Ron Howard made a candid revelation about parenting his daughter Bryce Dallas Howard during a panel session at the recent MegaCon in Orlando, Florida. Also present at the event were Bryce and her uncle, Clint Howard, who is also in show business as an actor.
According to Ron, his 43-year-old daughter began expressing her interest in entertaining as a child. However, he and her mother, Cheryl, refused to expose her to the industry at that age. He was also scared that Bryce would fall behind his shadow and have to face the hard Opie mythology.
Ron Howard’s daughter did not back down on becoming a performer
Despite pushback from her parents, Bryce did not relent on her desire to perform and would attend relevant summer programs, classes, and shows to prove her dedication. As a teenager, Ron could already see the professional in her and had no choice but to give her a shot.
Bryce confirmed her father’s words during the Happy Days reunion MegaCon panel session, saying her grandfather, director Rance Howard fueled her drive as she recalled his words, “You know where to kick it — kick it in the ass.” She felt more ready than ever after years of research, mentorship, challenges, and questioning.
Ron Howard’s parents encouraged his career
Ironically, Ron has his own parents — Rance and actress Jean Speegle — to thank for his Hollywood career. They set him on track to love being behind the camera via The Andy Griffith Show and Happy Days. Ron played Opie in the latter until he left to follow another passion at the end of season 7.
Although Ron enjoyed being an actor, he picked up an interest in directing and went for it, making his debut with 1977’s comedy action film Grand Theft Auto, which he co-wrote with Rance. He admitted to not having the personality for being in front of the camera and enjoyed being behind the scenes more.