Ron Howard explained why he wasn't interested in directing an episode of Happy Days

Howard revealed he was never interested in taking a peek behind the camera...at least during his time on Happy Days.

CBS Television Distribution

Despite his early beginnings and success as a child actor, Ron Howard was interested in behind-the-scenes camera work since he was young. According to an interview with the Associated Press, Howard spoke publicly about his desire to direct. "I guess I've thought about directing since I was eight or nine years old," he said. "Recently I came across an interview that TIME magazine did in connection with The Courtship of Eddie's Father. I was asked what I wanted to be and I said, 'An actor-writer-producer-director-cameraman."

Coming from a show business family, there was no doubt that Howard would dip his toes into the entertainment pool. Still, when he left acting to pursue directing full-time, many were shocked. Why couldn't Howard have the best of both worlds and remain an actor?

The simple answer was that Howard wasn't interested. But if we're getting elaborate, it seems that Howard understood that if he was acting on his own projects, it might limit his ability as a director. Howard explained that this was why he wasn't interested in directing an episode of Happy Days when he starred in the series.

"1. My relationship with the others in the cast," he said. "I was not established as a leader, and I knew it would be awkward for me to tell Tom Bosley how to play a scene. 2. Jerry Parris was directing most of our shows, and I had advocated a single director for the series. 3. 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. And if your directing is not so good, it can hurt you when you try to do features."

Of course, Howard was right in this decision, as his success as a director shows.

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4 Comments

Wiseguy70005 2 months ago
I had always heard Ron Howard left Happy Days because Paramount wouldn't let him direct an episode. And it's Jerry Paris not Parris.
cperrynaples 3 months ago
Fun Fact: Howard got to direct because he agreed to do Eat My Dust if Roger Corman let him direct Grand Theft Auto! He even got Marion Ross to be in the latter film!
cperrynaples cperrynaples 3 months ago
PS Ron Howard was refering to the Glenn Ford movie where he played Eddie, not the subsequent Bill Bixby sitcom!
Runeshaper 3 months ago
A person needs to know their limitations so it's good that Howard made that move. Seems like it was the right one.
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