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. 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. 2
   Richie Cunningham (Happy Days)

   The wholesome, optimistic teenager navigating 1950s Milwaukee life in the iconic sitcom Happy Days (1974–1984).
3. 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. 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. 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. 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. 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).