Ron Howard has been a familiar name for nearly seven decades, having spent most of his life in the spotlight as a prominent figure in Hollywood. Starting his career as a child, Howard has enjoyed a remarkable journey in both film and television.

In addition to his outstanding career, Howard has also been a devoted family man. He’s been married to his wife, Cheryl, for nearly fifty years, a rarity in the entertainment industry.

Want to know more about Ron Howard, his enduring marriage, and his extensive career? Keep reading!

Born on March 1, 1954, in Duncan, Oklahoma, Ronald Howard became a Hollywood legend.

Howard made his first movie appearance at just 18 months old in Frontier Woman and debuted on stage at the age of two in The Seven Year Itch. Shortly after, the freckle-faced redhead began his rise to stardom when he was cast in The Andy Griffith Show (1960–1968).

Howard played Opie, the son of Griffith’s character, with the full support of his parents, who were also involved in the entertainment business.

“You can do it if you want to, but you don’t have to,” Howard recalls his parents saying, “Once you start, there’s no stopping, but you’re not obligated to take on other roles if you don’t want to.”

Reflecting on this, Howard adds, “I think it was pretty clear by then that I enjoyed it and was good at it,” acknowledging that he understood his parents’ message.

And indeed, he was very good at it—on the verge of becoming incredibly famous.

“Happy Days” with Howard

Alongside his role on The Andy Griffith Show, Howard also appeared on the big screen in the successful 1962 musical The Music Man. A natural talent, he went on to star in the 1973 film American Graffiti, alongside Cindy Williams, Richard Dreyfuss, Harrison Ford, and other actors he would later collaborate with.

In 1974, he was cast as Richie Cunningham in a new Garry Marshall TV sitcom called Happy Days. The show ran from 1974 to 1984, becoming a household favorite worldwide.

Happy Days also spawned several popular spin-offs, including Laverne & Shirley, starring Williams and Marshall’s sister Penny, and Mork & Mindy, which featured Robin Williams as Mork, the beloved Orkan.

High School Sweetheart

Before winning a Golden Globe for his role as the naive teenager on Happy Days, Howard met Cheryl Alley, his high school sweetheart, in 1970. They married in 1975.

“There was never anyone else like her when I met her,” the Da Vinci Code director shared in an interview with People. “She’s unbelievably supportive and always has been.” Their compatibility has stood the test of time.

After 50 years of shared adventures, Howard, who won an Oscar for directing A Beautiful Mind, celebrated the 50th anniversary of his first date with Cheryl on Instagram.

He posted, “Nov 1, 1970, Cheryl & I went on our first date,” along with a picture of himself wearing socks with Cheryl’s face on them. “We watched It’s a Mad Mad Mad World, re-released by Stanley Kramer, and then had pizza at the now-closed Barnone’s in Toluca Lake. Quite the beginning, huh?”

He added, “We’ll be driving in the same ’70 VW Bug I picked Cheryl up in five decades ago. It works perfectly. So do we.”

His “Lucky Charm”

Cheryl has appeared in several of Howard’s productions, including a cameo on the comedy series Arrested Development, which Howard produced and narrated.

In an interview with the Television Academy, Ron referred to Cheryl as his “lucky charm,” saying, “At a certain point, I got really paranoid about making sure she appears in at least one frame in all my movies. She needs to be in there, even if it’s just a small cameo.”

Cheryl is not only a good luck charm but also a published novelist with a master’s degree in screenplay writing and a bachelor’s degree in psychology.

The power couple has four children together—son Reed, twin daughters Paige and Jocelyn, and daughter Bryce—and they are grandparents to six children.

Bryce is a well-known actress recognized for her roles in Jurassic World and The Help, while Paige made her feature film debut in Adventureland in 2009, and has since appeared in movies like The Employer and Collection.

Reed is a professional golfer, and Jocelyn, Paige’s twin sister, prefers to stay out of the limelight.

The Secret to Everlasting Love

As they approach their 49th wedding anniversary on June 7, the Emmy Award-winning producer shares that “communication” is the key to their enduring love.

“People ask, ‘How did you manage?’” Howard tells People. “There’s no formula. The only strategy is communication, which is crucial. You have to learn how to have productive, uncomfortable conversations. Beyond that, there’s a luck component because, in my opinion, you can’t force people to grow together or apart.”

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