From Child Star to Celebrated Filmmaker: The Incredible and Extraordinary Life of Ron Howard

Ron Howard has entertained American viewers with his works for almost 6 decades now, either with his acting skills or his directing and producing prowess. He has graced the television screen as a young boy in The Andy Griffith Show, and he literally grew up before the viewer’s eyes.  Instead of worrying about school or college, Howard was kept busy with his scripts and filming.  Despite that, he still says that he had a great childhood, thanks to the people surrounding him throughout his career. Read on to discover the many successes of Howard, that helped him earn billions to save up in his bank account, enough to last him a lifetime, even as his contemporaries may be filing for bankruptcy, right now!

A Star is Born

Many know that Ron Howard grew up in Burbank, California, but that is not where the famous actor-director is from.  Howard was born in Duncan, Oklahoma on March 1, 1954, to parents Rance Howard and Jean Speegle Howard.  His real family name is Beckenholdt, but his father changed his last name to Howard when he started his own acting career. It was quite a common practice in Hollywood, changing one’s name and adopting screen-names, anything to ensure that you get more acting jobs.  Ron’s ginger hair and light skin tone is from a mixture of ancestry, as he is of German, Dutch, Scottish, Irish, and English descent.

Trying to Maintain a Normal Childhood

It was said that when little Ron was born, his actor parents made his birth announcement through a playbill which said that the star had appeared in the buff, and that it had created quite a sensation. No regular old newspaper announcement would do! As a kid, Ron’s parents allowed his to go on an early morning paper route like his friends did, which ensured that he had some semblance of a regular childhood, even though he was a busy child artist. He also played in the Little League and his shooting schedule was arranged around his games so that he could participate in them. Unlike other star kids at the time, Ron’s weekly allowance was only 25 cents! Because his own parents worked hard to give him a normal childhood, he would do the same for his future kids.

In the Genes

Acting is really in the genes of the talented Howard family.  Although the family matriarch, Ron’s mother Jean Speegle Howard, started acting during the 1970s, she didn’t join the ‘club’ just because her husband and children were in the business.  She was, of course, a good actress too, appearing in several television shows, including Married… with Children.  In the Henry Winkler-directed film, A Smoky Mountain Christmas, Jean appeared alongside her husband Rance.  She played Old Lady Jezebel, while her husband played Dr. Jennings.  She sadly passed away in 2000, which made Ron dedicate his 2000 film How the Grinch Stole Christmas to her, saying that she’s the one in his family who loved Christmas the most.

First Acting Job

The Andy Griffith Show is not the first acting break that Ron Howard got, as his first appearance was in the 1959 movie The Journey.  When other five-year-olds have a normal routine involving playing, eating, and going to sleep, Howard appeared in his first ever film!  His parents’ intention was not to send little ‘Ronny’ to work to save up money for college or even real estate, they probably saw their little boy’s acting potential.  The Journey features the wonderful pairing of actors  Yul Brynner and Deborah Kerr, who starred together first in The King and I.

Big Break

When Howard was 4 years old in 1958, his family relocated from Oklahoma to Hollywood, renting an apartment near the Desilu Studios. It was where the TV show The Andy Griffith Show was filmed when it aired.  After 2 years of living a stone’s throw away from a filming studio, Howard got his biggest acting break.  The creators of The Andy Griffith Show gave Howard the role of Opie Taylor, son of Andy Taylor, the character played by Andy Griffith.  He was credited as Ronny Howard and not as Ron Howard then.  The actor portrayed the character for 8 seasons until the show ended in 1968.

The Last Surviving Original Cast Member

The Andy Griffith Show is a beloved sitcom that aired for 8 seasons.  Ron Howard was only 6 years old when he starred in the show, and he remained a regular cast member for the entire 8 seasons of the show.  After the show ended, Howard continued to act but pursued education, too.  He reached college and enrolled in the film school, at University of Southern California’s School of Cinematic Arts, although he wasn’t able to graduate.  When the main star of the show, Andy Griffith, passed away in 2012, Howard became the only original surviving cast member.  There are still those actors and actresses who joined the cast later, who are still alive.  But from the original cast, it’s only Howard who is still alive today.

A Great Father

Ron Howard said that even as a child, he already knew that he wanted to become a filmmaker.  One of the many great influences in his life was his father, Rance Howard, who worked as an actor even before Ron was born.  Many of Rance’s film credits were in movies directed and produced by his son, but one of his early works on stage was Mister Roberts, where he starred with the great Henry Fonda.  Being familiar with the business, Rance became very protective of Ron when he joined Hollywood at a very young age, shielding him from unfair treatment.  He had done a great job raising Ron, as he ended up being a great director after attending film school.

Happy Days

One of the opportunities that catapulted Ron to stardom and earned his hefty paychecks, was his appearance in the TV show Happy Days as Richie Cunningham.  Before it became ‘Happy Days’, the show was only an unsold pilot titled ‘Love and the Television Set.’  It would later be retitled to ‘Love and Happy Days’, until it finally ended up being called Happy Days.  The ABC network showed interest in the pilot after Star Wars producer George Lucas made Howard the lead star of his movie American Graffiti.  Happy Days turned out to be a major hit in the 1970s, making not only Howard very famous, but most of al actor Henry Winkler, who played Arthur ‘The Fonz’ Fonzarelli.

Richie Cunningham

When other 20-year-olds were thinking about getting a college degree or what college and university they would choose, Ron Howard was busy with his hit television show, Happy Days.  He played the innocent Richie Cunningham, and the show was mainly about the dilemmas and experiences that high school teenagers go through.  Many people may not know that Howard didn’t just star in Happy Days playing Richie Cunningham, but he also appeared in other 3 different shows named Love, American Style, Laverne & Shirley, and The Fonz and the Happy Days Gang.

A Lifelong Friendship

Ron Howard is not the only actor who rose to fame because of Happy Days, there’s also Henry Winkler.  The latter played cool greaser Arthur ‘Fonzie’ Fonzarelli, initially only a minor character, but when the show’s ratings were going down, producers decided to make Winkler’s character a major one.  It’s because of this change that Happy Days became a sleeper hit with Winkler becoming a major Hollywood star.  But there’s no bad blood between Howard and Winkler, in fact, they forged a lifelong friendship. Winkler even became Howard’s eldest child, Bryce Dallas Howard’s godfather.  The two actors are both still successful and will never had to worry about bankruptcy, loans or mortgages.

American Graffiti

Aside from Happy Days, Ron Howard is most famous for starring as one of the leads in the coming-of-age film American Graffiti, made by George Lucas. Fans of the film know that there are other Hollywood greats that appeared in it, not just Howard.  There’s also Suzanne Somers, Richard Dreyfuss, and Harrison Ford.  The film also paved the way for many more acting projects for Ron and the other stars, so much so that none of them ever need the services of a bankruptcy attorney, even to this day.  Lucas’ film was a huge box office success, earning over $200 million when its budget was only $777,000.  Furthermore, it was critically acclaimed, even earning a nomination for the Best Picture at the Academy Awards that year.

The Famous Car

Since the 1962 film American Graffiti also centered on drag-racing, many cars from the film became really popular. One of the most famous ones is this 1958 Chevrolet Impala that Steve Bolander owned.  Bolander’s character was played by Ron Howard.  Those who are familiar with the film should remember Howard’s character loaning the car to his friend, Terry the Toad.  The exact car is still in great shape today, fully restored, but those the dents made by Terry have remained.  It was put up for auction and is expected to be sold for anywhere between $800,000 to $1.2 million.

Trying Out Something New with Grand Theft Auto

Filmmaking is a very lucrative career, especially when you have the talent and a unique vision for each film you make.  To illustrate this point, there are plenty of directors and producers who have made it in the bug leagues like Peter Jackson, Steven Spielberg, and of course, Ron Howard, and there is no looking back for them.  Fresh from the success of car-related hit movies, Howard’s first directorial job was car-crash comedy called Grand Theft Auto.  Howard did not just direct the film, he also starred in it opposite actress Nancy Morgan.

Exchange Deal

Ron Howard was basking in his success as an actor, but he could not shake off his true passion, which was to become a filmmaker.  When asked how he was able to get his first directorial job, Howard said he blackmailed his way to it.  Famous movie director Roger Corman wanted Howard to star in his film, Eat My Dust, but instead of negotiating how much salary he would get for doing the movie, Howard asked the director to help him make the new script he had into a movie.  Corman, who was known for helping first-time directors, agreed and so Howard acted in Eat My Dust, and the director helped him make Grand Theft Auto.

Love of his Life

It has been said that making it big in Hollywood is hard, maintaining a successful and happy marriage is harder.  Ron Howard and Cheryl Howard have one of the longest surviving marriages in Hollywood, as they have been married for 43 years now. The famous director feels he is very lucky to have met his wife when they were just teenagers.  They got married in 1975 when they were both in college.  Although Ron didn’t graduate, Cheryl has a degree in geriatric psychology and is a writer today.  She has also appeared in some of Ron’s films, including Splash and A Beautiful Mind.

Mysterious Names

Looking at the names of the children of Ron and Cheryl Howard, you would be fascinated at how they came up with them.  Their first names are ordinary ones, but all of their 4 children have unique middles names.  The eldest is Bryce Dallas, then came the twins Paige Carlyle and Jocelyn Carlyle, and their youngest is son Reed Cross.  As it turns out, their middles names come from the places they had been conceived in!  Dallas stands for the city in Texas, Carlyle came from Carlyle Hotel in New York City, and Cross is from a street in London, which they randomly decided on because Ron said ‘Volvo’ didn’t sound good as a middle name.

Bryce is Following in her Father’s Footsteps

Actress Bryce Dallas Howard is indeed following in her father’s footsteps.  Just like her famous dad, Bryce attended college at the New York University’s Tisch School of the Arts but left before she could graduate.  The Jurassic World star prioritized appearing in the Broadway play ‘As You Like It’ over finishing school.  Might as well, because she transitioned to film quickly, with her breakout role being M. Night Shyamalan’s The Village in 2004.  Some of her other famous films are Lady in the Water, The Twilight Saga: Eclipse, Terminator Salvation, and The Help.

Twins

Four years after their eldest Bryce Dallas was born, Ron and Cheryl Howard welcomed twin daughters Paige Carlyle and Jocelyn Carlyle. The twins often accompanied their father during filming, as evident from this photo.  Not much is known about Jocelyn, what she does today or even what college or university she went to.  She probably prefers to keep her life private unlike her other siblings.  Her twin sister, Paige, on the other hand, is an actress who concentrates more in theater rather than films.  She attended New York University’s Tisch School of the Arts just like Bryce, and made a few films like Adventureland and The Employer.

Only Son

Ron Howard started acting when he was 5 years old, so when he became a father, he wanted his children to go on a different career path, and not just follow him.  Howard and his wife Cheryl even went to the extent of moving away from Los Angeles so their kids wouldn’t catch the acting bug.  They were successful with their plan, or at least 50% successful, as one of their twin daughter Jocelyn, and their one and only son, Reed Cross, are not in the movie business.  After 3 daughters, the couple was finally blessed with a son in 1987.  He may have inherited his father’s complexion and hair color, but he didn’t follow his father’s footsteps to join Hollywood.

Net Worth

Working for 6 decades in Hollywood has been financially rewarding for Howard.  He has accumulated an estimated net worth of $160 million, which is mind blowing!  Aside from television, his string of hit films ensured that his wealth managers worked over time to manage his account.  As a director, he found success in films like Cocoon, How the Grinch Stole Christmas, Apollo 13, and A Beautiful Mind.  Howard also ventured into production, and he’s the co-founder of the film and television production company, Imagine Entertainment.  He formed this company along with his friend, producer Brian Grazer.

Working with his Brother

Acting is indeed in the genes, Ron Howard and his parents are not the only actors in the family, his younger brother Clint joined Hollywood, too!  Clint Howard would never lose big acting projects as long as his sibling Ron Howard was around, because the latter has always cast his brother in the films he directs and produces.  So the younger Howard will never ever have to worry about filing for bankruptcy.  Clint’s first acting experience comes from being cast in The Andy Griffith Show, where he starred as Leon, the cowboy hat-wearing, sandwich bearing little boy.

A Beautiful Mind

Watching the film A Beautiful Mind was indeed a beautiful experience to many, because it brought to surface the best in them.  This include the film’s director Ron Howard, actress Jennifer Connelly, the lead actor Russell Crowe, and many more others who are behind the making of the film.  The film was about the real-life story of Nobel Laureate in Economics awardee John Nash, who suffered from paranoid schizophrenia.  Although it did not win Crowe the Oscars Best Actor, it won 4 awards, including best director for Howard, Best Supporting Actress for Connelly, and Best Picture.  The film is included in the American Film Institute’s list of 100 Most Inspiring Movies of All Time

An Academy Award

Those who have watched films directed by Ron Howard would agree that he’s one of the most talented film directors around.  Although many of his films have been critically acclaimed, and he’s received awards and nominations from different award-giving bodies, the Academy Awards seemed to elude him and his films for many years.  Until A Beautiful Mind happened.  For the first time, Howard earned a nomination from the Academy for Best Director and Best Picture categories, and he won both awards, too!  The next nominations came for the film Frost/Nixon, but sadly he lost both nominations to the film Slumdog Millionaire and its director, Danny Boyle.

The Robert Langdon Films

The book Da Vinci Code by Dan Brown was highly controversial, especially after it was turned into a film, directed by Ron Howard.  The dark movie starred Tom Hanks as Robert Langdon, a role he reprised with two more Dan Brown movies, all made by Howard, namely Angels & Demons and Inferno.  The Da Vinci Code brought both box-office success and controversy to Howard.  It grossed $758 million worldwide at the box office and became the second highest grossing film of 2006.  However, the Vatican denounced the film calling it offensive and full of theological errors.  Howard defended the film by saying it was not, in any way about theology, but rather based on fiction.

Hollywood Walk of Fame

It’s no surprise that Ron Howard was awarded his own star in the Hollywood Walk of Fame on August 19, 1981, because he appeared in 2 of the most famous and beloved TV shows of all time, The Andy Griffith Show and Happy Days. However, he received a unique distinction when he was awarded a second star in 2015, honoring his directing career.  Howard is only one of the few celebrities to have been awarded additional stars, with Bob Hope being the last one who garnered an additional star back in 1993… only his 4th, by the way.

Some Heartbreaking News

Things were going so great for Ron and his family, both professionally and personally, when tragedy struck. The close-knit family’s 89-year-old patriarch passed away in November 2017, landing a huge blow to the Howards. Ron announced his father’s passing on social media saying how he and his brother Clint were blessed to have been born as Rance Howard’s sons. He went on to elaborate on the amazing qualities that made Rance not only a good actor and father, but also a great man. His parting line was that the depression-era farm lad’s passion for the cinema had completed changed his family’s course of history. What a beautiful tribute!

Broken Memories

Rance’s passing brought about an outpour of social media posts and tributes from other actors and industry big-wigs who had the good fortune of working with him and knowing him personally. The senior Howard worked in movies right till the end and his last on-screen appearance would be in Broken Memories. The film starred Rance as an aging Alzheimer’s sufferer and the storyline revolved around how his son was dealing with his father’s illness. As the actor passed away before the movie’s release, Ron decided to pay tribute to his late father at the movie’s premier, which was made to coincide with the occasion of National Alzheimer’s Disease Awareness Month in November.