days a Week (2016), Solo: A Star Wars Story (2018), and Pavarotti (2019).
Quick Facts
| Full Name: | Ronald William Howard |
| Popular Name: | Ron Howard |
| Gender: | Male |
| Birth Date: | March 1, 1954 |
| Age: | 68 years |
| Parents: | Rance Howard and Jean Speegle Howard |
| Siblings: | Clint Howard |
| Birth Place: | Duncan, Oklahoma, United States |
| Nationality: | American |
| Ethnicity: | Mixed (German, English, Scottish, Irish, and Dutch) |
| Education: | Robert Louis Stevenson Elementary School, David Star Jordan Junior High School, John Burroughs High School and The University of Southern California |
| Marital Status: | Married |
| Sexual Orientation: | Straight |
| Wife/Spouse: | Cheryl Howard |
| Children: | Bryce Dallas Howard, Reed Howard, Paige Howard, and Jocelyn Howard |
| Dating: | N/A |
| Net Worth: | USD 220 million |
| Source of Wealth: | Acting, Film Producing & Directing, Television Producing & Directing, Screenwriting, and Other Ventures |
| Height: | 5′ 8″ (1.75 m) |
| Weight: | 78 kg; In pounds: 172 lbs. |
Early Life
Ron Howard was born on March 1, 1954, in Duncan, Oklahoma, United States, to Rance Howard and Jean Speegle Howard. Howard inherited his acting talents directly from his parents. His father was a director, actor, and writer. His mother was also an actress.
Ron Howard attended Robert Louis Stevenson Elementary School and then David Star Jordan Junior High School, before graduating from John Burroughs High School. After graduating from high school, Howard proceeded to the School of Cinematic Arts at the University of Southern California. However, he did not graduate.
Acting Career
Ron Howard’s first credited film role was in the 1959 movie, The Journey. He subsequently appeared in the television series The DuPont Show with June Allyson (in the episode “Child Lost”) and The Twilight Zone (in the episode “Walking Distance”). Howard then landed a few roles in the first season of the sitcom Dennis the Menace, as well as in several episodes in the first and second seasons of the series The Many Loves of Dobie Gillis.
Howard gained further recognition playing young Opie Taylor in the sitcom The Andy Griffith Show. He maintained his role throughout the show’s eight seasons (1960 to 1968). During the same period, Howard was cast in several films and television shows. Examples include the movies The Music Man (1962) and The Courtship of Eddie’s Father (1963), as well as in the television shows The Eleventh Hour (1965), I Spy (1966), and The Smith Family (1968).
Ron Howard continued his acting success by landing roles in the television shows Daniel Boone (1971-1972) and M*A*S*H (1973). In 1973, Howard was cast in the coming-of-age movie American Graffiti. He subsequently starred in the television series Happy Days from 1974 to 1980.
In 1976, Ron Howard starred alongside John Wayne in the film The Shootist. Two years later, Howard appeared in the television film Return of Mayberry, in what would become his last major acting role.
Directing Career
Ron Howard made his directorial debut in the 1977 comedy action film Grand Theft Auto. Although the movie fell short of expectation, Howard went on to several television films. His directorial break came in the 1982 movie Night Shift.
Howard has directed scores of films after Night Shift, including:
• Splash (1984)
• Cocoon (1985)
• Willow (1988)
• Parenthood (1989)
• Backdraft (1991)
• Apollo 13 (1995)
• How the Grinch Stole Christmas (2000)
• A Beautiful Mind (2001)
• Cinderella Man (2005)
• The Da Vinci Code (2006)
• Frost/Nixon (2008)
• Angels & Demons (2009)
• The Dilemma (2012).
• Rush (2013)
• In the Heart of the Sea (2015)
• Inferno (2016)
• Solo: A Star Wars Story (2018)
Producing Career
Ron Howard made his producing debut in the 1986 film Gung Ho. He then produced Clean and Sober (1988) and Far and Away (1992).
Howards other notable producer credits include:
• The Chamber (1996)
• How the Grinch Stole Christmas (2000)
• A Beautiful Mind (2001)
• The Missing (2003)
• The Alamo (2004)
• Cinderella Man (2005)
• Curious George (2006)
• The Da Vinci Code (2006)
• Frost/Nixon (2008)
• Angels & Demons (2009)
• Restless (2011)
• The Dilemma (2012)
• Rush (2013)
• The Good Lie (2014)
• In the Heart of the Sea (2015)
• Inferno (2016)
• The Dark Tower (2017)
Awards and Recognition
Ron Howard has won scores of awards during his acting and filmmaking career. Notable mentions include a Golden Globe Award in 1978 for his role in the film Happy Days and an Oscar Award in 2002 for his role in the movie A Beautiful Mind.
He also won a Daytime Emmy Award for his role in Curious George (in 2010 and 2008) and a Director’s Guild Award for his role in Apollo 13 and A Beautiful Mind, in 1996 and 2002, respectively.
Ron Howard’s Net Worth
As of 2023, Ron Howard had a net worth of $220 million. Howard has earned the majority of his wealth from his illustrious acting, filmmaking, and television producing career.
Outside of the film and television industries, Ron Howard has also invested heavily in real estate.
In 2004, Howard and his wife Cheryl purchased a 3,000 square-foot apartment in New York City’s Eldorado Building for $5.6 million. The couple owns another apartment in New York City, which they acquired in 2002 for $712,000.
Other real estate properties associated with Howard include an ocean view apartment in Santa Monica, California (purchased in 2006 for $2.75) and a 33-acre estate in Greenwich, Connecticut (purchased in 2014 for $27.5 million).
Lessons from Ron Howard
1. Start early
Ron Howard owes his success as a filmmaker to his early start. In a previous interview, Howard said that he knew he was destined for a career in filmmaking due to his early experience in the film industry.
2. Never give up
Howard’s first film as a director, Grand Theft Auto (1977), fell short of expectations. Nonetheless, Ron never gave up. He continued directing films until his breakout role came in Night Shift (1982).
3. Failure isn’t the end of the world
It’s ok to fail a couple of times, provided that you remain true to your goals. Howard once said, “Death can be experienced once, winning maybe more, but losing can happen all the time.”
Famous Quotes by Ron Howard
• One of the great things about being a director as a life choice is that it can never be mastered. Every story is its own kind of expedition, with its own set of challenges.
• I think it’s in our nature to try to get beyond that next horizon. I think that when we as a species are scratching that itch we’re actually following an evolutionary compulsion that is wired into us. I think good things come of it. That’s the philosophical side.
• Humor is unavoidable. It might not feel funny in the moment, but more often than not there’s a light at the end of the tunnel.
• You’re always a little surprised when something really takes off.
• I think the most important thing really was that you could take very personal ideas and present them to an audience in entertaining ways.
Wrap Up
Ron Howard is an accomplished actor and filmmaker, with experience spanning more than half a century.
Howard has earned millions from his various film and television roles. His current net worth stands at $220 million.
