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.
88 movies · 87 shows
Marty, Life Is Short
2026·8.1
John Candy: I Like Me
2025·7.9
Enterprise or Love: The Story of Far and Away
2024·0.0
Music by John Williams
2024·8.1
Tom Hanks: The Nomad
2023·5.5
John Wayne: Cowboys & Demons
2023·0.0
Willow: Behind the Magic
2023·4.3
'Tis the Season: The Holidays on Screen
2022·5.0
Hans Zimmer: Hollywood Rebel
2022·7.3
Fuck Coin
2021·0.0
Roger Corman, the Pope of Pop Cinema
2021·7.0
The Happy Days of Garry Marshall
2020·8.0
The Twilight Zone: A 60th Anniversary Celebration
2019·10.0
Dads
2019·6.9
Peanuts in Space: Secrets of Apollo 10
2019·6.2
Kasdan on Kasdan
2018·0.0
Laddie: The Man Behind the Movies
2017·5.4
Tom Hanks: A League of His Own
2016·8.0
Donald Trump's The Art of the Deal: The Movie
2016·5.3
The Arrested Development Documentary Project
2013·5.7
Don't Say No Until I Finish Talking: The Story of Richard D. Zanuck
2013·6.3
Radioman
2012·6.3
Corman's World
2011·7.0
The Death and Return of Superman
2011·0.0
Classic TV Bloopers Uncensored
2011·2.0
Sheldon Leonard's Wonderful Life
2011·10.0
Industrial Light & Magic: Creating the Impossible
2010·6.7
Jews and Baseball: An American Love Story
2010·6.0
Ron Howard: 50 Years in Film
2008·0.0
Cannes: All Access
2007·3.2
George Lucas: Creating an Empire
2005·5.0
Tell Them Who You Are
2004·6.1
Making a 'Splash'
2004·4.6
Weezer: Video Capture Device - Treasures from the Vault 1991-2002
2004·8.6
Christopher Plummer: A Man For All Stages
2002·4.7
Inside a Beautiful Mind
2002·6.0
A Beautiful Mind
2001·7.9
Osmosis Jones
2001·6.5
The Shootist: The Legend Lives On
2001·7.0
From Morf to Morphing: The Dawn of Digital Filmmaking
2001·4.8
The Independent
2000·5.3
Chuck Jones: Extremes and In-Betweens - A Life in Animation
2000·7.0
Welcome to Hollywood
2000·4.2
From Star Wars to Star Wars: The Story of Industrial Light & Magic
1999·7.8
Television: The First Fifty Years
1999·0.0
The Making of 'American Graffiti'
1998·7.8
Frank Capra's American Dream
1997·6.3
Henry Fonda: Hollywood's Quiet Hero
1997·7.0
Star Wars: The Magic & the Mystery
1997·8.0
Lost Moon: The Triumph of Apollo 13
1996·6.2
Blacklist: Hollywood on Trial
1996·10.0
Hollywood on Hollywood
1993·0.0
The Magical World of Chuck Jones
1992·8.0
The Horror Hall of Fame II
1991·2.0
First Works
1989·7.0
Channel 99
1988·0.0
Willow: The Making of an Adventure
1988·7.3
Return to Mayberry
1986·6.2
Hollywood's Funniest All-Star Bloopers
1985·2.0
Night Shift
1982·6.1
Fire on the Mountain
1981·7.0
Bitter Harvest
1981·1.0
Act of Love
1980·6.0
More American Graffiti
1979·5.2
A Walking Tour of Sesame Street
1979·0.0
Sitcom: The Adventures of Garry Marshall
1979·9.0
NBC Salutes the 25th Anniversary of the Wonderful World of Disney
1978·7.0
Roger Corman: Hollywood's Wild Angel
1978·7.7
Huckleberry Finn
1978·6.2
Grand Theft Auto
1977·5.3
I'm a Fool
1977·6.0
A Special: Olivia Newton-John
1976·7.7
The Shootist
1976·7.1
Eat My Dust
1976·5.8
The First Nudie Musical
1976·5.0
Locusts
1974·5.3
The Spikes Gang
1974·6.6
The Migrants
1974·6.1
Happy Mother's Day, Love George
1973·6.5
American Graffiti
1973·7.0
The Wild Country
1970·6.1
Smoke
1970·0.0
A Boy Called Nuthin’
1967·6.5
Village of the Giants
1965·3.7
The Courtship of Eddie's Father
1963·5.9
The Music Man
1962·7.1
Five Minutes to Live
1961·5.5
The Journey
1959·6.3