Ron Howard

Ron Howard (born March 1, 1954)^[1] is an American film and television director, producer, writer, and actor. In 2017, after the firing of Phil Lord and Christopher Miller,^[2] Howard was tapped to be the new director of Solo: A Star Wars Story.^[3]

Howard first gained fame as Opie Taylor, son of Sheriff Andy Taylor, on The Andy Griffith Show. He later starred on Happy Days. He became a filmmaker and has directed such hit films as Apollo 13, The Da Vinci Code, and Rush. He also directed A Beautiful Mind, for which he won the Academy Award for Best Director.

He has had a long association with Lucasfilm, beginning with his starring role in George Lucas's second film, American Graffiti (1973). He reprised the role in More American Graffiti (1979) and was later chosen by Lucas to direct the fantasy film Willow (1988).

Biography

Howard was approached by Lucas to direct Star Wars: Episode I The Phantom Menace, but turned it down as he deemed the offer too daunting.^[4]

In 2005, he wrote the foreword for The Cinema of George Lucas.^[5]

Howard has also contributed to StarWars.com by reprising his role as narrator on Arrested Development with a parody video modeled on the TV show.^[6]