Opie Grew Into a Show-Biz Powerhouse

After four decades in show business, it’s not easy to maintain a reputation for being the quintessential nice guy.

But actor-director Ron Howard, 43, can’t seem to help himself.

Raised in the San Fernando Valley communities of Toluca Lake and Burbank by his actor parents, Howard was in front of the cameras beginning at 18 months and spent eight seasons and most of his formative years playing Opie on “The Andy Griffith Show.”

Off the set, Howard attended Burbank public schools, including Burroughs High School, where he even gave up his first love for nine months to play on the basketball team.

By the early 1970s, Howard had appeared in “American Graffiti,” which spawned another hit--the TV series “Happy Days.” In that now-classic sitcom, the blue-eyed, red-haired Howard starred as all-American teen Richie Cunningham.

Howard directed his first film, “Grand Theft Auto,” in 1977, based on a screenplay he co-wrote with his father, Rance Howard. In 1986, he co-founded his own company, Imagine Entertainment, which has released such features as “Backdraft,” “Apollo 13” and “Ransom,” among others. Imagine has produced 30 films to date, which have grossed more than $2.5 billion worldwide.

Howard lives in Cos Cob, Conn., with his wife, Cheryl (his high school sweetheart), and their four children.