Director Ron Howard has found incredible success in Hollywood throughout his career. He was a child star, known for his roles in The Andy Griffith Show and Happy Days. He went on to become an Oscar-winning director for A Beautiful Mind. But along the road to fame, there has been one woman by Howard's side the entire way. He met his wife of over four decades, Cheryl Howard, back when he was just in high school.
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When a young Howard was a junior at John Burroughs High School in Burbank, California, he met the one. He told People that he knew off the bat that his high school sweetheart was the only one for him.
"I met her, and there was never anybody else."
Who is Cheryl Howard?
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The couple tied the knot when Cheryl was just 21 years old and they have been happily married ever since. They have four children together -- twin daughters Jocelyn and Paige, actress Bryce Dallas Howard, and son Reed.
According to Cheryl's website, she wrote a novel called In The Face of Jinn, under the name of Cheryl Howard Crew. She writes that she was inspired by the stories she heard as a child.
"As a child I was consumed with adventure stories, fairy tales, and real-life accounts of people who had traveled around the globe."
Outside of her writing career, Cheryl has earned her own IMDB credits over the years. She's made appearances in her husband's films including Angels & Demons, Ransom, EdTV, Willow, Apollo 13, and Splash. She also appeared in Arrested Development as herself.
The Secret to a Happy Marriage
When asked about the secret to their long and happy marriage, Howard explains that strong communication is key.
"People say, 'How'd you do it?' There's no technique. There's no tactic other than communication is really important. You have to learn to communicate and have difficult conversations in constructive ways," says Howard. "Beyond that, there's an element of luck because people either grow together or they don't and I don't think you can force that."
The filmmaker also gushes about his wife saying that she's been an incredible support system over the years.
"She's unbelievably supportive and always has been," Howard says of his wife. "Our compatibility has endured through all kinds of experiences."
When celebrating their 46th wedding anniversary, the famed director simply says "I'm a lucky fella."
This article was previously published in June of 2021.
