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
Friday Night Lights 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.