Ron Howard
Known for Directing · 175 credits
- Born
- 1954-03-01 (age 72)
- Place of birth
- Duncan, Oklahoma, USA
- Also known as
- Ronny Howard · Ronald William Howard · Ronnie Howard · Ronald William "Ron" Howard · ران هاوارد
Biography
Ronald William Howard (born March 1, 1954) is an American filmmaker and actor. He first came to prominence as a child actor, guest-starring in several television series, including an episode of The Twilight Zone. Howard 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.
Known For
TV Shows (87)
The Daily Show
1996
as Self
The Late Show with Stephen Colbert
2015
as Self - Guest
Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen
2009
as Self - Guest
Late Night with Seth Meyers
2014
as Self - Guest
The Simpsons
1989
as Ron Howard (voice)
The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon
2014
as Self
The Kelly Clarkson Show
2019
as Self
The Colbert Report
2005
The Mike Douglas Show
1961
as Self / Self - Co-Host
Real Time with Bill Maher
2003
as Self
The View
1997
as Self / Self - Guest
Jimmy Kimmel Live!
2003
as Self - Guest
Saturday Night Live
1975
as Self - Host / Contestant #2 (uncredited)
Frasier
1993
as Stephen (voice)
The Fugitive
1963
as Gus
Great Performances
1971
as Self
This Is Us
2016
as Ron Howard (uncredited)
The Red Skelton Show
1951
as Joey
The Tonight Show with Jay Leno
1992
Lassie
1954
The Andy Griffith Show
1960
as Opie Taylor
The Ellen DeGeneres Show
2003
as Self
Bonanza
1959
as Ted Hoag
The Graham Norton Show
2007
as Self
Top Gear
2002
as Self
Golden Globe Awards
1944
as Self - Presenter / Self - Nominee / Self - Accepting Award for Best Motion Picture Drama / Nominee
Kulturplatz
2004
as Self
Arrested Development
2003
as Narrator
M*A*S*H
1972
as Wendell
The Waltons
1972
Love, American Style
1969
as Richie Cunningham
Happy Days
1974
as Richie Cunningham
The Twilight Zone
1959
as Wilcox Boy
Only Murders in the Building
2021
as Ron Howard
Chelsea
2016
as Self
Dr. Kildare
1961
as Jerry Prentice
Daniel Boone
1964
as Luke
The F.B.I.
1965
as Jess Orkin
The Bob Hope Show
1950
as Self
Dinah!
1974
as Self
Gunsmoke
1955
as Jamie
Dennis the Menace
1959
as Stewart
The Big Valley
1965
as Tommy
Gomer Pyle, U.S.M.C.
1964
as Opie Taylor
The Danny Thomas Show
1953
as Opie Taylor
People's Choice Awards
1975
as Self - Winner
Off Camera with Sam Jones
2014
as Self
Laverne & Shirley
1976
Route 66
1960
The Studio
2025
as Ron Howard
The Oscars
1953
as Self
The Late Late Show with Craig Kilborn
1999
as Self - Guest
The Many Loves of Dobie Gillis
1959
as Little Boy Eating Candy Bar / Little Boy with Ray Gun
Land of the Giants
1968
as Jodar
The Danny Kaye Show
1963
as Self
Mayberry R.F.D.
1968
as Opie Taylor
Where Are They Now?
1999
as Self
Donny & Marie
1976
as Self
The DuPont Show with June Allyson
1959
as Wim
Gentle Ben
1967
as Jerry / Jody Cutler
Movies (88)
A Beautiful Mind
2001
as Man at Governor's Ball (uncredited)
American Graffiti
1973
as Steve Bolander
Roger Corman, the Pope of Pop Cinema
2021
as Self
John Candy: I Like Me
2025
as Self - Director, Splash (archive footage)
Marty, Life Is Short
2026
as Self
Osmosis Jones
2001
as Tom Colonic (voice)
Welcome to Hollywood
2000
as Ron Howard
Corman's World
2011
as Self - Filmmaker
Radioman
2012
as Self
The Music Man
1962
as Winthrop Paroo
The Shootist
1976
as Gillom Rogers
Music by John Williams
2024
as Self - Filmmaker
Night Shift
1982
as Annoying Sax Player (uncredited)
Inside a Beautiful Mind
2002
as Self
The Journey
1959
as Billy Rhinelander
The Spikes Gang
1974
as Les
More American Graffiti
1979
as Steve Bolander
The Horror Hall of Fame II
1991
as Self
Willow: Behind the Magic
2023
as Self - Director, Willow, 1988 / Executive Producer, Willow, 2022
Tom Hanks: The Nomad
2023
as Self (archive footage)
Cannes: All Access
2007
as Self
Fuck Coin
2021
as Self
A Boy Called Nuthin’
1967
as Richie 'Nuthin'' Caldwell
Happy Mother's Day, Love George
1973
as Johnny
The Independent
2000
as Ron Howard
The First Nudie Musical
1976
as Auditioning Actor
Village of the Giants
1965
as Genius
Tell Them Who You Are
2004
as Self
Grand Theft Auto
1977
as Sam Freeman
Five Minutes to Live
1961
as Bobby Wilson
The Courtship of Eddie's Father
1963
as Eddie Corbett
The Wild Country
1970
as Virgil Tanner
George Lucas: Creating an Empire
2005
as Self
Fire on the Mountain
1981
as Lee Mackie
Donald Trump's The Art of the Deal: The Movie
2016
as Himself
I'm a Fool
1977
as Andy
From Star Wars to Star Wars: The Story of Industrial Light & Magic
1999
as Self
Dads
2019
as Self
Television: The First Fifty Years
1999
as Self / Opie Taylor / Ritchie Cunningham (archive footage)
The Death and Return of Superman
2011
as Max's Son
Frank Capra's American Dream
1997
as Self
Making a 'Splash'
2004
as Self - Director
Eat My Dust
1976
as Hoover Niebold
Return to Mayberry
1986
as Opie Taylor
Don't Say No Until I Finish Talking: The Story of Richard D. Zanuck
2013
as Self
Bitter Harvest
1981
as Ned De Vries
The Happy Days of Garry Marshall
2020
as Self
Blacklist: Hollywood on Trial
1996
as Herbert Biberman
Huckleberry Finn
1978
as Huckleberry Finn
Kasdan on Kasdan
2018
as Self
The Twilight Zone: A 60th Anniversary Celebration
2019
as Wilcox Boy (archive footage)
The Making of 'American Graffiti'
1998
as Self
Star Wars: The Magic & the Mystery
1997
as Self
Hans Zimmer: Hollywood Rebel
2022
as Self
Classic TV Bloopers Uncensored
2011
as Richie Cunningham (archive footage)
Chuck Jones: Extremes and In-Betweens - A Life in Animation
2000
as Self
Henry Fonda: Hollywood's Quiet Hero
1997
as Self
Industrial Light & Magic: Creating the Impossible
2010
as Self
Act of Love
1980
as Leon Cybulkowski
The Arrested Development Documentary Project
2013
as Self
Willow: The Making of an Adventure
1988
as Self - Director
The Migrants
1974
as Lyle Barlow
Laddie: The Man Behind the Movies
2017
as Self
Lost Moon: The Triumph of Apollo 13
1996
as Self
Enterprise or Love: The Story of Far and Away
2024
as Self
Weezer: Video Capture Device - Treasures from the Vault 1991-2002
2004
as Richie Cunningham ("Buddy Holly") (archive footage)
First Works
1989
as Self
NBC Salutes the 25th Anniversary of the Wonderful World of Disney
1978
as Self - Host
Peanuts in Space: Secrets of Apollo 10
2019
as Self
Hollywood's Funniest All-Star Bloopers
1985
as Self (archive footage)
A Walking Tour of Sesame Street
1979
as Richie Cunningham (archive footage)
Sitcom: The Adventures of Garry Marshall
1979
as Self
The Magical World of Chuck Jones
1992
as Self
Roger Corman: Hollywood's Wild Angel
1978
as Self
Hollywood on Hollywood
1993
as Host
Christopher Plummer: A Man For All Stages
2002
as Self
Tom Hanks: A League of His Own
2016
as Self
Smoke
1970
as Chris (as Ronny Howard)
From Morf to Morphing: The Dawn of Digital Filmmaking
2001
as Self - Director
A Special: Olivia Newton-John
1976
Channel 99
1988
John Wayne: Cowboys & Demons
2023
as Self
Ron Howard: 50 Years in Film
2008
as Self
Jews and Baseball: An American Love Story
2010
as Self
Sheldon Leonard's Wonderful Life
2011
as Self
'Tis the Season: The Holidays on Screen
2022
as Self
Locusts
1974
as Donny Fletcher
The Shootist: The Legend Lives On
2001
as Self (archive footage) (uncredited)
About Ron Howard
Ronald William Howard (born March 1, 1954) is an American filmmaker and actor. He first came to prominence as a child actor, guest-starring in several television series, including an episode of The Twilight Zone. Howard 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 fil… With 175 credits spanning from 1944 to 2026, Ron Howard has appeared in 88 films and 87 TV shows.
Fans searching for Ron Howard movies, Ron Howard filmography, or the latest projects starring Ron Howard can stream many of these titles on Bowood.TV, free and in HD, with no subscription required.
Most Popular Ron Howard Movies
- A Beautiful Mind (2001) — as Man at Governor's Ball (uncredited)
- American Graffiti (1973) — as Steve Bolander
- Roger Corman, the Pope of Pop Cinema (2021) — as Self
- John Candy: I Like Me (2025) — as Self - Director, Splash (archive footage)
- Marty, Life Is Short (2026) — as Self
Where to Watch Ron Howard Films
Most Ron Howard movies and series are available to stream on Bowood.TV in full HD, completely free and without signup. Browse the complete filmography above to jump directly to any title. For more films and the latest web series featuring Ron Howard, check our movies catalogue and browse page.