With two parents involved in the entertainment industry, it seemed Ron Howard was destined for acting. What few people could have predicted was his meteoric rise as a director. 

In an interview with United Press International, a young Ron Howard described his time on The Andy Griffith Show.

At the time, the series had been on the air for about five years, and Howard had already become a fan-favorite. During the interview, Howard was asked about his hopes for the future.

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"I think I'm going to keep on acting. I really like it," Howard said. "I want to go to college, but I don't know where it will be yet."

However, he also added: "Someday I'd like to become a director too."

Clearly, directing was a dream Howard had been thinking about since childhood.

Still, when Howard was offered the opportunity to direct an episode of Happy Days, the show in which he starred as Richie Cunningham, he turned it down.

Among his reasons, he cited: "I had little to gain. Richard Thomas had directed shows on The Waltons and it didn't help him as a director."

"Even if your work is good, nobody notices much," Howard continued. "And if your directing is not so good, it can hurt you when you try to do features."

In the end, Howard's first steps behind the camera were much more organic than a Hollywood career move.

"I started fooling around with a Super 8 camera when I was 15, making movies with my brother Clint and his friends," Howard said.

It turns out Howard didn't need a Hollywood invitation to start directing. He just needed a camera, a few friends and a little ambition.