Ron Howard
Birthday: 1 March 1954, Duncan, Oklahoma, USA
Birth Name: Ronald William Howard
Height: 175 cm
Academy Award-winning filmmaker Ron Howard is one of this generation's most popular directors. From the critically acclaimed dramas A Beautiful Mind and Apollo 13 to the hit comedies Parenthood a ...Show More
[on his longtime friendship with Andy Griffith, who played Sheriff Andy Taylor]: I wondered about An Show more
[on his longtime friendship with Andy Griffith, who played Sheriff Andy Taylor]: I wondered about Andy, I knew he was a Southern Democrat, old school, Southern Democrat. I really hadn't talked to him about politics in ages, and I barely got the sentence out; and he said, "I'm a Democrat. I believe in [President Barack Obama]. We need a Democrat in the White House. I want Obama, and I'll do it." I talk to him every so often. Hide
[on being receptive to new ideas in filmmaking]: Why fight technology at all? The audience is always Show more
[on being receptive to new ideas in filmmaking]: Why fight technology at all? The audience is always going to tell you what they like best. And you, as a storyteller, as a communicator, are going to be required to adjust to that. Your taste, your aesthetic, is certainly going to influence that, and you may choose to diffuse it - maybe decline using that format. At the end of the day, if I think the story has value and that it's interesting, then my next job is trying to understand how to best tell the story. Hide
I'm not a caterer. I just have to stay with my creative convictions. At some point, you have to just Show more
I'm not a caterer. I just have to stay with my creative convictions. At some point, you have to just get past the special-interest groups and do what you're there to do, which is make a movie. Hide
[on working with Bette Davis]: She didn't much like that there was this 25-year-old from a sitcom th Show more
[on working with Bette Davis]: She didn't much like that there was this 25-year-old from a sitcom that was directing her. I was talking to her on the phone and I said, "Well, Ms. Davis, I'll protect you as the director and make sure you're prepared and that your performance will not suffer", and she said, "I disagree, Mr. Howard." I said, "Ms. Davis, just call me Ron", and she said, "No, I will call you Mr. Howard until I decide whether I like you or not." And then [on the set] I gave her a note. And she tried it, and it worked for her. She said, "You're right, that works much better. Let's shoot." And at the end of the whole thing, I said, "We'll, Ms. Davis, great first day. I'll see you tomorrow." She said, "Okay, Ron, see you tomorrow" and she patted me on the ass. Hide
[asked about the transition from child star to adolescent actor]: You're 14 or 15, and they can hire Show more
[asked about the transition from child star to adolescent actor]: You're 14 or 15, and they can hire an 18-year-old and not have the child-labor law restrictions, and so they do. Just at the point when you're feeling confused and vulnerable, you're being rejected. Hide
[on the death of Bea Arthur]: What she did in television and the characters that she created broke n Show more
[on the death of Bea Arthur]: What she did in television and the characters that she created broke new ground, and she was a great artist. Hide
[on A Beautiful Mind (2001)]: It was always our goal to try to present schizophrenia in a very perso Show more
[on A Beautiful Mind (2001)]: It was always our goal to try to present schizophrenia in a very personal way. So the delusional characters are symbols, you know, manifestations. It's all a bit more allegorical, it's not pure case study, it's not a clinical presentation. Hide
[on Andy Griffith]: In "Funny or Die", the website where it helped produced that piece and put it on Show more
[on Andy Griffith]: In "Funny or Die", the website where it helped produced that piece and put it on their website, and the meeting was getting a lot of action, and getting a lot of hits and also comments, and most were good and found it funny, and even if they didn't agree with the message, they appreciate it. Some were angry and irate, and I called Andy, and I said "I don't know if you're on the Internet, or if you follow this thing. It's getting a lot of attention." Andy said, "Yeah, I had a couple of reporters called, and kinds picked up on that." I said, "It's mostly good, but you know, some people are pretty angry about this -- some people are pretty upset. And there was a pause... and he said, "Well, Ronnie, once in a while, you gotta muffle a few feathers." He's still giving Opie, a little advice. Hide
There is something inherently tough about Americans. They will not accept defeat. The astronauts of Show more
There is something inherently tough about Americans. They will not accept defeat. The astronauts of Apollo 13 (1995) would not give up, John Nash in A Beautiful Mind (2001) would not give up, and Jimmy Braddock [subject of Cinderella Man (2005)] would not surrender to poverty. Hide
[on the death of Don Knotts]: Outside of his loving family, I'm sure that Andy Griffith was Don Knot Show more
[on the death of Don Knotts]: Outside of his loving family, I'm sure that Andy Griffith was Don Knotts' greatest fan. When I summon up memories of working with Don on The Andy Griffith Show (1960), the first images are of Andy laughing and reveling in Don's genius. Don had been funny before the show and sustained his comedy superstardom later in movies and on television. But I will always remember the transformation that would begin as mild-mannered Don rehearsed his scene, tweaked the dialogue, refined the timing - and then took off and soared as cameras rolled. The only question: Could Andy keep from falling out of his chair laughing in the middle of the take? Nine times out of 10, Andy, the consummate pro, held on until the director yelled "Cut!" and he and the rest of us could finally release the pressure valve and let the laughter out. On the rare times when Andy would blow the take, he was always forgiven - even by Don, who knew deep down there was plenty more comedy where that came from. Hide
[on the current state of cinema, 2014]: I really think the creative process is more exciting than ev Show more
[on the current state of cinema, 2014]: I really think the creative process is more exciting than ever. There are more and more people doing great work. Hide
I've always been interested in the Depression as this very dramatic pivotal period in American histo Show more
I've always been interested in the Depression as this very dramatic pivotal period in American history. My dad grew up on a farm in Oklahoma and remembers playing with his toy tractor under the table while the local farmers talked with his grandfather about forming a local militia to protect the crops because they were afraid unemployed people from the town would come in and grab the crops. Hide
It was always my dream to be a director. A lot of it had to do with controlling my own destiny, beca Show more
It was always my dream to be a director. A lot of it had to do with controlling my own destiny, because as a young actor you feel at everyone's disposal. But I wanted to become a leader in the business. Hide
I've acted with all types, I've directed all types. What you want to understand as a director, is wh Show more
I've acted with all types, I've directed all types. What you want to understand as a director, is what actors have to offer. They'll get at it however they get at it. If you can understand that, you can get your work done. Hide
[asked what his future holds in 1979]: If I had to choose between a great acting job and a good dire Show more
[asked what his future holds in 1979]: If I had to choose between a great acting job and a good directing job, I'd choose the directing job. Hide
[on preparing his actors to look comfortable as Formula One drivers]: That was something they were g Show more
[on preparing his actors to look comfortable as Formula One drivers]: That was something they were going to have to be good at, because you have to have enough command of the car to come driving in fast, hot, with people there and pull in to a precise spot. And I wanted to be able to move the camera in and have them flip the visor up and see they were driving. It was the one place you could confirm to people that they were. Hide
[on real-life characters in Rush (2013)]: I wanted to show the slightly tragic side of these two guy Show more
[on real-life characters in Rush (2013)]: I wanted to show the slightly tragic side of these two guys. They were so desperate to fill whatever void that was, and to prove something to who knows who, starting with themselves, that they were willing to risk their lives. Hide
[on Rush (2013)]: I guess you could say it's a bit of a stretch. But at this point, I don't know wha Show more
[on Rush (2013)]: I guess you could say it's a bit of a stretch. But at this point, I don't know what does sound like a Ron Howard film. I'm just looking for interesting filmmaking challenges and stories that have a chance to surprise the audience. When I started, I didn't know much about Formula One, but I knew that it was cool, sexy and dangerous, and that's a pretty good combination. Hide
[on the death of James Garner]: Garner was a hell of a driver. He truly was a "man's man".
[on the death of James Garner]: Garner was a hell of a driver. He truly was a "man's man".
Ron Howard's FILMOGRAPHY - Page 14
All
as Actor (459)
as Director (21)
as Creator (1)
Ron Howard'S roles
Narrator, Ron Howard, Himself
Ron Howard
Tom Colonic
Gillom Rogers
Richie Cunningham
Steve Bolander
Wendell
