What is the best acting performance by Ron Howard?

Long before he became one of Hollywood's most bankable directors, Howard charmed audiences for decades as an actor — from a lisping small-town boy to the face of American teen nostalgia. Which role defines him?

1

Opie Taylor (The Andy Griffith Show)

The sweet, fatherless small-town boy raised by Sheriff Andy Taylor in the beloved CBS sitcom The Andy Griffith Show (1960–1968).

2

Richie Cunningham (Happy Days)

The wholesome, optimistic teenager navigating 1950s Milwaukee life in the iconic sitcom Happy Days (1974–1984).

3

Steve Bolander (American Graffiti)

A recent high school graduate facing the crossroads of college vs. small-town life in George Lucas's American Graffiti (1973).

4

Winthrop Paroo (The Music Man)

The lisping young boy whose shyness is transformed by Harold Hill's band in The Music Man (1962).

5

Clint (Eat My Dust!)

The sheriff's car-crazy son who steals a race car and leads a wild chase in the low-budget comedy Eat My Dust! (1976).

6

Sam Freeman (Grand Theft Auto)

A young man eloping with his girlfriend who sparks a wild cross-country car chase in Grand Theft Auto (1977) — Howard's directorial debut.

7

Young Opie / Early Child Roles

Howard's earliest screen appearances as a child actor in Westerns and TV shows before The Andy Griffith Show (1955–1959).