Ron Howard filmography

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Howard in 2011 Ron Howard 2011 Shankbone.JPG
Howard in 2011

Ron Howard is an American director, producer, screenwriter, and actor.

Contents

He started his career portraying Opie, the son of Andy Taylor (played by Andy Griffith) in the sitcom The Andy Griffith Show from 1960 through 1968 and Richie Cunningham in the sitcom Happy Days , a role he would play from 1974 to 1980. During this time, he also acted in films such as The Music Man (1962), American Graffiti (1973), and The Shootist (1976). Howard retired from acting in 1980.

He then shifted into directing comedies such as Night Shift (1982), Splash (1984), and Cocoon (1985) as well as the fantasy Willow (1988), the thriller Backdraft (1991), and the newspaper film The Paper (1994). He then transitioned into directing critically acclaimed dramas such as Apollo 13 (1995), A Beautiful Mind (2001), Cinderella Man (2005), Frost/Nixon (2008), Rush (2013), and In the Heart of the Sea (2015). Howard also directed the children's film How the Grinch Stole Christmas (2000) as well as the Robert Langdon film series, The Da Vinci Code (2006), Angels & Demons (2009), Inferno (2016), and Solo: A Star Wars Story (2018). He has also directed the documentary films The Beatles: Eight Days a Week (2016) and Pavarotti (2019).

Filmography

Short film

YearTitleDirectorProducerActorRoleNotes
1969Old PaintNoYesNoCredited as Ronny Howard
Deed of Daring-DoNoYesNo
Cards, Cads, Guns, Gore and DeathNoYesNo
2011 The Death and Return of Superman NoNoYesMax's Son
When You Find MeYesNoNo

Feature film

YearTitleDirectorProducerWriterRef.
1977 Grand Theft Auto YesNoYes [1]
1982 Night Shift YesNoNo [2]
1984 Splash YesNoNo [3]
1985 Cocoon YesNoNo [4]
1986 Gung Ho YesExecutiveNo [5]
1988 Willow YesNoNo [6]
1989 Parenthood YesNoStory [7]
1991 Backdraft YesNoNo [8]
1992 Far and Away YesYesStory [9]
1994 The Paper YesNoNo [10]
1995 Apollo 13 YesNoNo [11]
1996 Ransom YesNoNo [12]
1999 EDtv YesYesNo [13]
2000 How the Grinch Stole Christmas YesYesNo [14]
2001 A Beautiful Mind YesYesNo [15]
2003 The Missing YesYesNo [16]
2005 Cinderella Man YesYesNo [17]
2006 The Da Vinci Code YesYesNo
2008 Frost/Nixon YesYesNo [18]
2009 Angels & Demons YesYesNo
2011 The Dilemma YesYesNo
2013 Rush YesYesNo
2015 In the Heart of the Sea YesYesNo
2016 Inferno YesYesNo
2018 Solo: A Star Wars Story YesNoNo [19]
2020 Hillbilly Elegy YesYesNo
2022 Thirteen Lives YesYesNo [20]
2024 Eden YesYesNo [21]
TBA The Shrinking of Treehorn YesYesNo [22]

Producer only

Executive producer only

Acting roles

YearTitleRoleNotes
1956 Frontier Woman Bit PartUncredited
1959 The Journey Billy RhinelanderCredited as Ronny Howard
1959 Walking Distance Boy with marbles
1961 Five Minutes to Live Bobby
1962 The Music Man Winthrop Paroo
1963 The Courtship of Eddie's Father Eddie
1965 Village of the Giants Genius
1969 Land of the Giants Jodar
1970 The Wild Country Virgil Tanner
1973 American Graffiti Steve Bolander
Happy Mother's Day, Love George Johnny
1974 The Spikes Gang Les Richter
1976 The First Nudie Musical Auditioning actorUncredited
Eat My Dust! Hoover Niebold
The Shootist Gillom Rogers
1977 Grand Theft Auto Sam Freeman
1979 More American Graffiti Steve Bolander
1982 Night Shift Annoying Sax Player
Boy Making Out with Girlfriend
Uncredited cameos
1998 Welcome to Hollywood Himself
2000 The Independent Himself
How the Grinch Stole Christmas Whoville TownspersonUncredited
2001 Osmosis Jones Tom ColonicVoice role
2011 From Up on Poppy Hill Philosophy Club's presidentVoice role
2016 Donald Trump's The Art of the Deal: The Movie Himself
2022 Scream Principal Himbry (Stab)Uncredited – image appearance

Documentary film

YearTitleDirectorProducerHimself
1992The Magical World of Chuck JonesYesNoYes
1998One VisionNoNoYes
1999 Beyond the Mat NoYesNo
2004Tell Them Who You AreNoNoYes
2005 Inside Deep Throat NouncreditedNo
2007 In the Shadow of the Moon NoNoYes
2012 Katy Perry: Part of Me NoYesNo
2013 Made in America YesNoYes
2016 The Beatles: Eight Days a Week YesYesNo
2019 Pavarotti YesYesNo
Dads NoNoYes
2020 Rebuilding Paradise YesYesNo
Breakthrough: Virus FightersYesYesNo
2021 Paper & Glue NoYesNo
Julia NoYesNo
2022 Lucy and Desi NoYesNo
We Feed People YesYesNo
2024 Jim Henson Idea Man [23] [24] YesYesNo
Music by John Williams NoYesYes

Television

YearTitleDirectorExecutive
producer
WriterNotes
1978 Cotton Candy YesNoYesTV movie
1980 Skyward YesYesNo
1981Through the Magic PyramidYesYesNo
1983LittleshotsYesYesNo
2017 Genius YesYesNoPilot episode

Producer only

YearTitleRole
1998 From the Earth to the Moon Miniseries
1999Student AffairsTV movie
2000 Wonderland
2015–present Breakthrough

Executive producer

YearTitleRole
1981Skyward ChristmasTV movie
1983When Your Lover Leaves
1984–1985 Maximum Security
1985 No Greater Gift TV special
Into Thin AirTV movie
1986The Lone-Star Kid
1987Take Five
1988Poison
1999Mulholland Drive
1990–1991 Parenthood
1998–2000 Sports Night
1998–2002 Felicity
1999–2001 The PJs
2000Silicon FolliesTV movie
2001 The Beast
2003The Snobs
2003–2006,
2013, 2018–2019
Arrested Development
2006–present Curious George
2010–2015 Parenthood
2012 The Great Escape
2014Unsung HeroesTV documentary
2016–2018 Mars
2020 68 Whiskey
2021 Crime Scene: The Vanishing at the Cecil Hotel Documentary series
Crime Scene: The Times Square Killer
2022 Under the Banner of Heaven
Light & Magic Documentary series
Willow
2023 The Super Models Documentary series
The Slumber Party TV Movie
2024 The Truth About Jim Documentary series
I Am Not a Monster: The Lois Riess Murders Documentary series

Acting roles

YearTitleRoleNotes
1959 Johnny Ringo Ricky ParrotEpisode: "The Accused"
Five Fingers Episode: "Station Break"
The Twilight Zone Wilcox BoyEpisode: "Walking Distance"
The DuPont Show with June Allyson Wim WeglessEpisode: "Child Lost"
Dennis the Menace Stewart6 episodes
The Many Loves of Dobie Gillis Various roles4 episodes
General Electric Theater Barnaby Baxter/Randy2 episodes:
Hennesey WalkerEpisode: "The Baby Sitter"
1960 The Danny Thomas Show Opie TaylorEpisode: "Danny Meets Andy Griffith"
Cheyenne TimmyEpisode: "Counterfeit Gun,"
uncredited
Pete and Gladys TommyEpisode: "The Goat Story"
1960–1968 The Andy Griffith Show Opie TaylorSeries regular, 243 episodes
Credited as Ronny Howard
1962 Route 66 Chet DuncanEpisode: "Poor Little Kangaroo Rat"
The New Breed Tommy SimmsEpisode: "So Dark the Night"
1963 The Eleventh Hour Barry StewartEpisode: "Is Mr. Martian Coming Back?"
1964 The Great Adventure Daniel WaterhouseEpisode: "Plague"
Dr. Kildare Jerry PrenticeEpisode: "A Candle in the Window"
The Fugitive GusEpisode: "Cry Uncle"
1965 The Big Valley TommyEpisode: "Night of the Wolf"
1966 Gomer Pyle, U.S.M.C. Opie TaylorEpisode: "Opie Joins the Marines"
I Spy Alan LodenEpisode: "Little Boy Lost"
1967 The Monroes Timothy PrescottEpisode: "Teaching the Tiger to Purr"
Gentle Ben Jody CutlerEpisode: "Green-Eyed Bear"
1968 Mayberry R.F.D. Opie TaylorEpisode: "Andy and Helen Get Married"
The Archie Show Archie AndrewsEarly Pilot Cartoon
The F.B.I. Jess OrkinEpisode: "The Runaways"
Lancer Turk Caudle/Willy2 episodes
1969 Judd for the Defense Phil BeetonEpisode: "Between the Dark and the Daylight"
Daniel Boone LukeEpisode: "A Man Before His Time"
Gunsmoke JamieEpisode: "Charlie Noon"
Land of the Giants JodarEpisode: "Genius At Work"
1970SmokeChrisTV movie
The Headmaster Tony LandisSeason 1 - Episode 6
Lassie GaryEpisode: "Gary Here Comes Glory!" Part 1 & 2
1971–1972 The Smith Family Bob Smith
1972 Love, American Style Richard "Richie" Cunningham Episode: "Love and the Happy Days"
The Bold Ones: The New Doctors Cory MerlinoEpisode: "Discovery at Fourteen"
Bonanza Ted HoagEpisode: "The Initiation"
1973 M*A*S*H Private Walter
Wendell Peterson
Episode: "Sometimes You Hear the Bullet"
1974 The Waltons Seth TurnerEpisode: "The Gift"
1974–1984 Happy Days Richard "Richie" Cunningham
1974LocustsDonny FletcherTV movie
The MigrantsLyle Barlow
1975 Huckleberry Finn Huckleberry Finn
1975–1981 Insight Connie/Joe2 episodes
1976 Laverne & Shirley Richie Cunningham2 episodes
I'm a FoolAndyTV movie
1980 The Fonz and the Happy Days Gang Richie CunninghamVoice role,
Episode: "King for a Day"
Act of Love Leon CybulkowskiTV movie
1981 Bitter Harvest Ned De Vries
Fire on the Mountain Lee Mackie
1983When Your Lover LeavesTV movie,
Uncredited
1986 Return to Mayberry Opie TaylorTV movie
1988Channel 99Himself
1998–1999 The Simpsons HimselfVoice role, 2 episodes
1999 Frasier StephenVoice role,
Episode: "Good Samaritan"
2003–2006,
2013, 2018–2019
Arrested Development Narrator (voice only)
Self (8 episodes)
Series Regular, all seasons, uncredited; voice role
Credited as Guest Star, 8 episodes across Seasons 3-5
2016 The Odd Couple StanleyEpisode: "Taffy Days"
2017 This Is Us Himself 3 Episodes
2024 Only Murders in the Building Himself Episode: "Escape From Planet Klongo"

See also

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References

  1. "Grand Theft Auto". Turner Classic Movies. Retrieved July 19, 2023.
  2. "Night Shift". Turner Classic Movies. Retrieved July 19, 2023.
  3. "Splash". Turner Classic Movies. Retrieved July 19, 2023.
  4. "Cocoon". Turner Classic Movies. Retrieved July 19, 2023.
  5. "Gung Ho". Turner Classic Movies. Retrieved July 19, 2023.
  6. "Willow". Turner Classic Movies. Retrieved July 19, 2023.
  7. "Parenthood". Turner Classic Movies. Retrieved July 19, 2023.
  8. "Backdraft". Turner Classic Movies. Retrieved July 19, 2023.
  9. "Far and Away". Turner Classic Movies. Retrieved July 19, 2023.
  10. "The Paper". Turner Classic Movies. Retrieved July 19, 2023.
  11. "Apollo 13". Turner Classic Movies. Retrieved July 19, 2023.
  12. "Ransom". Turner Classic Movies. Retrieved July 19, 2023.
  13. "EDtv". Turner Classic Movies. Retrieved July 19, 2023.
  14. "How the Grinch Stole Christmas". Turner Classic Movies. Retrieved July 19, 2023.
  15. "A Beautiful Mind". Turner Classic Movies. Retrieved July 19, 2023.
  16. "The Missing". Turner Classic Movies. Retrieved July 19, 2023.
  17. "Cinderella Man". Turner Classic Movies. Retrieved July 19, 2023.
  18. "Frost/Nixon". Turner Classic Movies. Retrieved July 19, 2023.
  19. "Ron Howard on Career Highs, Self-Doubts and 'Hillbilly Elegy' Author J.D. Vance: "I Was Surprised by Some of the Positions He's Taken"". The Hollywood Reporter . Retrieved July 19, 2023.
  20. "The True History Behind Ron Howard's 'Thirteen Lives'". The Smithsonian. Retrieved July 19, 2023.
  21. Wiseman, Andreas; Fleming Jr, Mike (May 14, 2023). "Ron Howard's Survival Thriller 'Origin Of Species' Lines Up Starry Cast With Ana De Armas, Jude Law, Alicia Vikander & Daniel Brühl, AGC Joins Hot Pic For Cannes Market". Deadline Hollywood . Archived from the original on December 5, 2023. Retrieved December 5, 2023.
  22. "Ron Howard's First Animated Film 'The Shrinking Of Treehorn' Heading To Netflix". Deadline Hollywood . Retrieved July 19, 2023.
  23. Carey, Matthew (March 30, 2022). "Ron Howard, Brian Grazer Team For Documentary On Jim Henson, With Full Participation Of Muppet Creator's Family". Deadline .
  24. Deadline Fifth Season Team On Feature Docu Slate, Ron Howard Helms Pic On Photog Richard Avedon, Lawrence Kasdan Directs One On Martin Short January 22, 2024