Ron Howard shined as a kiddo on The Andy Griffith Show in the iconic and beloved role of Opie, and for the red-headed youngster, who started out on the series at merely 5 years old, his career in Hollywood certainly didn’t stop there. While Howard continued acting for quite some time after he said goodbye to Mayberry, most are likely to be more familiar with his work as a director, known for films like Apollo 13 (1995), How the Grinch Stole Christmas (2000), A Beautiful Mind (2001) and Hillbilly Elegy (2020).
As for Howard’s life outside of the film sets he’s built his career on, he’s been married to his wife, Cheryl, since 1975. The duo met in high school, and since tying the knot almost 50 years ago, the couple grew their family of two to a family of six with the addition of their four kids, Bryce, Reed, Paige and Jocelyn. “It’s not so much what you say, it’s really showing up,” Ron Howard told CBS on his approach to fatherhood. “You just go all-in and say, ‘This is a priority. I’m going to very consciously do this right.’”
Bryce Dallas Howard
Did you put two and two together when it came to this famous redhead and her father? Much like her dad, Bryce Dallas Howard has found success as both an actress and a director. As for her work on screen, you probably recognize her for her roles in movies like The Help (2011), Jurassic World (2015) and Argylle (2024), but behind the camera, her directing credits include Dads (2019), as well as episodes of The Book of Boba Fett, The Mandalorian and Skeleton Crew.
“My dad is the most humble man on the planet,” Bryce told The Guardian back in 2011. “He never showed us Happy Days or any of his acting roles. But in school holidays, we would join him on film sets. My parents would never throw the kids in first class for the flights; they’d be up front and we’d be economy—we knew we were lucky just to be traveling. We got to meet some amazing actors,” she recalled of her childhood growing up with a famous dad.
Reed Howard
“There is something about a young person recognizing what it takes to excel, what it takes to be a cut above the rest of the game, that is incredibly useful,” Ron Howard said on the Off Course with Claude Harmon podcast. “And while [Reed] continues to pursue avenues of the golf industry, including playing, and is still very competitive, he’s also a businessman, and I see it. And he’s winning. He knows how to win. He understands the fundamentals.”
Paige Howard
Another one of Ron’s actress offspring is his daughter Paige, who has made appearances in shows like 90210, stalkTALK, Arrested Development, The Astronauts and more. In 2023, she authored a children’s book, A Pigeon in Paris: Petite Takes Flight, about a little bird who is too afraid to fly.
Jocelyn Howard
Unlike the rest of the Howard children, Jocelyn Howard, Paige’s twin sister, has stayed largely out of the limelight and off social media. While her career pursuits are unknown, she too appeared on an episode of Arrested Development.
