Not Happy Days, Not American Graffiti: The Show Ron Howard Said Was 'Very Cathartic' For Him

To a certain generation of TV audiences, Ron Howard will always be Richie Cunningham from the classic 1970s-1980s sitcom "Happy Days." Of course, Howard also made his mark on the big screen back in the day. A known protégé of George Lucas, he famously starred in Lucas' 1973 coming-of-age film "American Graffiti" alongside a pre-"Star Wars" Harrison Ford. These days, Howard is arguably much better known for his work behind the camera rather than in front of it, earning two Academy Awards for the Russell Crowe-starring "A Beautiful Mind" in 2002. It's unsurprising, then, that one of the filmmaker's favorite acting jobs came when he got the opportunity to play a fictionalized version of himself in the Apple TV comedy "The Studio."

Since semi-retiring from acting to focus on directing, Howard has actually played himself on several occasions, including in "This Is Us" and "Only Murders in the Building." However, as the "Willow" director informed People in May 2025, the edgier version of himself he got to portray on "The Studio" stands out among the rest as special. "It was a blast because every actor wants to play a jerk," Howard enthused. "It's just more fun. Even if the jerk is inspired by you, it's still a character, and it's very cathartic. Very cathartic. Because I would never say or do those things. But I wouldn't say that the notions haven't occasionally rumbled through the back of my brain."

Howard also remarked that, time permitting, he'd be more than happy to return for another guest spot on "The Studio" at some point. "I'd be there in a heartbeat for these guys. They were hilarious and fun to be with," he confirmed, referring to the show's creative team, which is headed up by "Superbad" duo Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg.

Ron Howard began his directing career in earnest after walking away from "Happy Days" at the end of its seventh season in 1980. Of course, that decision probably wasn't too difficult, given that the "Apollo 13" director has made no secret about the fact that Ron Howard faced major "disrespect" behind the scenes on "Happy Days," after the creative team shifted the focus from his character, Richie Cunningham, to Henry Winkler's Arthur "The Fonz" Fonzarelli. But that's not to say he blames Winkler himself. In fact, during the Oscar winner's chat with People, Ron credited his former co-star with helping him make his mark as a director. "Henry was always so supportive of that. When Henry said yes to 'Night Shift,' that's what got that movie greenlit. He played a hand in helping my dream ultimately come true, which was to be a studio, Hollywood, feature director," the filmmaker pointed out.

In a case of the apple not falling too far from the tree, Ron Howard's daughter, Bryce Dallas Howard, mirrored her father's career, getting her start as an actor before pursuing more behind-the-camera roles. After gaining fame for films like "Spider-Man 3" and "Jurassic World," she made her directorial debut with the 2019 documentary "Dads." Bryce also helmed episodes of "Star Wars" spinoff shows like "The Mandalorian," "The Book of Boba Fett," and "Skeleton Crew," once again following in her father's footsteps, who worked closely with franchise creator George Lucas before going on to direct the 2018 film "Solo: A Star Wars Story." Much like her dad, Bryce still also occasionally appears in front of the camera, in blockbusters like "Jurassic World Dominion," "Argylle," and "Deep Cover."