Ron Howard Says He Worried About Daughter Bryce Dallas Howard Facing 'the Opie Mythology' as a Child Actor

Mar. 15, 2025

Bryce Dallas Howard and Ron Howard in June 2024.Photo:Steven Ferdman/Getty

Steven Ferdman/Getty

It’s a family affair for the Howards.

Bryce Dallas Howardjoined her dad,Ron Howard, and uncle, fellow actor (and Ron’s young brother)Clint Howard, for a panel atMegaConin Orlando, Florida, on Sunday, Feb. 9.

Speaking about his early life in Oklahoma, Ron, 70, ruminated on how his own parents (director Rance Howard and actress Jean Speegle) propelled his start as a child actor on shows likeThe Andy Griffith Show(in which he starred as Opie Taylor) and, later,Happy Days.

Like himself, Ron said Bryce began to “show a real aptitude” for performing when she was just a child — but he worried about her falling into his shadow.

“She would ask about [acting], and my wife Cheryl and I would say, ‘No, we can’t let you be a child actor,’ " Ron said. “We didn’t have the bandwidth to do what my parents did, which is really supervising … And plus I felt like that the Opie mythology was a little bit tough, you know, too much to ask a kid to face as a child performer.”

Never miss a story — sign up forPEOPLE’s free daily newsletterto stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer​​, from celebrity news to compelling human-interest stories.

Cheryl Howard, Bryce Dallas Howard and Rob Howard.Richard Corkery/NY Daily News Archive via Getty

Richard Corkery/NY Daily News Archive via Getty

But Bryce, now 43, continued to show an aptitude for film, Ron added.

“The thing I love is that Bryce is into this for the right reason. She loves the process and she loves the audience,” Ron then said.

Bryce echoed her love of film during the panel, at one point telling the audience that her family has a mantra they turn to again and again. “It’s something from my grandfather that we always say to each other, which is: ‘You know where to kick it — kick it in the ass.’ "

“It takes courage to just go for something … So when you’ve prepared, you’ve done the research, you’ve had the conversations, you’ve challenged your biases, you’re ready, ready, ready — you kind of need that shove. And that’s I think what we all do for one another,” she added.

At aHappy Daysreunion eventheld at MegaCon on Friday, Feb. 7, Ron said he initially entered Hollywood as a child actor but quickly realized he was more attracted to the role of the director.

“I always liked acting. I always liked being around it,” he said. “But very, very early on, I was attracted to the role of the director. And years later, I recognized that I don’t have the performer’s personality. I wasn’t hungry to perform … I was just dying to be behind the camera.”

The PEOPLE Puzzler crossword is here! How quickly can you solve it? Play now!

Bryce Dallas Howard and Ron Howard in Beverly Hills, California, on Feb. 9, 2020.Daniele Venturelli/WireImage

Daniele Venturelli/WireImage

Ron, a longtime filmmaker, previously won Best Director and Best Picture at the2002 Academy AwardsforA Beautiful Mind,starringRussell Crowe,Ed Harris,Jennifer ConnellyandPaul Bettany.

He shares daughter Bryce with wifeCheryl Howard, whom he met in high school and married in 1975. They also sharethree other children: twins Jocelyn and Paige, 39, and son Reed, 37.

Bryce, meanwhile, found success in film and television after being cast inM. Night Shyamalan’s 2004 thrillerThe Village. She has since gone on to star inSpider-Man 3,The Twilight Saga: Eclipse,The Help,Black Mirror,the blockbusterJurassic Worldfilm series and, most recently,Argylle.

source: people.com