Biography
Ever since he made his acting debut when he was less than two years old, former television star-turned-film director Ron Howard enjoyed legendary status on both sides of the camera. After he charmed television audiences as Opie Taylor, the loveable son of a small town sheriff on "The Andy Griffith Show" (CBS, 1960-68), Howard cemented his fame as Richie Cunningham on the iconic series, "Happy Days" (ABC, 1974-1984). Though he was dogged for …
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Career Milestones
1956 | Appeared as a baby in "Frontier Woman," which featured his father |
1956 | Made stage acting debut at 18 months with parents in "The Seven Year Itch"; father Rance Howard directed production |
1958 | TV acting debut, "Police Station" |
1959 | First feature acting role, at age four in "The Journey" |
1959 | TV series debut, playing various characters on CBS sitcom "The Many Loves of Dobie Gillis" |
1960 | Portrayed Opie Taylor, the son of Sheriff Andy Taylor on "The Andy Griffith Show" (CBS) |
1962 | Landed featured role in big screen adaptation of "The Music Man" |
1963 | Played Eddie in feature "The Courtship of Eddie's Father" |
1965 | Last film role for five years, "Village of the Giants" |
1970 | Resumed movie acting career in "Smoke" |
1971 | Made feature debut as director and co-writer at age 23 with "Grand Theft Auto"; also starred |
1971 | Played Bob Smith on ABC series "The Smith Family"; also starred Henry Fonda and Janet Blair |
1973 | Starred in George Lucas' groundbreaking teen film "American Graffiti" |
1974 | Cast as Richie Cunningham on long-running ABC sitcom, "Happy Days"; was a regular on the series for six years; left to pursue career as a filmmaker but returned for occasional appearances |
1974 | Delivered dramatic role in acclaimed TV production "The Migrants" (CBS) |
1975 | Played title role in ABC adaptation of "Huckleberry Finn"; also featured parents and brother in supporting parts |
1976 | Co-starred with John Wayne in elegiac Western "The Shootist" |
1978 | Made TV directing and screenwriting debut with NBC movie "Cotton Candy," co-written with brother Clint |
1979 | Reprised role in less successful sequel "More American Graffiti" |
1980 | Cast as a man who honors his brother's wishes by committing a mercy killing and then is tried for murder in NBC movie "Act of Love" |
1980 | Feature debut as executive producer, "Leo and Loree" |
1980 | TV producing debut, "Ron Howard's 'Skyward,'" about a paraplegic teen who yearns to pilot her own plane with Bette Davis in featured role; also directed |
1982 | Helmed breakthrough feature, "Night Shift"; first collaborations with producer Brian Grazer, writers Lowell Ganz and Babaloo Mandel, and actor Michael Keaton; "Happy Days" co-star Henry Winkler also starred |
1984 | Directed hit romantic comedy "Splash," starring Tom Hanks and Daryl Hannah, and scripted by Mandel and Ganz |
1985 | Founded Imagine Films Entertainment with Brian Grazer |
1986 | Reprised signature childhood role of Opie Taylor in NBC reunion movie "Return to Mayberry," executive produced by Andy Griffith |
1986 | Took Imagine Films public |
1987 | First Imagine production, "Like Father Like Son" |
1987 | Was executive producer on short-lived CBS sitcom "Take Five" |
1988 | Executive produced TV sequel "Splash Too" (ABC) |
1988 | Had box office misfire with fantasy "Willow" |
1989 | Enjoyed hit with genial comedy "Parenthood" |
1990 | Returned to TV as executive producer of short-lived NBC sitcom "Parenthood" |
1991 | Helmed action thriller "Backdraft," starring Robert De Niro, Kurt Russell, and Donald Sutherland |
1992 | Announced he and Grazer were leaving Imagine for joint venture at Universal Pictures |
1992 | Teamed with Tom Cruise and Nicole Kidman on box office disappointment "Far and Away" |
1993 | Bought out Imagine (with Grazer), making the company private again |
1994 | Helmed "The Paper," featuring an all-star cast including Michael Keaton, Glenn Close, Robert Duvall, and Marisa Tomei |
1995 | Directed fact-based drama about an aborted NASA mission to the moon "Apollo 13"; starred Tom Hanks, Ed Harris, and Gary Sinise |
1996 | Helmed "Ransom," a remake of 1956 film about a child kidnapping, starring Mel Gibson and Rene Russo |
1997 | Was executive producer of ABC sitcom "Hiller & Diller" |
1998 | Served as one of the producers of Emmy-winning HBO series "From the Earth to the Moon"; Tom Hanks was driving force behind project, serving as executive producer, director, screenwriter, and co-star |
1998 | With Grazer, executive produced highly touted drama series "Felicity" (The WB) |
1998 | With partner Brian Grazer, was executive producer of ABC sitcom "Sports Night" |
1999 | Directed feature comedy "EDtv," starring Matthew McConaughey |
1999 | With Grazer and Eddie Murphy, served as executive producer of animated series "The PJs" (Fox, 1999-2000; The WB, 2000-01) |
2000 | Helmed live action version of "Dr. Seuss' How the Grinch Stole Christmas," starring Jim Carrey in title role |
2001 | Directed Russell Crowe in "A Beautiful Mind," a fictionalized biopic of Nobel Prize winner who overcame schizophrenia John Forbes Nash; received Golden Globe for Best Director and BAFTA nomination for Best Film |
2001 | Provided character voice of animated figure Tom Colonic in mixed media feature "Osmosis Jones" |
2002 | With Grazer, was producer of comedy feature "Stealing Harvard" |
2003 | Directed psychological thriller "The Missing," starring Cate Blanchett as a frontier woman who teams up with her estranged father, played by Tommy Lee Jones, to rescue her abducted daughter |
2003 | With partner Brian Grazer, was executive producer of Fox sitcom "Arrested Development"; also narrated series |
2005 | Re-teamed with Russell Crowe as director of "Cinderella Man," a true story of Depression-era fighter and folk hero Jim Braddock |
2006 | Directed Tom Hanks as symbologist Robert Langdon in film adaptation of Dan Brown's best-selling novel "The Da Vinci Code" |
2008 | Directed and produced feature adaption of Peter Morgan's play "Frost/Nixon," starring Michael Sheen and Frank Langella in title roles |
2008 | Nominated for the 2008 Directors Guild of America Award for Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Feature Film ("Frost/Nixon") |
2008 | Nominated for the 2008 Golden Globe Award for Best Director - Motion Picture ("Frost/Nixon") |
2009 | Nominated for the 2008 Academy Award for Best Achievement in Directing ("Frost/Nixon") |
2009 | Re-teamed with Hanks for "Angels & Demons," the film adaptation of Dan Brown's novel and sequel to "The Da Vinci Code" |
2010 | Executive produced updated version of 1989 film "Parenthood" for NBC |
2011 | Co-produced biographical drama "J. Edgar," directed by Clint Eastwood and starring Leonardo DiCaprio |
2011 | Helmed "The Dilemma," starring Vince Vaughn, Kevin James, and Winona Ryder |
2013 | Inducted into The Academy of Television Arts & Sciences' Hall of Fame |
Awards
1976 | Golden Globe Award for Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role in a Motion Picture in The Shootist |
1977 | Golden Globe Award for Best Performance by an Actor in a Television Series - Comedy Or Musical in Happy Days |
1982 | Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Children's Program in Through the Magic Pyramid |
1985 | Directors Guild of America Award for Feature Film in Cocoon |
1995 | Directors Guild of America Award for Feature Film in Apollo 13 |
1995 | Golden Globe Award for Best Director - Motion Picture in Apollo 13 |
1998 | Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Miniseries in From the Earth to the Moon |
1999 | Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Animated Program (For Programming One Hour or Less) in The PJs |
1999 | Producers Guild of America Award for Long-Form Television in From the Earth to the Moon |
2001 | Academy Award for Best Picture in A Beautiful Mind |
2001 | Academy Award for Directing in A Beautiful Mind |
2001 | BAFTA Award for David Lean Award For Achievement In Direction, The in A Beautiful Mind |
2001 | BAFTA Award for Film in A Beautiful Mind |
2001 | Critics' Choice Award for Best Director in A Beautiful Mind |
2001 | Directors Guild of America Award for Feature Film in A Beautiful Mind |
2001 | Golden Globe Award for Best Director - Motion Picture in A Beautiful Mind |
2004 | Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Comedy Series in Arrested Development |
2005 | Critics' Choice Award for Best Director in Cinderella Man |
2005 | Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Comedy Series in Arrested Development |
2006 | Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Comedy Series in Arrested Development |
2008 | Academy Award for Best Picture in Frost/Nixon |
2008 | Academy Award for Directing in Frost/Nixon |
2008 | BAFTA Award for Best Film in Frost/Nixon |
2008 | BAFTA Award for Director in Frost/Nixon |
2008 | Critics' Choice Award for Best Director in Frost/Nixon |
2008 | Directors Guild of America Award for Feature Film in Frost/Nixon |
2008 | Golden Globe Award for Best Director - Motion Picture in Frost/Nixon |
2009 | Palm Springs International Film Festival for Lifetime Achievement Award in Directing |