Howard, Ron

(b. March 1, 1954, Duncan, Okla., U.S.) U.S. actor and director. He became a child star of television and films, appearing in The Music Man (1962) and on television's Andy Griffith Show (1960–68) and Happy Days (1974–80). He returned to movies in American Graffiti (1973), made his directorial debut with Grand Theft Auto (1977), and went on to direct such successful films as Splash (1984), Cocoon (1985), Parenthood (1989), Apollo 13 (1995), and A Beautiful Mind (2001, Academy Award). He heads his own production company.