Ron Howard: Child Actor Success Story

We hear stories about the child actor gone bad all the time on the news. What we don't hear enough of is the child actor that never strayed from the path of goodness. One of the best examples of this type of star is Ron Howard. Ron Howard started acting at a very young age. His first role was in 1959 at age five. In 1960, at six years old, Ron landed the role of Opie Taylor on the Andy Griffith Show. His success hasn't stopped since.

Ron Howard is well known for the role of Opie Taylor but there was another role that he was widely known for. He played teenager Richie Cunningham on Happy Days. That role came after he played a role in the American classic movie, American Graffiti. He has always been cast, in most instances, to roles of the clean cut all-American boy. He had strong role models, from his parents to the people that he worked with.

Ron Howard tends to keep to himself. Ron was a successful actor, but found great success in directing as well. He seems happy to be doing so. So, what makes someone like Ron Howard so successful? It seems that the only attention lavished on Hollywood these days is misbehaving teenagers or ex-teen stars. That hardly seems right when there are so many who have come through it all with little to no damage to their reputations. That is what Hollywood wants us to see though, the misbehaved. It wouldn't pay to promote those who stay on the up and up without major problems. It just doesn't sell.

Ron Howard married his high school sweetheart and remains married to her today. They have four children, including a set of twins. They live on a 35-acre ranch in Greenwich, Connecticut. Ron and his wife are now grandparents as well. They have certainly lived a fulfilling life. Unfortunately, these are the stories we don't hear about. We don't hear of great successes because we consider it boring. Why watch anything that is positive when we can watch things like Breaking Bonaduce or Simmons Family Jewels? We are a nation bent on watching other people's misery. It may be because we are so miserable ourselves that we like to see others in more misery.

When Ron Howard was asked what his greatest success has been, his reply spoke volumes about him. His reply was "Forty-eight consecutive years of steady employment in television and film while preserving a rich family life." Kudos to Ron Howard on this achievement. This type of life is rarely, if ever, revealed when talking about Hollywood.

There are many things that child actors and their parents can learn from the now 57-year-old actor/director. Child stars need to learn how to handle the fame that goes along with the job. It is a lot of responsibility, but it can be done if the children are raised properly. Ron Howard said of his success, "I've had, I think, an extraordinarily blessed journey. At the same time, if I can give myself credit for anything, it's probably for not taking it all for granted. I don't' think I've ever assumed it was going to go on forever unless I kept earning my way, earning my keep, maybe even to a neurotic extent. I never want to coast on past performances. It's probably one of the reasons why I wanted to become a director, because I wanted to be able to control those opportunities so I could keep doing good work."

Howard couldn't be more accurate when he stated that. It seems people take their jobs in Hollywood for granted. It doesn't have to be acting, it can be anything. Singers or performers of any kind can find themselves falling from grace quickly if they don't take the reins and work hard towards keeping the dream alive. It is just like any other job in the world, except you is in the spotlight and your job depends on the fans that you are able to obtain and keep through the years. That's a hard job to do when it is done in front of the world. Parents should look for examples like Ron Howard when giving kids a role model to look at. The people who entertain us have a lot more power than they sometimes realize. The things they do in their lives can and do greatly affect others in ways they can't possibly imagine. When you have that much influence, it is your responsibility to put a good image out there for people to see. Ron Howard is just one of many others who were able to successfully transition from childhood stardom to adult success. Then again, he had good role models to look up to. His parents made sure of that.

I have studied the profiles of many different child stars over the past few months. One startling fact glared out at me while looking. Those child stars that have had a difficult time most often had no father figure in their lives. The more solid of a base the father played in their children's lives, the more solid and successful the child actor was when they grew into adulthood. Of those that did have father figures in their lives but still fell into the trap, there were serious issues related to the family that could account for the drug and alcohol induced society that we call Hollywood. Ron Howard was one of the lucky ones. He was able to successfully transition his life, but as the old saying goes, "but for the grace of God go I". Ron Howard has had a truly blessed life. Parents will do well to pay attention to what they can learn from Hollywood kids.