RON HOWARD
Actor, director and producer Ron Howard was born on March 1, 1954 in Duncan, Oklahoma. On October 3, 1960, Howard first appeared as Andy Griffith's son, Opie, on THE ANDY GRIFFITH SHOW, a role that earned him nationwide fame. When The Andy Griffith Show ended in 1968, Howard followed with 1971's THE SMITH FAMILY, starring opposite Henry Fonda. Howard's time there was short-lived; soon after enrolling, he landed a role in AMERICAN GRAFFITI (1973), George Lucas's seminal teen film. The movie spawned a '50s revival craze which, in turn, led to the hit show HAPPY DAYS. The 1974 series featured Howard in its leading role, and his turn as Richie Cunningham elevated him to superstardom. The producer Roger Corman help Howard direct his first major film project, GRAND THEFT AUTO (1977).
In 1982, the two teamed up to direct and produce NIGHT SHIFT, a dark comedy starring Howard's Happy Days co-star Henry Winkler. Howard and Grazer partnered again two years later for SPLASH, the hit romantic comedy featuring Tom Hanks, Darryl Hannah and John Candy. The film established Howard as a big-time director, and he went on to helm 1985's Academy Award-winning COCOON. He and Grazer solidified their relationship in 1986 by co-founding Imagine Films Entertainment. Imagine became a Hollywood powerhouse thanks to the continued success of Howard-directed films, including WILLOW (1988), PARENTHOOD (1989), BACKDRAFT (1991), APOLLO 13 (1995) and RANSOM (1996). Howard produced A BEAUTIFUL MIND in 2002, which earned him Academy Awards for Best Director and Best Picture, as well as a Golden Globe for Best Film. Howard's next feature film effort was the 2005 boxing drama CINDERELLA MAN, which was nominated for more than 22 awards.
He followed the critical success of the film with his blockbuster hit THE DA VINCI CODE (2006). The film grossed more than $750 million worldwide, and was nominated for a Golden Globe. Howard received an Oscar nomination for Best Director in 2008 for FROST/NIXON, a film exploring the post-Watergate TV interviews between British talk-show host David Frost and former U.S. President Richard Nixon. He also directed 2009's ANGELS & DEMONS, the sequel to The Da Vinci Code. THE DILEMMA (2011), starring Vince Vaughn, was something of a rare misstep for the director, but he returned in 2013 with the critically acclaimed racing drama RUSH. Howard then took on the film adaptation of IN THE HEART OF THE SEA, which was released in 2015. In 2016, Howard directed INFERNO, his sequel to Angels & Demons.