Ron Howard says his father, Rance, treated the brothers’ early experiences in show business as a chance to support them, not to push them toward careers. The director discussed that approach in The Boys: A Memoir of Hollywood and Family, written with his brother, Clint Howard.
The quote highlighted in the memoir is: “His father was very negative, and I think that from the very beginning, dad saw all of this as a teaching opportunity.” Howard was referring to Rance’s relationship with his own father, whose negative influence, Ron said, helped shape the way Rance raised his sons.
Ron Howard said his father wanted his children to have an experience in which they could feel successful, “not necessarily careers.” Clint Howard likewise recalled that he never felt his work as a child actor was a competition with his brother, and described their parents as devoted.
Howard has said that his parents’ belief in him gave him confidence to pursue directing. Although he worked toward that goal, he later reflected that success as an adult in the entertainment industry was not guaranteed: “No way, but my parents believed.”
Howard began acting as a child, playing Opie Taylor on The Andy Griffith Show, and later became widely known as Richie Cunningham on Happy Days. He went on to direct films including Splash, Apollo 13 and A Beautiful Mind, for which he won Academy Awards for best director and best picture.
Sources: TVLine.