Ron Howard Interview - Part 5 of 6

See the full interview at http://emmytvlegends.org/interviews/people/ron-howard

A television star by the age of six, Ron Howard recalls that: people were beginning to come up and ask me for autographs after The Andy Griffith Show aired, and I could print but it just took me forever, so I actually learned cursive writing so that I could sign autographs.  Howard reminisces about his early years growing up in Burbank, the son of actor parents, and his own start at age three, using a dialogue scene from Mr. Roberts as his audition piece. He describes some of his earliest acting on television including the live anthology drama Playhouse 90 and his recurring role as part of the gang on Dennis the Menace .  He then talks about his appearance on an episode of G. E. Theatre , for which host Ronald Reagan made special note, catching the eye of producer Sheldon Leonard, who cast Howard on the pilot for The Andy Griffith Show .  He speaks in great detail about playing Opie Taylor on The Andy Griffith Show , describing his work with Andy Griffith and the shows ensemble and discussing moments from the series production.  He talks using memories of his dogs death to create the emotions necessary for the classic Opie the Birdman episode, and truly having to act when eating ice cream (actually cold mashed potatoes).  He briefly describes some television roles he appeared in before taking on his other signature television role of Richie Cunningham on Happy Days .  He discusses candidly the shift in the series focus onto the break-out Fonzie character, recites some of the series numerous catchphrases, and reminisces about memorable series episodes (including The Howdy Doody Show and the now-infamous jump-the-shark episode Hollywood).  He details his transition to behind-the-camera as a director of low-budget features and television movies (including Cotton Candy and Skyward ), before becoming one of Hollywoods A-list producer-directors.  He lastly notes his work as executive-producer and voice-over narrator on the Emmy-Award-winning sitcom Arrested Development .  Ron Howard was interviewed at the Imagine Entertainment offices in Beverly Hills, CA on October 18, 2006; Gary Rutkowski conducted the three-hour interview.. To see the entire interview collection, visit http://emmytvlegends.org

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