Hollywood Child Stars |
Ron Howard: From Opie to Emmy
When we think of child stars, we often think of bright, innocent faces and captivating personas that have faded into oblivion before reaching adulthood. Ron Howard does not fall into that category. His career as a child actor reached its peak in the 1970’s with notable roles on “The Andy Griffith Show” and “Happy Days.” However, instead of slowly waning as time marched on, Ron took his career to new and loftier heights when he began producing and directing hit movies.
Beginnings
Ron William Howard was born March 1st, 1954, in Duncan, Oklahoma. His
parents, Rance Howard and Jean F. Speegle-Howard were already established
actors in the industry. Rance was involved in his son’s career from
the beginning, providing guidance and authority, and making sure that
young Ron was treated fairly in the business. Ron attended the School
of Cinematic Arts at the University of Southern California, but did not
officially graduate as he saw it more valuable to gain experience in the
field. Ron’s younger brother Clint Howard is also a well-known actor
who can be seen in many Ron Howard productions. Ron wed his high-school
sweetheart Cheryl Alley, a writer with a degree in geriatric psychology,
on June 7th, 1975. They have four children, daughter Bryce Dallas, twins
Jocelyn Carlyle and Paige Carlyle, and son Reed Cross. In early 2007,
Ron became a grandfather when Bryce Dallas gave birth to a son.
Current Projects
Aside
from his television credits and directorial pursuits, Ron Howard has lent
his voice to the ever-popular animated series “The Simpsons.”
He is also co-chairman of Imagine Television with Brian Grazer. Imagine
has produced such notable projects as “8 Mile”,
“Friday Night Lights”, “Inside
Deep Throat”, and the television series “24”
and “Felicity”.
Through Imagine Television, Ron keeps his presence in the industry going
strong. His most recent television project involved acting as executive
producer and narrator for the critically-acclaimed Fox sitcom
“Arrested Development”. Although
the show procured six Emmy awards and overwhelming praise from critics,
it failed to pull in the required high ratings. Consequently, the last
episode aired in February, 2006.
As often seen in Hollywood, making the transition from child actor to adult actor can be a tough one. A transition from child actor to adult director can be just as trying, but Ron Howard is a shining example of perseverance and talent. In his youth, he entertained his audiences in wholesome and comical roles. Now at 53 years old, with a brilliant career in producing and directing meaningful films and television programs, Ron is still America’s toothy-grinned boy-next-door, but with a little less hair.
In the News
Ron Howard's new project "Angels & Demons",
the sequel to "Da Vinci Code" is set to come
to theatres in December 2008. He has also been hard at work directing
"Frost/Nixon", a dramatic retelling of the post-Watergate television
interviews between British talk-show host David Frost and former president
Richard Nixon.
More on Ron Howard
Filmography