Why Did ‘The Andy Griffith Show’ Alum Ron Howard Stop Acting? The Reason Behind His Hiatus

As the director of so many iconic films, including Parenthood, Apollo 13 and Cinderella Man, Ron Howard’s resume is beyond impressive. The Academy Award winner actually started his Hollywood career as a child actor, skyrocketing to fame playing Opie Taylor on The Andy Griffith Show from 1960 to 1968. Scroll below to find out why he stopped acting. 

Why Did Ron Howard Stop Acting?

Ron earned some of his earliest acting credits in the late ‘50s before he was cast in The Andy Griffith Show. Following his work on the CBS sitcom, the Oklahoma native continued to land impressive roles in The Smith Family and Happy Days. 

Over the years, Ron began to realize that his passion for acting was outweighed by his love for leading productions behind the camera. 

“I listened and learned — and knew that I would never survive as an actor,” he told Daily Express in December 2015. “There was also a lot of stuff going on that I did not understand or could not come to terms with. I was not assertive. I was not a leader. You have to be like some of the big stars such as Dustin Hoffman to make it. He could take control while remaining an actor. I was relaxed but never terribly satisfied with my work.”

The Laverne & Shirley alum began taking fewer acting roles in the early 2000s to focus on producing and directing films like The Da Vinci Code, Frost/Nixon and Made in America. From 2003 to 2019, Ron served as the narrator of Arrested Development. Prior to that, he appeared as himself in season 2 of This Is Us in 2017. He has not made any acting appearances since. 

Will Ron Howard Ever Return to Acting? 

In addition to his Hollywood career, Ron is a doting dad. The How the Grinch Stole Christmas director and his longtime wife, Cheryl Howard, could not be prouder of their kids, Bryce Dallas Howard, Paige Howard, Jocelyn Howard and Reed Howard. Both Bryce and Paige have made names for themselves as Hollywood entertainers. 

Though it seems like Ron’s focus continues to remain on directing, he did share that there was one person who could get him to act again. 

“It would probably be Bryce,” the Willow director said during a December 2022 episode of Variety‘s “Awards Circuit” podcast. “It would probably be Bryce directing something and saying, ‘Dad, I really need you to come in and do this,’ or ‘You have to.’ Either of those would probably get me in the makeup chair and in front of the camera.”

He continued, “I’m sure there’d be an audition involved,” joking, “I’d be a little disappointed if she didn’t [make me audition].”