Ronald William "Ron" Howard (born March 1, 1954) is an Academy Award-winning American film director and producer as well as an actor. Howard came to prominence in the 1960s while playing Andy Griffith's TV son, Opie Taylor, on The Andy Griffith Show (credited as Ronny Howard), and later in the 1970s as Howard Cunningham's son and Arthur Fonzarelli's best friend, Richie Cunningham, on Happy Days (a role he played from 1974 to 1980). Since retiring from acting, he has directed many films including Apollo 13, A Beautiful Mind, How the Grinch Stole Christmas (film), Frost/Nixon, The Da Vinci Code, and its sequel, Angels & Demons.

Howard was born in Duncan, Oklahoma, the son of Jean Speegle Howard, an actress, and Rance Howard, a director, writer, and actor. His family moved to Burbank, California in 1958, the year before his parents gave birth to his younger brother, Clint Howard. Howard graduated from John Burroughs High School, and later attended the University of Southern California's School of Cinematic Arts but did not graduate.

Howard first earned recognition for playing Winthrop Paroo, the child with the lisp in the 1963 film version of The Music Man with Robert Preston and Shirley Jones.