Will Ron Howard ever act again?

[Dean Winchester]

I know that directing is Ron's first love, but it seems like he's all but vanished from the screen once he left Happy Days and established himself as a director. However, other 70's "tv stars turned directors" like Rob Reiner and Penny Marshall still take the occasional acting gig, because even if they are respected directors, they're still Meathead and Laverne to many people. In the same sense, Ron is still Opie and Richie to a lot of people even if he is an Oscar winning director.

I know Henry Winkler took some time off acting after Happy Days ended and went to producing MacGyver and directing some movies and tv shows, but yet while he still does it, he has returned to acting as well. I know Ron's done voicework on AD for three seasons and occasionally has a Hitchcockish cameo in his films and he voiced himself on The Simpsons, but how about taking a straight on acting role again. There are plenty other actor/directors who have easily been able to balance the two (Mel Gibson, Clint Eastwood, Warren Beatty, Sean Penn, Woody Allen to name a few).

Has Ron ever been posed this question? it's been twenty years since his last beefy acting role in Return To Mayberry that to see him return for a guest spot on a TV show (hell, Winkler's got a new show now, perfect way to appear) or maybe a supporting part in a movie or something would be nice every now and again, the way Rob Reiner has still continued to act occasionally even though directing films replaced acting as his main passion.

[Dr. Thong]

I strongly doubt that Ron Howard will ever act again...as a full-time career, at any rate.

He decided back in the '70s that he wanted to pursue directing and he has had as much if not more success as a director than he did as an actor. Well, maybe about equal since he was in two classic hit shows.

Many former actors who've turned directors (like Anson Williams and James Widdowes) lose the desire to act once they've stepped behind the camera. There was a feature article about this in TV Guide about this where they gathered many of them together (the ones I mentioned and others, like Michael Lembeck) and Anson even admitted that he felt limitations as an actor, but not as a director.

Ron has done some occasional "acting," like on The Simpsons and he does do the voice-over narration for Arrested Development, so he hasn't abandoned it completely. Hey, he's Ron Howard, he can do whatever the hell he wants!!

[Dean Winchester]

well, Henry Winkler also took some time away from acting and achieved a lot of success in directing and producing, but yet he went back to acting and has taken some memorable roles, like in The Waterboy and Arrested Development, despite still doing the behind the scenes stuff as well.

I just figured since there are so many major actor / directors out there (like the aforementioned Sean Penn, Woody Allen, Clint Eastwood, Mel Gibson, etc...) that it'd be nice to see Ron start acting a little more frequently... give himself a significant role in one of his movies for once (besides Grand Theft Auto, which was made during the height of HD) the way Woody always finds a character for himself in each of his movies. Clint has won Best Director twice and yet he continues to act even though he is more revered as a director than star these days IMO.

[robyrob]

i'm sure that if the right role came along, and it was something he was interested in and had time to do that he would jump right in

[Dr. Thong]

Originally Posted by robyrob

i'm sure that if the right role came along, and it was something he was interested in and had time to do that he would jump right in

I doubt it, personally. Ron Howard's a director now. The last time he acted was sometime in the '80s. Probably the Return To Mayberry TV-movie, which he probably did out of obligation and gratitude to Andy Griffith. Directors like Rob Reiner occasionally act in their own films and sometimes the films of others. Garry Marshall has appeared in guest roles on sitcoms and movies, but Ron Howard has done nothing of the sort. IMO, he probably won't do an on-screen role again, but who knows what the future holds? Time will reveal

Originally Posted by HUNG UP!

well, Henry Winkler also took some time away from acting and achieved a lot of success in directing and producing, but yet he went back to acting and has taken some memorable roles, like in The Waterboy and Arrested Development, despite still doing the behind the scenes stuff as well.

Winkler did well as a producer (MacGyver), but as a director, he really didn't do all that well. I think the fact that he has appeared as a lead actor in two sitcoms since Happy Days- Monty and Out Of Practice - is testament to the fact that he is really more of an actor than a director.