Sweet Pics Of Ron Howard & Wife Cheryl That Highlight Why There Was 'Never Anybody Else' For Him

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With a career spanning nearly seven decades, Ron Howard has managed to do something that is virtually unheard of in Hollywood: He's kept an unblemished reputation of being a very nice guy. Like the characters that first made him famous during his time on "The Andy Griffith Show" and "Happy Days," Howard has always seemed to be a down-to-earth person who lives a quiet and happy life surrounded by family, with his wife Cheryl Alley by his side at all times. Together, the couple have raised four children, doing what they could to give them as normal a life as they could away from the eyes of the press. 

Ron and Cheryl, a celebrity couple who have aged gracefully, first met in high school and have been together ever since. Seeing them together over the years, it is clear that the love the two share is as strong as it ever was, as Cheryl supported Ron when he made the jump from acting to directing, and Ron has supported her writing career. He's even slipped her into everything he's made since they met, ensuring that his wife gets a cameo in every project going all the way back to when they were in the 11th grade, per People. In an industry famous for affairs and divorces, Ron and Cheryl have bucked the trend, proving that nothing can keep this family of redheads apart for long.

Ron Howard shared this cute moment at a Sadie Hawkins dance when he and Cheryl were in high school. From what he remembers, Cheryl made her own dress for the big day. While it's hard to imagine that they knew they would still be together decades later, their big, hopeful smiles in the photo make it clear that the two were already deeply in love on a level that went beyond the usual  teenage romance. Ron's eyes, in particular, have the look of a man who can't believe how lucky he is to have found someone as amazing as Cheryl. 

While Ron Howard's acting career is best remembered for his time playing Opie Taylor and Richie Cunningham, he also starred on "The Smith Family," a short-lived drama that has all but been forgotten. The show ended after two seasons, but Ron has at least one fond memory from his time on the project; it was the first set Cheryl ever visited Ron on. Seen here, Ron is holding a camera — a hint at his future as a director — as the two young lovers look at one another and smile.

Ron Howard proposed to Cheryl three times before she finally accepted, leading to a relatively intimate wedding. "And it was important to Cheryl's dad that he pay for it, so therefore it was important to Cheryl to not let it get out of hand," Howard told People in 2025. Henry Winkler, the Fonz himself, was the best man. Cheryl looked lovely in her timeless wedding gown, Howard looked '70s-esque in his powder-blue suit, and the pair looked totally in love.

It's not uncommon for couples to explore new things together. Perhaps that was what was going on here, where Cheryl and Ron Howard decided to go with a Western look. Both have some Western roots: Ron was born in Duncan, Oklahoma and his parents, Rance and Jean Howard, were both actors who appeared in Western movies and shows. Cheryl was born in Glendale, California, which was once a ranching community. Whatever the case, even though they made a cute cowfolk couple, it doesn't seem like the cowboy hat and denim shirt combo was something that the Howards stuck with for too long. 

In what has to be one of the greatest birthday presents anyone could hope for, Bryce Dallas Howard was born just a day after her dad turned 27. Based on the birthday photo Ron Howard shared on Instagram to celebrate his and Cheryl's first child, in which both parents were beaming, it looks like Bryce was quite the fan of "Thomas the Tank Engine" when she was young. Ron Howard's relationship with his daughter Bryce has always been strong and interwoven with their shared talents and Hollywood interests. She has gone on to become an accomplished actor and director in her own right.

Seen here in 2014, almost 40 years since they were married, Ron Howard still takes a moment to give Cheryl a kiss on the forehead while walking the red carpet. The love shared between them is evident in the photo through Cheryl's smile and Ron's gentle peck. These are two people who have managed to stay together through thick and thin, living the kind of romance that Hollywood loves to turn into silver screen tales for the world to enjoy. 

Like Ron and Cheryl Howard, Henry Winkler and his wife Stacey Weitzman went against the usual Hollywood narrative and have been together since they first met in 1976. The couples have been close friends the entire time as well, even when Ron Howard faced disrespect from figures behind the scenes on the set of "Happy Days." Ron's bond with Cheryl is obvious in the photo of the two couples, but so is their friendship. "We were touched by the universe," Winkler said on the "The Rich Eisen Show" in 2026, speaking of his friendship with Ron. "There was a string between us."

In 2015, Ron Howard was honored with his second Walk of Fame star. The Hollywood legend had received his first star in 1981 for his TV success, and, at the time, he and Cheryl had only just brought Bryce Dallas Howard into the world. But for his second, which he received for his films, Ron was able to celebrate with his four children and his first grandchild, all the while standing side by side with Cheryl. The Howard clan has since welcomed five more grandchildren, so the Walk of Fame committee may need to give Ron one more star just to make sure everyone gets to be part of the celebration. 

Across his career, Ron Howard has been nominated for several exclusive awards, eventually winning two Oscars, three Emmys, two Golden Globes, and two Grammys. But nothing has mattered more to him than his family, and Cheryl is the center of it all. And to Ron, she has always been his center, telling People in 2019, "I met her, and there was never anybody else." Even Bryce Dallas Howard knows the score, telling Graham Bensinger, "My dad always says this thing, like, '[The kids eventually] leave. She's staying ... So I'm gonna choose her side every single time."