Ron Howard biography

Synopsis

Showbiz Background

Actor, director and producer Ron Howard was born on March 1, 1954 in Duncan, Oklahoma. Ronald William Howard is part of a theatrical family; his mother, Jean, was an actress and father Rance was an actor and director.

Howard appeared in his first movie, Frontier Woman (1956), when he was just 18 months old, and made his stage debut at the age of two in a production of The Seven Year Itch. The child star began making frequent television appearances, and was subsequently cast opposite Yul Brynner, Deborah Kerr and Jason Robards in 1959's The Journey. His performance earned him regular roles on CBS's Playhouse 90, where he caught the eye of Sheldon Leonard, the producer behind the sitcom, The Andy Griffith Show.

On October 3, 1960, Howard first appeared as Andy Griffith's son, Opie, on The Andy Griffith Show, a role that earned him nationwide fame. Throughout this early success, Howard's family provided a grounding influence and asserted that Howard should be able to experience his childhood. They limited Howard's work schedule, and only allowed him to perform in a small number of productions during the show's off-season, such as The Music Man (1962) and The Courtship of Eddie's Father (1963).

At his father's request, Howard maintained a public school education at John Burroughs High School and, around this time, began to dabble in amateur filmmaking with a Super-8 camera. On the sets of his various productions, Howard quizzed crews about the technical aspects of directing.

'Happy Days'

When The Andy Griffith Show ended in 1968, Howard followed it with 1971's The Smith Family, where he starred opposite Henry Fonda. Fonda encouraged Howard's ambition, and when he graduated from high school in 1972, he matriculated at the University of Southern California's film school. Howard's time there was short-lived; soon after enrolling, he landed a role in American Grafitti (1973), George Lucas' seminal teen film. The movie spawned a 50s revival craze which, in turn, led to the hit show Happy Days. The 1974 series featured Howard in its leading role, and his turn as Richie Cunningham elevated him to superstardom.

During the show's run, Howard wed high school sweetheart Cheryl Alley in 1975. He also appeared in productions on the side, including John Wayne's final film The Shootist (1976). During this time, Howard brokered a deal with producer Roger Corman: Howard would star in Corman's Eat My Dust (1976) and, in return, Corman would help Howard direct his first major film project.