Ronald Howard, the future Hollywood superstar, was born on March 1, 1954, in Duncan, Oklahoma.
Howard was only 18 months old when he made his film debut in Frontier Woman, and at the age of two, he made his stage debut in The Seven Year Itch.
Soon after, the freckle-faced redhead began his celebrity career with a part on The Andy Griffith Show (1960-1968).
Howard had the full support of his parents, both of whom worked in the entertainment industry, when he portrayed Opie, the son of Griffith’s character.
“Remember when we said, ‘You can do it if you want, but you don’t have to?'” “Well, once you start this, you can’t stop,” Howard replied, recalling a conversation he had with his parents decades ago. “You don’t have to do other parts on other shows, if you don’t want, but you’d have to keep doing this one.”
Explaining that he understood the message his parents were delivering, Howard adds, “I think it was pretty clear at that point that I was enjoying it, and I was good at it.”
Actually, he was great at it, and he was about to reach a level of stratospheric stardom.
Howard’s ‘Happy Days’
While starring in The Andy Griffith Show, Howard also appeared on the big screen in 1962’s The Music Man, a musical film that was a huge commercial success.
A natural talent, he then starred in 1973’s American Graffiti, which also starred Harrison Ford, Richard Dreyfuss and Cindy Williams, whom he would work alongside in the future.
In 1974, he was cast as Richie Cunningham in Garry Marshall’s new sitcom Happy Days, which aired in homes around the world from 1974 and 1984.
The television show produced a few successful spin-offs, including Laverne & Shirley, featuring Williams and Marshall’s sister Penny, and Mork & Mindy, with Robin Williams playing Mork, the favorite Orkan.
His ‘good luck charm’
Cheryl made several cameos in Howard’s projects and even played herself on the TV comedy series Arrested Development, produced and narrated by Howard.
Speaking with the Television Academy, Ron called Cheryl his “good luck charm,” and explained that is why she appears in every film he makes.
“At a certain point, I became very superstitious about making sure that she appears, that she’s at least identifiable in one frame,” he said. “They don’t have to be big cameos, but she’s gotta be in there.”
In addition to bringing her husband some luck, Cheryl is also a published author who holds a bachelor’s degree in psychology and a master’s degree in screenwriting.
The power couple are grandparents to six children and the parents of four, daughter Bryce, twins Paige and Jocelyn and son Reed.
The secret to longevity
Nearing their 49th anniversary on June 7, the Emmy Award-winning producer shares that “communication” is the secret to their enduring love.
“People say, ‘How’d you do it?’ There’s no technique,” Howard tells People. “There’s no tactic, other than communication is really important. You have to learn to communicate and have difficult conversations in constructive ways. Beyond that, there’s an element of luck because people either grow together or they don’t and I don’t think you can force that.”
