Ron Howard
Known for
Ron Howard is an American filmmaker who began as one of television's most familiar child and young-adult actors before becoming a leading Hollywood director. He grew up on screen as Opie on 'The Andy Griffith Show' and Richie Cunningham on 'Happy Days', and starred in George Lucas's 'American Graffiti'. He then built a hugely successful directing career, winning the Academy Award for Best Picture and Best Director for 'A Beautiful Mind' (2001) and helming hits such as 'Apollo 13', 'The Da Vinci Code' and 'Frost/Nixon'. His filmmaking is polished, humane and accessible, favouring uplifting true stories and broad popular appeal.
Ron Howard
31 Directed
17 Series
Ron Howard is an American filmmaker who began as one of television's most familiar child and young-adult actors before becoming a leading Hollywood director. He grew up on screen as Opie on 'The Andy Griffith Show' and Richie Cunningham on 'Happy Days', and starred in George Lucas's 'American Graffiti'. He then built a hugely successful directing career, winning the Academy Award for Best Picture and Best Director for 'A Beautiful Mind' (2001) and helming hits such as 'Apollo 13', 'The Da Vinci Code' and 'Frost/Nixon'. His filmmaking is polished, humane and accessible, favouring uplifting true stories and broad popular appeal.
Movies
Director
Apollo 13
1995
Director
A Beautiful Mind
2001
Director
Rush
2013
Director
The Da Vinci Code
2006
Director
How the Grinch Stole Christmas
2000
Director
Solo: A Star Wars Story
2018
Director
Angels & Demons
2009
Director
Inferno
2016
Director
Willow
1988
Director
Splash
1984
Director
Eden
2025
Director
Cinderella Man
2005
Director
In the Heart of the Sea
2015
Director
Thirteen Lives
2022
Director
Ransom
1996
Director
Backdraft
1991
Director
Far and Away
1992
Director
Cocoon
1985
Plays Steve Bolander
American Graffiti
1973
Director
Parenthood
1989
Director
Hillbilly Elegy
2020
Director
The Missing
2003
Director
The Paper
1994
Director
Frost/Nixon
2008
Director
Gung Ho
1986
Director
The Dilemma
2011
Director
Night Shift
1982
Director
EDtv
1999
Director
Old Paint
1969
Director
Grand Theft Auto
1977
Director
Cards, Cads, Guns, Gore, and Death...
1969
Director
Deed of Daring-Do
1969
TV Shows
Latest Trailers
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Marty, Life Is Short
Full Filmography
The Gringo Hunters
Executive Producer · 12 episodes
2025–
TV
Eden
Director
2025
Film
Bossy Bear
Executive Producer · 54 episodes
2023–
TV
Taiwan Crime Stories
Executive Producer · 12 episodes
2023–
TV
Willow
Executive Producer · 8 episodes
2022–
TV
The Tiny Chef Show
Executive Producer · 40 episodes
2022–
TV
Thirteen Lives
Director
2022
Film
Under the Banner of Heaven
Executive Producer · 7 episodes
2022–
TV
Dan Brown's The Lost Symbol
Executive Producer · 10 episodes
2021–
TV
Photos
Frequently Asked Questions
How old is Ron Howard and where are they from?
Ron Howard is 72 years old, born on March 1, 1954 in Duncan, Oklahoma, USA.
What are the most famous roles of Ron Howard?
Ron Howard is best known for directing A Beautiful Mind, The Da Vinci Code, Solo: A Star Wars Story.
How many movies has Ron Howard directed?
Over a 57-year career (since 1969), Ron Howard has directed or written 31 films and worked on 17 TV shows.
What was Ron Howard's first movie?
The career of Ron Howard began with The Shrinking of Treehorn ().
What is Ron Howard's most recent movie or series?
Ron Howard's most recent release is Avedon, which premiered on May 17, 2026.
What TV shows has Ron Howard created or directed?
On television, Ron Howard has appeared in Arrested Development, Willow, Dan Brown's The Lost Symbol, Under the Banner of Heaven.
Ron Howard
1954-03-01 · Duncan, Oklahoma, USA
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.