First he won our hearts as a child and teen actor playing the beloved TV characters Opie Taylor and Richie Cunningham. Then he started directing popular (and critically acclaimed) movies, from Splash and Cocoon to Apollo 13 and A Beautiful Mind. Often in partnership with his Imagine Entertainment cofounder, Brian Grazer, and working with the industry’s top talent as well as its up-and-comers, Howard has produced more than 120 films and shows, and he has acted in or directed more than 130, all while maintaining a reputation for being one of the nicest guys in Hollywood. As he told an audience at the Masters of Scale Summit, his aim is to make films that have a positive impact on the world – “whether it’s destigmatizing mental illness …. or celebrating cooperation and volunteerism.” His latest directorial effort, Thirteen Lives, is streaming on Amazon now.
Life’s Work: An Interview with Ron Howard
The well-known child actor, now an award-winning director, talks about his career arc.
Maarten de Boer/Contour by Getty Images
Summary.
Ron Howard achieved early fame as a child actor on The Andy Griffith Show. Then came a long stint as Richie Cunningham on Happy Days. But from an early age he wanted to direct, and now he has a number of award-winning movies to his credit. He talks about the role of his parents, the arc of his career, and how he gets the most out of his actors.
A version of this article appeared in the January–February 2023 issue of Harvard Business Review.