Ron Howard
Directing
Ronald William Howard (born March 1, 1954) is an American filmmaker and actor. Howard first came to prominence as a child actor, guest-starring in several television series, including an episode of The Twilight Zone. He 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.
TV Shows(87)
The Studio
Ron Howard
2025
Greatest Geek Year Ever! 1982
Self
2023
100 Years of Warner Bros.
Self
2023
LIGHT & MAGIC
Self - Academy Award Winning Filmmaker
2022
Only Murders in the Building
Ron Howard
2021
How To with John Wilson
Self (archive footage) (uncredited)
2020
Reunited Apart
Self
2020
The Kelly Clarkson Show
Self
2019
This Is Us
Ron Howard (uncredited)
2016
Chelsea
Self
2016
The Late Show with Stephen Colbert
Self - Guest
2015
The Odd Couple
Stanley
2015
Late Night with Seth Meyers
Self - Guest
2014
The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon
Self
2014
Off Camera with Sam Jones
Self
2014
Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen
Self - Guest
2009
The Graham Norton Show
Self
2007
The Colbert Report
2005
Kulturplatz
Self
2004
Arrested Development
Narrator
2003
The Ellen DeGeneres Show
Self
2003
Real Time with Bill Maher
Self
2003
Jimmy Kimmel Live!
Self - Guest
2003
Top Gear
Self
2002
Where Are They Now?
Self
1999
The Late Late Show with Craig Kilborn
Self - Guest
1999
The View
Self
1997
E! True Hollywood Story
1996
The Daily Show
Self
1996
MADtv
Self
1995
Inside the Actors Studio
Self
1994
Frasier
Stephen (voice)
1993
The Tonight Show with Jay Leno
1992
The Simpsons
Ron Howard (voice)
1989
The Fonz and the Happy Days Gang
Richie Cunningham
1980
Battle of the Network Stars
1976
The Captain and Tennille
Self - Guest
1976
Laverne & Shirley
1976
Donny & Marie
Self
1976
Saturday Night Live
Self - Host
1975
People's Choice Awards
Self - Winner
1975
Dinah!
Self
1974
Happy Days
1974
The American Film Institute Salute to ...
Self
1973
M*A*S*H
Wendell
1972
The Waltons
1972
Great Performances
Self
1971
The Smith Family
Bob Smith
1971
The Headmaster
1970
Love, American Style
Richie Cunningham
1969
The Bold Ones: The New Doctors
Cory Merlino
1969
Lancer
1968
Mayberry R.F.D.
Opie Taylor
1968
Land of the Giants
Jodar
1968
Gentle Ben
Jerry
1967
Judd, for the Defense
1967
The Monroes
1966
The F.B.I.
Jess Orkin
1965
I Spy
Alan Loden
1965
The Big Valley
Tommy
1965
Gomer Pyle, U.S.M.C.
Opie Taylor
1964
Daniel Boone
Luke
1964
The Great Adventure
Daniel Waterhouse
1963
The Danny Kaye Show
Self
1963
The Fugitive
Gus
1963
The Mike Douglas Show
Self
1961
The New Breed
Tommy Simms
1961
Dr. Kildare
Jerry Prentice
1961
Route 66
1960
The Andy Griffith Show
Opie Taylor
1960
Pete and Gladys
1960
Dennis the Menace
1959
Five Fingers
1959
Johnny Ringo
Ricky Parrott
1959
The Twilight Zone
Wilcox Boy
1959
The Many Loves of Dobie Gillis
1959
The DuPont Show with June Allyson
Wim
1959
Bonanza
Ted Hoag
1959
Gunsmoke
Jamie
1955
The Wonderful World of Disney
Chris
1954
Lassie
1954
The Danny Thomas Show
Opie Taylor
1953
The Oscars
Self
1953
General Electric Theater
Barnaby Baxter
1953
The Red Skelton Show
Joey
1951
The Bob Hope Show
Self
1950
Golden Globe Awards
Self - Presenter
1944
Movies(87)
Marty, Life Is Short
Self
2026
John Candy: I Like Me
Self - Director, Splash (archive footage)
2025
Enterprise or Love: The Story of Far and Away
Self
2024
Music by John Williams
Self - Filmmaker
2024
Tom Hanks: The Nomad
Self (archive footage)
2023
John Wayne: Cowboys & Demons
Self
2023
Willow: Behind the Magic
Self - Director, Willow, 1988 / Executive Producer, Willow, 2022
2023
'Tis the Season: The Holidays on Screen
Self
2022
Hans Zimmer: Hollywood Rebel
Self
2022
Fuck Coin
Self
2021
Roger Corman, the Pope of Pop Cinema
Self
2021
The Happy Days of Garry Marshall
Self
2020
The Twilight Zone: A 60th Anniversary Celebration
Wilcox Boy (archive footage)
2019
Dads
Self
2019
Peanuts in Space: Secrets of Apollo 10
Self
2019
Kasdan on Kasdan
Self
2018
Laddie: The Man Behind the Movies
Self
2017
Tom Hanks: A League of His Own
Self
2016
Donald Trump's The Art of the Deal: The Movie
Himself
2016
The Arrested Development Documentary Project
Self
2013
Don't Say No Until I Finish Talking: The Story of Richard D. Zanuck
Self
2013
From Morf to Morphing: The Dawn of Digital Filmmaking
Self - Director
2013
Radioman
Self
2012
Corman's World
Self - Filmmaker
2011
Classic TV Bloopers Uncensored
Richie Cunningham (archive footage)
2011
Sheldon Leonard's Wonderful Life
Self
2011
Industrial Light & Magic: Creating the Impossible
Self
2010
Jews and Baseball: An American Love Story
Self
2010
Ron Howard: 50 Years in Film
Self
2008
Cannes: All Access
Self
2007
George Lucas: Creating an Empire
Self
2005
Tell Them Who You Are
Self
2004
Making a 'Splash'
Self - Director
2004
Weezer: Video Capture Device - Treasures from the Vault 1991-2002
Richie Cunningham ("Buddy Holly") (archive footage)
2004
Christopher Plummer: A Man For All Stages
Self
2002
Inside a Beautiful Mind
Self
2002
A Beautiful Mind
Man at Governor's Ball (uncredited)
2001
Osmosis Jones
Tom Colonic (voice)
2001
The Shootist: The Legend Lives On
Self (archive footage) (uncredited)
2001
The Independent
Ron Howard
2000
Chuck Jones: Extremes and In-Betweens - A Life in Animation
Self
2000
Welcome to Hollywood
Ron Howard
2000
From Star Wars to Star Wars: The Story of Industrial Light & Magic
Self
1999
Television: The First Fifty Years
Self / Opie Taylor / Ritchie Cunningham (archive footage)
1999
The Making of 'American Graffiti'
Self
1998
Frank Capra's American Dream
Self
1997
Henry Fonda: Hollywood's Quiet Hero
Self
1997
Star Wars: The Magic & the Mystery
Self
1997
Lost Moon: The Triumph of Apollo 13
Self
1996
Blacklist: Hollywood on Trial
Herbert Biberman
1996
Hollywood on Hollywood
Host
1993
The Magical World of Chuck Jones
Self
1992
The Horror Hall of Fame II
Self
1991
First Works
Self
1989
Channel 99
1988
Willow: The Making of an Adventure
Self - Director
1988
Return to Mayberry
Opie Taylor
1986
Hollywood's Funniest All-Star Bloopers
Self (archive footage)
1985
Night Shift
Annoying Sax Player (uncredited)
1982
Fire on the Mountain
Lee Mackie
1981
Bitter Harvest
Ned De Vries
1981
Act of Love
Leon Cybulkowski
1980
More American Graffiti
Steve Bolander
1979
A Walking Tour of Sesame Street
Richie Cunningham (archive footage)
1979
Sitcom: The Adventures of Garry Marshall
Self
1979
NBC Salutes the 25th Anniversary of the Wonderful World of Disney
Self - Host
1978
Roger Corman: Hollywood's Wild Angel
Self
1978
Huckleberry Finn
Huckleberry Finn
1978
Grand Theft Auto
Sam Freeman
1977
I'm a Fool
Andy
1977
A Special: Olivia Newton-John
1976
The Shootist
Gillom Rogers
1976
Eat My Dust
Hoover Niebold
1976
The First Nudie Musical
Auditioning Actor
1976
Locusts
Donny Fletcher
1974
The Spikes Gang
Les
1974
The Migrants
Lyle Barlow
1974
Happy Mother's Day, Love George
Johnny
1973
American Graffiti
Steve Bolander
1973
The Wild Country
Virgil Tanner
1970
Smoke
Chris (as Ronny Howard)
1970
A Boy Called Nuthin’
Richie 'Nuthin'' Caldwell
1967
Village of the Giants
Genius
1965
The Courtship of Eddie's Father
Eddie Corbett
1963
The Music Man
Winthrop Paroo
1962
Five Minutes to Live
Bobby Wilson
1961
The Journey
Billy Rhinelander
1959