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Ron Howard

Ron Howard

Known for: Directing

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.

Filmography 92

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Arrested Development 2003TV show as Narrator

The Andy Griffith Show 1960TV show as Opie Taylor

Felicity 1998TV show Producer

Whalefall 2026Movie Producer

এ বিউটিফুল মাইন্ড 2001Movie Director, Producer

দ্য ডার্ক টাওয়ার 2017Movie Producer

অ্যাঞ্জেলস অ্যান্ড ডিমনস 2009Movie Director, Producer

Rush 2013Movie Director, Producer

দ্য দা ভিঞ্চি কোড 2006Movie Director, Producer

Thirteen Lives 2022Movie Director, Producer

Inferno 2016Movie Director, Producer

Cinderella Man 2005Movie Director, Producer

প্যারেন্টহুড 1989Movie Director, Story

Eden 2025Movie Director, Story

Jim Henson Idea Man 2024Movie Director

From the Earth to the Moon 1998TV show Creator, Producer

Backdraft 1991Movie Director

সোলো: এ স্টার ওয়ার্স স্টোরি 2018Movie Director

How the Grinch Stole Christmas 2000Movie Director, Producer

Apollo 13 1995Movie Director

Mars 2016TV show Creator

In the Heart of the Sea 2015Movie Director, Producer

Breakthrough 2015TV show Creator

Far and Away 1992Movie Director, Story

Splash 1984Movie Director

Marty, Life Is Short 2026Movie as Self

Curious George 2006Movie Producer

The Missing 2003Movie Director, Producer

Ransom 1996Movie Director

The Beanie Bubble 2023Movie Producer

Willow 1988Movie Director

Pavarotti 2019Movie Director, Producer

চেঞ্জলিং 2008Movie Producer

অ্যামেরিকান গ্রাফিতি 1973Movie as Steve Bolander

ফ্রস্ট/নিক্সন 2008Movie Director, Producer

The Good Lie 2014Movie Producer

tick, tick... BOOM! 2021Movie Producer

Osmosis Jones 2001Movie as Tom Colonic (voice)

Restless 2011Movie Producer

Cocoon 1985Movie Director

The Shootist 1976Movie as Gillom Rogers

Hillbilly Elegy 2020Movie Director, Producer

The Alamo 2004Movie Producer

Parenthood 1990TV show Producer

The Dilemma 2011Movie Director, Producer

The Chamber 1996Movie Producer

The Paper 1994Movie Director

Inventing the Abbotts 1997Movie Producer

The Music Man 1962Movie as Winthrop Paroo

Music by John Williams 2024Movie as Self - Filmmaker

EDtv 1999Movie Director, Producer

The Beatles: Eight Days a Week - The Touring Years 2016Movie Director, Producer

Night Shift 1982Movie Director

Dads 2019Movie as Self

Inside Deep Throat 2005Movie Producer

Gung Ho 1986Movie Director

We Feed People 2022Movie Director, Producer

The Journey 1959Movie as Billy Rhinelander

Katy Perry: Part of Me 2012Movie Producer

More American Graffiti 1979Movie as Steve Bolander

Jews and Baseball: An American Love Story 2010Movie as Self

Greatest Geek Year Ever! 1982 2023TV show as Self

Corman's World 2011Movie as Self - Filmmaker

Radioman 2012Movie as Self

The Courtship of Eddie's Father 1963Movie as Eddie Corbett

Beyond the Mat 1999Movie Producer

Grand Theft Auto 1977Movie as Sam Freeman

The Spikes Gang 1974Movie as Les

Laddie: The Man Behind the Movies 2017Movie as Self

Peanuts in Space: Secrets of Apollo 10 2019Movie as Self

'Tis the Season: The Holidays on Screen 2022Movie as Self

Tell Them Who You Are 2004Movie as Self

Hans Zimmer: Hollywood Rebel 2022Movie as Self

Fire on the Mountain 1981Movie as Lee Mackie

Being Frank 2019Movie Producer

Made in America 2013Movie Director, Producer

The Arrested Development Documentary Project 2013Movie as Self

Act of Love 1980Movie as Leon Cybulkowski

Roger Corman, the Pope of Pop Cinema 2021Movie as Self

Five Minutes to Live 1961Movie as Bobby Wilson

Untitled How the Grinch Stole Christmas Sequel Movie Director, Producer

Christopher Plummer: A Man For All Stages 2002Movie as Self

Eat My Dust 1976Movie as Hoover Niebold

The Wild Country 1970Movie as Virgil Tanner

Tom Hanks: The Nomad 2023Movie as Self (archive footage)

Rebuilding Paradise 2020Movie Director, Producer

I'm a Fool 1977Movie as Andy

Television: The First Fifty Years 1999Movie as Self / Opie Taylor / Ritchie Cunningham (archive footage)

Bitter Harvest 1981Movie as Ned De Vries

John Wayne: Cowboys & Demons 2023Movie as Self

Roger Corman: Hollywood's Wild Angel 1978Movie as Self

Hollywood's Funniest All-Star Bloopers 1985Movie as Self (archive footage)