Ron Howard, the Oscar-winning director behind classics like Apollo 13 and A Beautiful Mind, has spent decades cementing his legacy behind the camera. But in a recent interview, he revealed there's one person who could lure him back to his roots as an actor: his daughter, filmmaker Bryce Dallas Howard.
"If Bryce cast me in something, that would compel me to put directing on hold and show up," Howard told People, reflecting on the possibility of returning to acting—a craft he mastered early in his career as child star Opie Taylor on The Andy Griffith Show and later as Richie Cunningham in Happy Days. Though he left regular acting in 1984, Howard admitted he'd "love to do some acting again," but only under one circumstance. "Between Imagine Entertainment and my directing projects, my calendar's full. Unless family calls," he added with a laugh.
The admission comes as Howard gears up for a playful cameo as himself in the upcoming series The Studio—his first onscreen role since narrating Arrested Development. But a substantive return, he insists, would require Bryce's creative persuasion. The Jurassic World actress, who's carved her own path as a director with The Mandalorian and documentaries, previously cast her father in a 2022 episode of the Star Wars series. "Working with her was electric," Howard recalled. "She's got the same obsessive curiosity about storytelling that I do."
Howard's pivot to directing wasn't just a career shift—it became a lifelong passion. "Filmmaking is this fascinating dance between chaos and control," he said, noting how his recent documentary work (like 2022's We Feed People) has reshaped his narrative approach. "Documentaries force you to listen, not dictate. That humility bleeds into how I handle scripted dramas now."
Yet the allure of acting lingers. Howard's last major role was in 1986's Gung Ho, but he credits Bryce with reigniting his interest. "She sees actors as collaborators, not chess pieces. That trust is contagious," he said. Fans might wonder: Could the Howards team up for a project blending Ron's folksy charm and Bryce's genre-bending flair?
For now, Howard remains focused on directing, calling it "the ultimate creative high." But he leaves the door ajar—so long as the keyholder shares his DNA. "Bryce's vision? That's the only script I wouldn't skim," he joked. "Well, unless Andy Griffith's ghost shows up. Then all bets are off."