Ron Howard's Age, Family, And How He Spends His $200 Million Net Worth

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Born in Duncan, Oklahoma, Ron Howard had known the behind-the-scenes of a movie set all his life. His parents, Rance and Jean Speegle Howard were acclaimed actors who had worked in film and television shows. Howard decided to follow in their footsteps and took small acting parts as a child. He was determined to become a director and pursued his dream until he achieved it. While he excelled in his career, his family was right by his side, supporting him through it all. Ron Howard and his wife Cheryl have four children, two of whom became successful Hollywood stars. He also entered the production business, and his venture has produced popular movies and television shows over the years.

His prolific career and business has amassed him a $200 million net worth. Way before winning two Academy Awards, Howard’s journey began when he made a debut on stage at four. Let’s take a look at the life of Ron Howard.

From Actor To Director

A first on-screen appearance at the age of 18 months followed by a memorable role in The Music Man at four, Howard became a familiar face soon after. He played the role of Opie on the primetime show The Andy Griffith Show. Following the sitcom, he joined another long-time running cast of Happy Days, where he played the role of Richard Cunningham.

His movie career began with American Graffiti around the same time, and he was a part of John Wayne’s final movie, The Shootist. While Howard garnered positive reviews for his performances, he had plans to become a director. He had directed several episodes on Happy Days, but studios were unwilling to entrust a feature film on a 23-year old, as stated by Achievement.

Things changed when he struck a deal with Roger Corman, who gave unknown directors a chance in the industry. He was one of the people who helped everyone see the genius of Martin Scorsese and Francis Ford Coppola. Howard starred in a movie for Corman and asked to be the director in exchange for his acting role.

Corman booked the film in the theaters without a script or story in hand. Howard and his father Rance prepared the script in two weeks before going into production. Grand Theft Auto was made on a $600,000 budget and garnered $15 million at the box office. This gave him a mainstream break in Hollywood. For his acting career, he saw himself getting typecast as an all-American boy. He broke out of that segment when Producer Geroge Lucas asked him to direct and star in the fantasy adventure Willow. Ron Howard started exploring the fantasy/comedy genre with his popular films Splash and Cocoon.

Bestowed With Honors

In 1985, Ron Howard opened his own production company called Imagine Entertainment alongside Brian Grazer, the producer of his movie Splash, as noted by Arts And Culture. His production company went on to produce hits such as My Girl and Kindergarten Cop. While directing comedies such as The Paper and Parenthood, Howard directed and produced dramas like Backdraft, a suspense film about Chicago firefighters. His directorial work for Apollo 13 in 1995 earned him an award at Directors Guild America.

As Howard had been recognized as one of the best filmmakers in Hollywood, he also produced television shows Arrested Development, Felicity, and 24. He bagged a significant win with the 2001 film A Beautiful Mind. He won two Oscars in the same year for Best Director and Best Picture. He began producing movie adaptations of Dan Brown books starring Tom Hanks in The Da Vinci Code and Angels And Demons.

While his ongoing works were getting outstanding results at the box office, Howard and his business partner decided to expand Imagine Entertainment. In 2016, Imagine received a $100 million cash influx from the investment company Raine Group. In 2018, the company acquired a majority stake in Marginal Mediaworks, a controlled-budget producing film company. According to Variety, Imagine also acquired Jax Media, another production company that made comedy films in the same year. Two years later, Imagine made a substantial investment in Jigsaw Productions to boost Imagine documentaries.

A Family Man At Heart

During his sprawling career, his wife was the only person constant by his side. Ron Howard met his wife Cheryl in high school in the 1970s, and the couple tied the knot in 1975. They have four children: Bryce Dallas Howard, Paige Howard, Jocelyn Howard, and Reed Howard. His wife is a gifted writer who has worked with him on movies such as A Beautiful Mind and The Paper. His daughters Bryce and Paige have starred in hit movies, with the former bagging roles in Jurassic and Twilight franchises.

His directorial career added another feather to the cap when he directed and produced Star Wars, a movie created by George Lucas. The latter offered him a breakthrough role with Willow in 1998. As mentioned by Deadline, Howard and his production company have recently produced popular television shows such as Russian Doll, Inside Amy Schumer, and Emily In Paris.

The 67-year old is also a published author, and he recently wrote a book titled The Boys: A Memoir Of Hollywood And Family with his brother Clint Howard. With a sprawling net worth of $200 million from his acting, directing, and business strategies, Howard has gained more in his career than any can wish to achieve. Howard is set to produce the highly anticipated musical drama Tick, Tick… Boom!, written by Lin-Manuel Miranda and starring Andrew Garfield.

Sources: Achievement, Arts And Culture, Variety, Deadline