
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. 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.
Known For
TV Shows (87)

The Simpsons
1989
as Ron Howard (voice)

Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen
2009
as Self - Guest

The Daily Show
1996
as Self

The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon
2014
as Self

The Late Show with Stephen Colbert
2015
as Self - Guest

Late Night with Seth Meyers
2014
as Self - Guest

The Graham Norton Show
2007
as Self

The Kelly Clarkson Show
2019
as Self

Real Time with Bill Maher
2003
as Self

Saturday Night Live
1975
as Self - Host / Contestant #2 (uncredited)

Frasier
1993
as Stephen (voice)

The Mike Douglas Show
1961
as Self / Self - Co-Host

Bonanza
1959
as Ted Hoag

The Colbert Report
2005

The Andy Griffith Show
1960
as Opie Taylor

The View
1997
as Self / Self - Guest

The Fugitive
1963
as Gus

Lassie
1954

Golden Globe Awards
1944
as Self - Presenter / Self - Nominee / Self - Accepting Award for Best Motion Picture Drama / Nominee

M*A*S*H
1972
as Wendell

This Is Us
2016
as Ron Howard (uncredited)

Jimmy Kimmel Live!
2003
as Self - Guest

Great Performances
1971
as Self

The Waltons
1972

Top Gear
2002
as Self

Love, American Style
1969
as Richie Cunningham

Arrested Development
2003
as Narrator

The Ellen DeGeneres Show
2003
as Self

The Twilight Zone
1959
as Wilcox Boy

Happy Days
1974
as Richie Cunningham

Dr. Kildare
1961
as Jerry Prentice

Only Murders in the Building
2021
as Ron Howard

The Tonight Show with Jay Leno
1992

The F.B.I.
1965
as Jess Orkin

Daniel Boone
1964
as Luke

The Big Valley
1965
as Tommy

The Red Skelton Show
1951
as Joey

Laverne & Shirley
1976

Route 66
1960

Gunsmoke
1955
as Jamie

Off Camera with Sam Jones
2014
as Self

Gomer Pyle, U.S.M.C.
1964
as Opie Taylor

Dennis the Menace
1959
as Stewart

People's Choice Awards
1975
as Self - Winner

Chelsea
2016
as Self

The Studio
2025
as Ron Howard

Dinah!
1974
as Self

The Oscars
1953
as Self

The Bob Hope Show
1950
as Self

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

Lancer
1968

Judd, for the Defense
1967

Kulturplatz
2004
as Self

The Danny Thomas Show
1953
as Opie Taylor

Mayberry R.F.D.
1968
as Opie Taylor

I Spy
1965
as Alan Loden
Where Are They Now?
1999
as Self

The Late Late Show with Craig Kilborn
1999
as Self - Guest

The Odd Couple
2015
as Stanley
Movies (88)

A Beautiful Mind
2001
as Man at Governor's Ball (uncredited)

Marty, Life Is Short
2026
as Self

American Graffiti
1973
as Steve Bolander

The Shootist
1976
as Gillom Rogers

Night Shift
1982
as Annoying Sax Player (uncredited)

Osmosis Jones
2001
as Tom Colonic (voice)

Radioman
2012
as Self

Willow: Behind the Magic
2023
as Self - Director, Willow, 1988 / Executive Producer, Willow, 2022

John Candy: I Like Me
2025
as Self - Director, Splash (archive footage)

Corman's World
2011
as Self - Filmmaker

Welcome to Hollywood
2000
as Ron Howard

Star Wars: The Magic & the Mystery
1997
as Self

The Music Man
1962
as Winthrop Paroo

Act of Love
1980
as Leon Cybulkowski

Dads
2019
as Self

Music by John Williams
2024
as Self - Filmmaker

The Independent
2000
as Ron Howard

The Courtship of Eddie's Father
1963
as Eddie Corbett

Donald Trump's The Art of the Deal: The Movie
2016
as Himself

Chuck Jones: Extremes and In-Betweens - A Life in Animation
2000
as Self

The First Nudie Musical
1976
as Auditioning Actor

More American Graffiti
1979
as Steve Bolander

Return to Mayberry
1986
as Opie Taylor

The Wild Country
1970
as Virgil Tanner

The Journey
1959
as Billy Rhinelander

The Happy Days of Garry Marshall
2020
as Self

Bitter Harvest
1981
as Ned De Vries

Industrial Light & Magic: Creating the Impossible
2010
as Self

Tom Hanks: The Nomad
2023
as Self (archive footage)
Television: The First Fifty Years
1999
as Self / Opie Taylor / Ritchie Cunningham (archive footage)

Roger Corman, the Pope of Pop Cinema
2021
as Self

Smoke
1970
as Chris (as Ronny Howard)

Classic TV Bloopers Uncensored
2011
as Richie Cunningham (archive footage)

Peanuts in Space: Secrets of Apollo 10
2019
as Self

Hollywood's Funniest All-Star Bloopers
1985
as Self (archive footage)

Inside a Beautiful Mind
2002
as Self

NBC Salutes the 25th Anniversary of the Wonderful World of Disney
1978
as Self - Host

The Arrested Development Documentary Project
2013
as Self

Laddie: The Man Behind the Movies
2017
as Self

From Star Wars to Star Wars: The Story of Industrial Light & Magic
1999
as Self

Frank Capra's American Dream
1997
as Self

Village of the Giants
1965
as Genius

The Spikes Gang
1974
as Les

Weezer: Video Capture Device - Treasures from the Vault 1991-2002
2004
as Richie Cunningham ("Buddy Holly") (archive footage)

Roger Corman: Hollywood's Wild Angel
1978
as Self

Willow: The Making of an Adventure
1988
as Self - Director

Grand Theft Auto
1977
as Sam Freeman

A Walking Tour of Sesame Street
1979
as Richie Cunningham (archive footage)

George Lucas: Creating an Empire
2005
as Self

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)

Eat My Dust
1976
as Hoover Niebold

Don't Say No Until I Finish Talking: The Story of Richard D. Zanuck
2013
as Self
The Horror Hall of Fame II
1991
as Self
Sitcom: The Adventures of Garry Marshall
1979
as Self

Christopher Plummer: A Man For All Stages
2002
as Self

Hans Zimmer: Hollywood Rebel
2022
as Self

The Magical World of Chuck Jones
1992
as Self

Tell Them Who You Are
2004
as Self

'Tis the Season: The Holidays on Screen
2022
as Self

The Migrants
1974
as Lyle Barlow

I'm a Fool
1977
as Andy

Jews and Baseball: An American Love Story
2010
as Self

The Making of 'American Graffiti'
1998
as Self

Five Minutes to Live
1961
as Bobby Wilson

The Shootist: The Legend Lives On
2001
as Self (archive footage) (uncredited)

John Wayne: Cowboys & Demons
2023
as Self

Henry Fonda: Hollywood's Quiet Hero
1997
as Self

From Morf to Morphing: The Dawn of Digital Filmmaking
2013
as Self - Director

Lost Moon: The Triumph of Apollo 13
1996
as Self

Fuck Coin
2021
as Self

Sheldon Leonard's Wonderful Life
2011
as Self

Fire on the Mountain
1981
as Lee Mackie

Cannes: All Access
2007
as Self

Blacklist: Hollywood on Trial
1996
as Herbert Biberman

A Boy Called Nuthin’
1967
as Richie 'Nuthin'' Caldwell

Locusts
1974
as Donny Fletcher

Channel 99
1988

The Death and Return of Superman
2011
as Max's Son
Tom Hanks: A League of His Own
2016
as Self

Making a 'Splash'
2004
as Self - Director

First Works
1989
as Self

A Special: Olivia Newton-John
1976

Enterprise or Love: The Story of Far and Away
2024
as Self

Ron Howard: 50 Years in Film
2008
as Self

Happy Mother's Day, Love George
1973
as Johnny

Hollywood on Hollywood
1993
as Host
About Ron Howard
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 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 HinFlix, free and in HD, with no subscription required.
Most Popular Ron Howard Movies
- A Beautiful Mind (2001) — as Man at Governor's Ball (uncredited)
- Marty, Life Is Short (2026) — as Self
- American Graffiti (1973) — as Steve Bolander
- The Shootist (1976) — as Gillom Rogers
- Night Shift (1982) — as Annoying Sax Player (uncredited)
Where to Watch Ron Howard Films
Most Ron Howard movies and series are available to stream on HinFlix 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.