Ron Howard(I)

Academy Award-winning filmmaker Ron Howard is one of this generation's most popular directors. From the critically acclaimed dramasA Beautiful Mind (2001)andApollo 13 (1995)to the hit comediesParenthood (1989)andSplash (1984),he has created some of Hollywood's most memorable films.

Howard made his directorial debut in 1978 with the comedyGrand Theft Auto (1977).He began his career in film as an actor. He first appeared inThe Journey (1959)andThe Music Man (1962),then as Opie on the long-running television seriesThe Andy Griffith Show (1960).Howard later starred in the popular seriesHappy Days (1974)and drew favorable reviews for his performances inAmerican Graffiti (1973)andThe Shootist (1976).

Howard and long-time producing partner Brian Grazer first collaborated on the hit comedies "Night Shift" and "Splash." The pair co-founded Imagine Entertainment in 1986 to create independently produced feature films.

Howard's portfolio includes some of the most popular films of the past 20 years. In 1991, Howard created the acclaimed drama "Backdraft", starringRobert De Niro,Kurt RussellandWilliam Baldwin.He followed it with the historical epicFar and Away (1992),starringTom CruiseandNicole Kidman.Howard directedMel Gibson,Rene Russo,Gary SiniseandDelroy Lindoin the 1996 suspense thrillerRansom (1996).Howard worked withTom Hanks,Kevin Bacon,Ed Harris,Bill Paxton,Gary SiniseandKathleen Quinlanon "Apollo 13," which was re-released recently in the IMAX format.

Howard's skill as a director has long been recognized. In 1995, he received his first Best Director of the Year award from the DGA for "Apollo 13." The true-life drama also garnered nine Academy Award nominations, winning Oscars for Best Film Editing and Best Sound. It also received Best Ensemble Cast and Best Supporting Actor awards from the Screen Actor's Guild. Many of Howard's past films have received nods from the Academy, including the popular hitsBackdraft (1991),"Parenthood" andCocoon (1985),the last of which took home two Oscars.

Howard directed and producedCinderella Man (2005)starring Oscar winnerRussell Crowe,with whom he previously collaborated on "A Beautiful Mind," for which Howard earned an Oscar for Best Director and which also won awards for Best Picture, Best Screenplay and Best Supporting Actress. The film garnered four Golden Globes as well, including the award for Best Motion Picture Drama. Additionally, Howard won Best Director of the Year from the Directors Guild of America. Howard and producerBrian Grazerreceived the first annual Awareness Award from the National Mental Health Awareness Campaign for their work on the film.

Howard was honored by the Museum of Moving Images in December 2005, and by the American Cinema Editors in February 2006. Howard and his creative partner Brian Grazer, were honored by the Producers Guild of America with the Milestone Award in January 2009, NYU's Tisch School of Cinematic Arts with the Big Apple Award in November 2009 and by the Simon Wiesenthal Center with their Humanitarian Award in May 2010. In June 2010, Howard was honored by the Chicago Film Festival with their Gold Hugo - Career Achievement Award. In March 2013, Howard was inducted into the Television Hall of Fame. In December 2015, Howard was honored with a star in the Motion Pictures category, making him one of the very few to have been recognized with two stars on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

Howard also produced and directed the film adaptation of Peter Morgan's critically acclaimed playFrost/Nixon (2008).The film was nominated for five Academy Awards including Best Picture, and was also nominated for The Darryl F. Zanuck Producer of the Year Award in Theatrical Motion Pictures by the PGA.

Howard has also served as an executive producer on a number of award-winning films and television shows, such as the HBO miniseriesFrom the Earth to the Moon (1998),Fox's Emmy Award winner for Best Comedy,Arrested Development (2003),a series which he also narrated, Netflix's release of new episodes of "Arrested Development," and NBC's "Parenthood."

Howard's recent films include the critically acclaimed dramaRush (2013),staringChris HemsworthandDaniel Brühl,written byPeter Morgan;andMade in America (2013),a music documentary he directed staringJay-Zfor Showtime.

Howard's other films includeIn the Heart of the Sea (2015),based on the true story that inspired Moby Dick; his adaptation of Dan Brown's best-selling novelsAngels (2009),andThe Da Vinci Code (2006)staring Oscar winner Tom Hanks; the blockbuster holiday favorite "Dr. Seuss'How the Grinch Stole Christmas (2000)"starringJim Carrey;"Parenthood" starringSteve Martin;the fantasy epicWillow (1988);Night Shift (1982)starringHenry Winkler,Michael KeatonandShelley Long;and the suspenseful western,The Missing (2003),staring Oscar winnersCate BlanchettandTommy Lee Jones.

Recently, Howard directedInferno (2016),the third installment ofDan Brown's Robert Langdon franchise andThe Beatles: Eight Days a Week - The Touring Years (2016),a documentary about the rock legendsThe Beatles.He also produced the second season ofBreakthrough (2015),Mars (2016),and directed the first episode ofGenius (2017),based on the life ofAlbert Einstein,all for NatGeo.