Ron Howard has an impressive net worth of over $200 million. The veteran American actor and producer has been making his fortune since 1960 when he was just six years old!
In this guide, we’ll show you how Ron started to make money from a young age, along with some of his impressive productions on the big screen. We would have loved to show you all of his work, but then we’ll need a book, not a blog post.
That being said, let’s get right to it.
Ron Howard’s Early Life
Ronald William Howard was born on March 1, 1954, in Duncan, Oklahoma. He was the elder of two sons to Rance Howard and Jean Speegle Howard, both of whom were involved in the entertainment industry.
His father was an actor, director, and writer, while his mother was an actress. They also had an interesting mix of ancestry, including German, English, Scottish, Irish, and Dutch roots.
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When we talk about famous actors, we typically include a few extra details before going into their screen appearance. By now, you should already know that Ron started making money when he was six years old, but his very first screen appearance was at a much younger age.
When he was just 18 months old, he made his film debut in Frontier Woman (1955) and appeared on stage for the first time at the age of two in a production of The Seven Year Itch.
He was then starting to get recognized as a child actor, after which he began making frequent television appearances, including roles in series like Playhouse 90 and General Electric Theatre.
Despite making multiple appearances, Ron Howard’s real exposure started in 1960, when he gained widespread recognition for his role as Opie Taylor on The Andy Griffith Show, which ran until 1968.
Ron Howard’s Education
It’s not a surprise that Howard took his cinema interest with him to school. In high school, he developed an interest in filmmaking, experimenting with a Super 8 camera. After graduating, he attended the University of Southern California’s School of Cinematic Arts.
He focused on film studies but couldn’t acquire his degree because he was already committed to acting outside his education.
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The fact that he had also landed a significant role in George Lucas’s film American Graffiti (1973).
This role may have hindered his degree, but it massively contributed to his rising fame and led to his starring role as Richie Cunningham on the hit television series Happy Days, which premiered in 1974 and remained on the air until 1984.
As you can see, we haven’t even reached Ron’s milestones yet, and we have already mentioned several pieces of his work.
Ron Howard’s Career Highlights
Since we already mentioned several highlights along the way, so we’ll omit those here. That being said, buckle up. This section will be juicy.
Transition to Directing
- 1977: Howard made his directorial debut with Grand Theft Auto, a low-budget film that set the stage for his future in directing. We’re not talking about the video game here.
- 1982: He directed Night Shift, a comedy starring Henry Winkler and Michael Keaton, which was well-received and helped establish him as a director.
Major Film Successes
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- 1984: Splash, a romantic comedy featuring Tom Hanks and Daryl Hannah, became a box office hit and marked Howard’s first major success as a director.
- 1985: He directed Cocoon, which won two Academy Awards, including Best Supporting Actor for Don Ameche. The film was both a critical and commercial success.
- 1989: Parenthood, an ensemble comedy-drama starring Steve Martin, grossed over $100 million domestically and received positive reviews.
Acclaimed Films of the 1990s
- 1995: Apollo 13, based on the true story of the Apollo 13 lunar mission, was nominated for nine Academy Awards and won two. The film solidified Howard’s reputation as a leading director in Hollywood.
- 1996: He directed Ransom, a thriller starring Mel Gibson and Rene Russo, which was also commercially successful.
Major Awards and Recognition
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- 2001: Howard directed A Beautiful Mind, a biographical drama about mathematician John Nash. The film won four Academy Awards, including Best Picture and Best Director for Howard.
- 2008: He directed Frost/Nixon, which earned him another Academy Award nomination for Best Director. The film explored the interviews between David Frost and Richard Nixon.
Continued Success in the 2000s and Beyond
You’d expect someone who’s been in the acting scene for decades to lay low and enjoy some peace and serenity, but some people are simply addicted to success. Ron Howard’s contribution to the big screen continues to this day！
- 2006: The Da Vinci Code, based on Dan Brown’s best-selling novel, grossed over $750 million worldwide, further establishing Howard’s ability to direct blockbuster films.
- 2009: He directed Angels & Demons, the sequel to The Da Vinci Code.
- 2013: Rush, a biographical sports drama about the rivalry between race car drivers James Hunt and Niki Lauda, received critical acclaim.
- 2015: Howard directed In the Heart of the Sea, based on the true story that inspired Herman Melville’s Moby Dick.
- 2020: He released Hillbilly Elegy, an adaptation of J.D. Vance’s memoir, which premiered on Netflix.
- 2022: Howard directed Thirteen Lives, recounting the harrowing rescue of a youth soccer team trapped in a cave in Thailand.
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Final Words
You may have stopped reading midway through Ron Howard’s work because of how abundant it is, and we won’t hold it against you. If anything, you now have an idea how he managed to make his $200 million fortune.
He’s simply successful and managed to work with great names like Tom Hanks, Russel Crowe, and Chris Hemsworth. If anything, we’re sure he helped pump the fame of the first two.
At 70 years old with such passion and fortune, we can only assume the best for Jon Howard.
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