Ron Howard | Academy of Achievement

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'Hey, hang in there. In another ten or 15 years, I'm sure somebody will give you a chance to direct.' That's not what I wanted to hear at all." At age 23, Ron Howard had one of the most recognizable faces in America. His years on The Andy Griffith Show and Happy Days had made him familiar to millions of Americans. He had even directed episodes of Happy Days, but when he looked for feature film directing work, no one believed the young actor had what it took. Finally he made a deal with low-budget film legend Roger Corman: Howard would act in a film for Corman in exchange for the opportunity to direct. The result, Grand Theft Auto, succeeded beyond anyone's expectations, and started Howard on his career as a feature film director. Today, Howard is one of the most sought-after and highly regarded directors in the business. His films, including Splash, Cocoon and Apollo 13, have been some of the most memorable entertainment experiences of our era. He won the 2002 Best Director Oscar for A Beautiful Mind, which also won the 2002 Oscar as Best Picture."/> <meta name="robots" content="index, follow"/> <meta name="googlebot" content="index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1"/> <meta name="bingbot" content="index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1"/> <link rel="canonical" href="https://web.archive.org/web/20200812073921/https://achievement.org/achiever/ron-howard/"/> <meta property="og:locale" content="en_US"/> <meta property="og:type" content="article"/> <meta property="og:title" content="Ron Howard | Academy of Achievement"/> <meta property="og:description" content="<p class="inputTextFirst">"As a young adult trying to make the transition from sitcom actor to motion picture director, I was getting a lot of patronizing pats on the head. 'Hey, hang in there. In another ten or 15 years, I'm sure somebody will give you a chance to direct.' That's not what I wanted to hear at all."</p> <p class="inputText">At age 23, Ron Howard had one of the most recognizable faces in America. His years on <i>The Andy Griffith Show </i>and <i>Happy Days </i>had made him familiar to millions of Americans. He had even directed episodes of <i>Happy Days, </i>but when he looked for feature film directing work, no one believed the young actor had what it took.</p> <p class="inputText">Finally he made a deal with low-budget film legend Roger Corman: Howard would act in a film for Corman in exchange for the opportunity to direct. The result, <i>Grand Theft Auto, </i>succeeded beyond anyone's expectations, and started Howard on his career as a feature film director.</p> <p class="inputText">Today, Howard is one of the most sought-after and highly regarded directors in the business. His films, including <i>Splash, Cocoon</i> and <i>Apollo 13,</i> have been some of the most memorable entertainment experiences of our era. He won the 2002 Best Director Oscar for <i>A Beautiful Mind, </i>which also won the 2002 Oscar as Best Picture.</p>"/> <meta property="og:url" content="https://web.archive.org/web/20200812073921/https://achievement.org/achiever/ron-howard/"/> <meta property="og:site_name" content="Academy of Achievement"/> <meta property="article:modified_time" content="2020-07-10T22:21:35+00:00"/> <meta property="og:image" content="https://web.archive.org/web/20200812073921im_/https://achievement.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/howard-Feature-Image-2800x1120-black-1-scaled.jpg"/> <meta property="og:image:width" content="2560"/> <meta property="og:image:height" content="1024"/> <meta name="twitter:card" content="summary"/> <meta name="twitter:creator" content="@achievers1961"/> <meta name="twitter:site" content="@achievers1961"/> <script type="application/ld+json" class="yoast-schema-graph">{"@context":"https://web.archive.org/web/20200812073921/https://schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"Organization","@id":"https://web.archive.org/web/20200812073921/https://achievement.org/#organization","name":"Academy of Achievement","url":"https://web.archive.org/web/20200812073921/https://achievement.org/","sameAs":["https://web.archive.org/web/20200812073921/https://www.linkedin.com/company/american-academy-of-achievement","https://web.archive.org/web/20200812073921/https://www.youtube.com/channel/UChe_87uh1H-NIMf3ndTjPFw","https://web.archive.org/web/20200812073921/https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Academy_of_Achievement","https://web.archive.org/web/20200812073921/https://twitter.com/achievers1961"],"logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","@id":"https://web.archive.org/web/20200812073921/https://achievement.org/#logo","inLanguage":"en-US","url":"/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/12.png","width":1200,"height":630,"caption":"Academy of Achievement"},"image":{"@id":"https://web.archive.org/web/20200812073921/https://achievement.org/#logo"}},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https://web.archive.org/web/20200812073921/https://achievement.org/#website","url":"https://web.archive.org/web/20200812073921/https://achievement.org/","name":"Academy of Achievement","description":"A museum of living history","publisher":{"@id":"https://web.archive.org/web/20200812073921/https://achievement.org/#organization"},"potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":"https://web.archive.org/web/20200812073921/https://achievement.org/search/{search_term_string}","query-input":"required name=search_term_string"}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"ImageObject","@id":"https://web.archive.org/web/20200812073921/https://achievement.org/achiever/ron-howard/#primaryimage","inLanguage":"en-US","url":"/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/howard-Feature-Image-2800x1120-black-1-scaled.jpg","width":2560,"height":1024},{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://web.archive.org/web/20200812073921/https://achievement.org/achiever/ron-howard/#webpage","url":"https://web.archive.org/web/20200812073921/https://achievement.org/achiever/ron-howard/","name":"Ron Howard | Academy of Achievement","isPartOf":{"@id":"https://web.archive.org/web/20200812073921/https://achievement.org/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https://web.archive.org/web/20200812073921/https://achievement.org/achiever/ron-howard/#primaryimage"},"datePublished":"2016-10-06T04:44:26+00:00","dateModified":"2020-07-10T22:21:35+00:00","description":"\"As a young adult trying to make the transition from sitcom actor to motion picture director, I was getting a lot of patronizing pats on the head. 'Hey, hang in there. In another ten or 15 years, I'm sure somebody will give you a chance to direct.' That's not what I wanted to hear at all.\" At age 23, Ron Howard had one of the most recognizable faces in America. His years on The Andy Griffith Show and Happy Days had made him familiar to millions of Americans. He had even directed episodes of Happy Days, but when he looked for feature film directing work, no one believed the young actor had what it took. Finally he made a deal with low-budget film legend Roger Corman: Howard would act in a film for Corman in exchange for the opportunity to direct. The result, Grand Theft Auto, succeeded beyond anyone's expectations, and started Howard on his career as a feature film director. Today, Howard is one of the most sought-after and highly regarded directors in the business. His films, including Splash, Cocoon and Apollo 13, have been some of the most memorable entertainment experiences of our era. 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Howard</h1> <h5 class="sans-6 feature-area__blurb">Oscar for Best Director</h5> </div> </figcaption> </div> </div> </figure> </header> </div>  <nav class="in-page-nav row fixedsticky"> <ul class="nav text-xs-center clearfix" role="tablist"> <li class="nav-item col-xs-3"> <a class="nav-link active" data-toggle="tab" href="#biography" role="tab" data-gtm-category="tab" data-gtm-action="click" data-gtm-label="Achiever Biography">Biography</a> </li> <li class="nav-item col-xs-3"> <a class="nav-link" data-toggle="tab" href="#profile" role="tab" data-gtm-category="tab" data-gtm-action="click" data-gtm-label="Achiever Profile">Profile</a> </li> <li class="nav-item col-xs-3"> <a class="nav-link" data-toggle="tab" href="#interview" role="tab" data-gtm-category="tab" data-gtm-action="click" data-gtm-label="Achiever Interview">Interview</a> </li> <li class="nav-item col-xs-3"> <a class="nav-link" data-toggle="tab" href="#gallery" role="tab" data-gtm-category="tab" data-gtm-action="click" data-gtm-label="Achiever Gallery">Gallery</a> </li> </ul> </nav> <article class="post-2479 achiever type-achiever status-publish has-post-thumbnail hentry careers-film-director"> <div class="entry-content container clearfix">  <div class="tab-content"> <div class="tab-pane active" id="biography" role="tabpanel"> <section class="achiever--biography"> <div class="banner clearfix"> <div class="banner--single clearfix"> <div class="col-lg-8 col-lg-offset-2"> <div class="banner__image__container"> <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20200812073921/https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/what-it-takes/id1025864075?mt=2" target="_blank"> <figure class="ratio-container ratio-container--square bg-black"> <img class="lazyload banner__image" data-src="/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/WhatItTakes_256_howard-190x190.jpg" alt=""/> </figure> </a> </div> <div class="banner__text__container"> <h3 class="serif-3 banner__headline"> <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20200812073921/https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/what-it-takes/id1025864075?mt=2" target="_blank"> Listen to this achiever on <i>What It Takes</i> </a> </h3> <p class="sans-6 banner__text m-b-0"><i>What It Takes</i> is an audio podcast produced by the American Academy of Achievement featuring intimate, revealing conversations with influential leaders in the diverse fields of endeavor: public service, science and exploration, sports, technology, business, arts and humanities, and justice.</p> </div> </div> </div> </div> <div class="row"> <header class="editorial-article__header col-md-8 col-md-offset-2 text-xs-center"> <i class="icon-icon_bio text-brand-primary"></i> <h3 class="serif-3 quote-marks">I really believe that great creative ideas will find their way to the surface.</h3> </header> </div> <div class="row"> <aside class="col-md-4 sidebar clearfix"> <h2 class="serif-3 p-b-1">A Lifetime in Entertainment</h2> <div class="col-xs-12 sidebar--chunk p-b-2"> <dt class="serif-7">Date of Birth</dt> <dd class="sans-2"> March 1, 1954 </dd> </div> </aside> <article class="editorial-article col-md-8"> <!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/REC-html40/loose.dtd"> <html><body data-rsssl="1"><p>Ron Howard was born in Duncan, Oklahoma. His parents were both actors. Ron first appeared on stage at 18 months and made his screen debut at age four. He had a memorable role in the film <em>The Music Man</em>, and became familiar to millions of Americans as Opie on <em>The Andy Griffith Show.</em> The popular program ran for years in prime time and is still in continuous syndication around the country. At the end of his teens, he joined the cast of another long-running sitcom, playing the leading role of Richie Cunningham on <em>Happy Days. </em>At the same time, he played a leading role in the hit film <em>American Graffiti </em>and in John Wayne’s last film, <em>The Shootist</em>. Howard received excellent reviews for these performances, but by then he was determined to become a film director.</p> <figure id="attachment_23797" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-23797" style="width: 2252px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><noscript><img class="wp-image-23797 size-full " src="https://web.archive.org/web/20200812073921im_/https://162.243.3.155/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/1960-andy-griffith-show.jpeg"></noscript><img class="wp-image-23797 size-full lazyload" alt="1964: American actors Andy Griffith (left) and Ron Howard in a scene from "The Andy Griffith Show." (Photo by CBS Photo Archive/Getty Images)" width="2252" height="2850" data-sizes="(max-width: 2252px) 100vw, 2252px" data-srcset="/web/20200812073921im_/https://achievement.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/1960-andy-griffith-show.jpeg 2252w, /web/20200812073921im_/https://achievement.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/1960-andy-griffith-show-300x380.jpeg 300w, /web/20200812073921im_/https://achievement.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/1960-andy-griffith-show-601x760.jpeg 601w" data-src="https://web.archive.org/web/20200812073921/https://162.243.3.155/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/1960-andy-griffith-show.jpeg"><figcaption id="caption-attachment-23797" class="wp-caption-text">1964: American actors Andy Griffith (left) and Ron Howard in a scene from <i>The Andy Griffith Show</i>. (CBS/Getty)</figcaption></figure> <p>The young actor directed several episodes of <em>Happy Days, </em>but could not find a major studio willing to entrust a feature film to a 23-year-old novice, however well-known. At last, Howard struck an unusual deal with independent producer Roger Corman. Corman had taken chances before, on unknown directors like Francis Ford Coppola and Martin Scorsese. Howard offered to act in a film for Corman — for almost nothing — in exchange for the opportunity to direct.</p> <figure id="attachment_23809" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-23809" style="width: 2280px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><noscript><img class="wp-image-23809 size-full " src="https://web.archive.org/web/20200812073921im_/https://162.243.3.155/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/happy-days-670879.jpg"></noscript><img class="wp-image-23809 size-full lazyload" alt=""Happy Days" is a television sitcom that aired first-run from January 15, 1974, to September 24, 1984, on ABC, with a total of 255 half-hour episodes spanning over 11 seasons. Created by Garry Marshall, the series presents an idealized vision of American life in the mid-1950s to mid-1960s." width="2280" height="2038" data-sizes="(max-width: 2280px) 100vw, 2280px" data-srcset="/web/20200812073921im_/https://achievement.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/happy-days-670879.jpg 2280w, /web/20200812073921im_/https://achievement.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/happy-days-670879-380x340.jpg 380w, /web/20200812073921im_/https://achievement.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/happy-days-670879-760x679.jpg 760w" data-src="https://web.archive.org/web/20200812073921/https://162.243.3.155/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/happy-days-670879.jpg"><figcaption id="caption-attachment-23809" class="wp-caption-text"><em>Happy Days</em> was a television sitcom that aired first-run from January 15, 1974, to September 24, 1984, on ABC, with a total of 255 half-hour episodes spanning over 11 seasons. Created by Garry Marshall, the series presents an idealized vision of American life in the mid-1950s to mid-1960s. Ron Howard played the character of Richie Cunningham, the quintessential example of the white, all-American, 1950s teenager. Henry Winkler played Fonzie.</figcaption></figure> <p>Corman had booked an unmade film into theaters on the strength of its title, <em>Grand Theft Auto</em>, without having a script or even an outline of the film. Ron Howard and his father, actor Rance Howard, cranked out the script in two weeks, and Ron went into production. The surprising success of <em>Grand Theft Auto</em> allowed Howard to break into mainstream filmmaking, starting with the comedy <em>Night Shift</em>, starring his <em>Happy Days</em> co-star Henry Winkler.</p> <figure id="attachment_23823" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-23823" style="width: 1500px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><noscript><img class="wp-image-23823 size-full " src="https://web.archive.org/web/20200812073921im_/https://162.243.3.155/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/splash-fast-co.jpg"></noscript><img class="wp-image-23823 size-full lazyload" alt="Producer Brian Grazer (left) and director Ron Howard on the set of the 1984 comedy "Splash." (Buena Vista Pictures)" width="1500" height="844" data-sizes="(max-width: 1500px) 100vw, 1500px" data-srcset="/web/20200812073921im_/https://achievement.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/splash-fast-co.jpg 1500w, /web/20200812073921im_/https://achievement.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/splash-fast-co-380x214.jpg 380w, /web/20200812073921im_/https://achievement.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/splash-fast-co-760x428.jpg 760w" data-src="https://web.archive.org/web/20200812073921/https://162.243.3.155/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/splash-fast-co.jpg"><figcaption id="caption-attachment-23823" class="wp-caption-text">Producer Brian Grazer and director Ron Howard on the set of the 1984 comedy <em>Splash</em>. (Buena Vista Pictures)</figcaption></figure> <p>In his acting career, Howard had been typecast as the clean-cut all-American boy. Now he found himself pigeonholed as a director of comedies. He first broke out of this mold with the fantasy film <em>Willow</em>, for producer George Lucas. Soon he was combining comedy and fantasy in the enormously popular films <em>Splash </em>and <em>Cocoon. </em><em>Splash</em> marked the beginning of a long association with actor Tom Hanks. Since 1986, Howard’s films have been produced by Imagine Entertainment, a production company he founded with partner Brian Grazer. In addition to his own directorial efforts, Howard produced the popular films <em>Kindergarten Cop</em> and <em>My Girl.</em></p> <figure id="attachment_23819" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-23819" style="width: 2048px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><noscript><img class="wp-image-23819 size-full " src="https://web.archive.org/web/20200812073921im_/https://162.243.3.155/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/ron-howard-in-apollo-13-1995.jpg"></noscript><img class="wp-image-23819 size-full lazyload" alt="Ron Howard directing on the set of "Apollo 13," the 1995 docudrama space adventure film." width="2048" height="1262" data-sizes="(max-width: 2048px) 100vw, 2048px" data-srcset="/web/20200812073921im_/https://achievement.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/ron-howard-in-apollo-13-1995.jpg 2048w, /web/20200812073921im_/https://achievement.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/ron-howard-in-apollo-13-1995-380x234.jpg 380w, /web/20200812073921im_/https://achievement.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/ron-howard-in-apollo-13-1995-760x468.jpg 760w" data-src="https://web.archive.org/web/20200812073921/https://162.243.3.155/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/ron-howard-in-apollo-13-1995.jpg"><figcaption id="caption-attachment-23819" class="wp-caption-text">Ron Howard, directing on the set of <em>Apollo 13</em>, the 1995 docudrama space adventure film.</figcaption></figure> <p>While continuing his success directing comedies such as <em>Parenthood, </em>and <em>The Paper, </em>Ron Howard moved successfully into large-scale dramas with <em>Backdraft</em>, a suspenseful tale of Chicago firefighters, replete with fiery action sequences. Howard told a tale of real-life heroism in <em>Apollo 13</em>, the story of the aborted 1970 moon mission that nearly cost the lives of its three astronauts. His work on <em>Apollo 13</em> earned him the 1996 Best Director award of the Directors Guild of America. The one-time child star had moved into the front rank of Hollywood filmmakers.</p> <figure id="attachment_23802" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-23802" style="width: 1570px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><noscript><img class="wp-image-23802 size-full " src="https://web.archive.org/web/20200812073921im_/https://162.243.3.155/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/brian-grazer2-1570x1254.jpg"></noscript><img class="wp-image-23802 size-full lazyload" alt="March 24, 2002: Ron Howard, left, and Brian Grazer pose with their Oscars for Best Picture for the film "A Beautiful Mind" during the 74th annual Academy Awards in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Doug Mills)" width="1570" height="1254" data-sizes="(max-width: 1570px) 100vw, 1570px" data-srcset="/web/20200812073921im_/https://achievement.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/brian-grazer2-1570x1254.jpg 1570w, /web/20200812073921im_/https://achievement.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/brian-grazer2-1570x1254-380x304.jpg 380w, /web/20200812073921im_/https://achievement.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/brian-grazer2-1570x1254-760x607.jpg 760w" data-src="https://web.archive.org/web/20200812073921/https://162.243.3.155/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/brian-grazer2-1570x1254.jpg"><figcaption id="caption-attachment-23802" class="wp-caption-text">March 24, 2002: Ron Howard and Brian Grazer pose with their Oscars for Best Picture for <em>A Beautiful Mind</em> during the Academy Awards in Los Angeles. The biographical drama film chronicled the life of mathematician John Nash.</figcaption></figure> <p>Howard continued to explore the dramatic side of his craft with the thriller <em>Ransom</em> and an ambitious historical epic, <em>Far and Away,</em> drawing on the experience of his own ancestors as pioneers in Oklahoma. Since its founding, Ron Howard has served as co-chairman of Imagine, which, in addition to feature films directed by Howard and others, has produced a number of highly successful television series, including <em>Felicity</em>, <em>Arrested Development</em>, <em>Friday Night Lights</em> and <em>24</em>.</p> <figure id="attachment_23800" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-23800" style="width: 2280px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><noscript><img class="wp-image-23800 size-full " src="https://web.archive.org/web/20200812073921im_/https://162.243.3.155/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/adev_pds_055_h.jpg"></noscript><img class="wp-image-23800 size-full lazyload" alt="2006: Ron Howard and actor Jason Bateman on the set of the television sitcom "Arrested Development." The show follows the fictitious Bluth family, a formerly wealthy and habitually dysfunctional family. It is presented in a continuous format, incorporating handheld camera work and voice-over narration, as well as the use of occasional archival photos and historical footage. Ron Howard serves as both an executive producer and the series' uncredited narrator." width="2280" height="1481" data-sizes="(max-width: 2280px) 100vw, 2280px" data-srcset="/web/20200812073921im_/https://achievement.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/adev_pds_055_h.jpg 2280w, /web/20200812073921im_/https://achievement.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/adev_pds_055_h-380x247.jpg 380w, /web/20200812073921im_/https://achievement.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/adev_pds_055_h-760x494.jpg 760w" data-src="https://web.archive.org/web/20200812073921/https://162.243.3.155/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/adev_pds_055_h.jpg"><figcaption id="caption-attachment-23800" class="wp-caption-text">2006: Ron Howard and actor Jason Bateman on the set of the television sitcom <em>Arrested Development</em>. The show follows the fictitious Bluth family, a formerly wealthy and habitually dysfunctional family. It is presented in a continuous format, incorporating handheld camera work and voice-over narration, as well as the use of archival photos and historical footage. Ron Howard served as both executive producer and the series’ uncredited narrator.</figcaption></figure> <p>As a director, Ron Howard scored one of the major triumphs of his career with <em>A Beautiful Mind</em>, the harrowing true story of John Nash, a mathematical genius stricken with schizophrenia at the height of his career. The tale of Nash’s descent into madness and eventual recovery drew large audiences and critical praise for its stars, Russell Crowe and Jennifer Connelly, as well as its director. The film won four Oscars in 2002, including Best Picture and an Oscar for Ron Howard as Best Director. Howard’s directorial star continued to shine throughout the decade. He struck gold again with big-budget adaptations of the popular Dan Brown novels <em>The</em> <em>Da Vinci Code</em> and <em>Angels and Demons</em>. A more surprising success was <em>Frost/Nixon</em>, the gripping adaptation of a stage play based on former President Richard Nixon’s television encounter with British broadcaster David Frost.</p> <figure id="attachment_23821" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-23821" style="width: 1200px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><noscript><img class="wp-image-23821 size-full " src="https://web.archive.org/web/20200812073921im_/https://162.243.3.155/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/ron-howard-wife.jpg"></noscript><img class="wp-image-23821 size-full lazyload" alt="2015: Ron Howard and his wife, Cheryl. Howard married Cheryl Alley on June 7, 1975. (WireImage)" width="1200" height="797" data-sizes="(max-width: 1200px) 100vw, 1200px" data-srcset="/web/20200812073921im_/https://achievement.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/ron-howard-wife.jpg 1200w, /web/20200812073921im_/https://achievement.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/ron-howard-wife-380x252.jpg 380w, /web/20200812073921im_/https://achievement.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/ron-howard-wife-760x505.jpg 760w" data-src="https://web.archive.org/web/20200812073921/https://162.243.3.155/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/ron-howard-wife.jpg"><figcaption id="caption-attachment-23821" class="wp-caption-text">2015: Ron Howard and his wife, Cheryl. Howard married Cheryl Alley on June 7, 1975. They met in high school.</figcaption></figure> <p>His subsequent films have included a comedy, <em>The Dilemma, </em>the Formula One racing drama<em> Rush, </em>and the 19th century whaling drama<em> In the Heart of the Sea. </em>In 2016, Howard completed a documentary,<em> The Beatles: Eight Days a Week — The Touring Years, </em>produced in conjunction with the video streaming service Hulu. The following year, he was tapped to direct the next film in the <em>Star Wars</em> series.  Howard’s friendship and professional association with <em>Star Wars</em> creator <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20200812073921/https://www.achievement.org/achiever/george-lucas/">George Lucas</a> dates from their collaboration on Lucas’s breakout hit <em>American Graffiti</em> in 1973.</p> <p>Ron Howard and his wife, Cheryl Alley, make their home in Greenwich, Connecticut. They have four grown children, and a growing number of grandchildren.</p> </body></html> <div class="clearfix"> </div> </article> </div> </section> </div> <div class="tab-pane" id="profile" role="tabpanel"> <section class="clearfix"> <header class="editorial-article__header"> <figure class="text-xs-center"> <img class="inductee-badge" src="/web/20200812073921im_/https://achievement.org/wp-content/themes/aoa/assets/images/inducted-badge@2x.png" alt="Inducted Badge" width="120" height="120"/> <figcaption class="serif-3 text-brand-primary"> Inducted in 1997 </figcaption> </figure> </header> <div class="row"> <aside class="col-md-4 sidebar"> <dl class="clearfix m-b-0"> <div class="col-xs-12 sidebar--chunk p-b-2"> <dt class="serif-7">Career</dt> <dd class="sans-2"> <div><a href="/web/20200812073921/https://achievement.org/achiever/#filter=.film-director">Film Director</a></div> </dd> </div> <div class="col-xs-12 sidebar--chunk p-b-2"> <dt class="serif-7">Date of Birth</dt> <dd class="sans-2"> March 1, 1954 </dd> </div> </dl> </aside> <article class="col-md-8 editorial-article clearfix"> <p class="inputTextFirst">“As a young adult trying to make the transition from sitcom actor to motion picture director, I was getting a lot of patronizing pats on the head. ‘Hey, hang in there. In another ten or 15 years, I’m sure somebody will give you a chance to direct.’ That’s not what I wanted to hear at all.”</p> <p class="inputText">At age 23, Ron Howard had one of the most recognizable faces in America. His years on <i>The Andy Griffith Show </i>and <i>Happy Days </i>had made him familiar to millions of Americans. He had even directed episodes of <i>Happy Days, </i>but when he looked for feature film directing work, no one believed the young actor had what it took.</p> <p class="inputText">Finally he made a deal with low-budget film legend Roger Corman: Howard would act in a film for Corman in exchange for the opportunity to direct. The result, <i>Grand Theft Auto, </i>succeeded beyond anyone’s expectations, and started Howard on his career as a feature film director.</p> <p class="inputText">Today, Howard is one of the most sought-after and highly regarded directors in the business. His films, including <i>Splash, Cocoon</i> and <i>Apollo 13,</i> have been some of the most memorable entertainment experiences of our era. He won the 2002 Best Director Oscar for <i>A Beautiful Mind, </i>which also won the 2002 Oscar as Best Picture.</p> </article> </div> </section> </div> <div class="tab-pane" id="interview" role="tabpanel"> <section class="clearfix"> <div class="col-md-12 interview-feature-video"> <figure> <div class="embed-responsive embed-responsive-16by9"> <iframe class="embed-responsive-item embed-responsive--has-thumbnail" width="200" height="150" src="https://web.archive.org/web/20200812073921if_/https://www.youtube.com/embed/fzqGKVK_FSU?feature=oembed&hd=1&modestbranding=1&rel=0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe> <div class="embed-responsive__thumbnail ratio-container__image lazyload" data-sizes="auto" data-bgset="/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/Howard-Ron-1997-MasterEdit.00_09_24_03.Still007-380x214.jpg [(max-width:576px)] | /wp-content/uploads/2016/10/Howard-Ron-1997-MasterEdit.00_09_24_03.Still007-760x428.jpg"></div> <div class="video-tag sans-4"> <i class="embed-responsive__play icon-icon_play-full text-brand-primary"></i> <div class="video-tag__text">Watch full interview</div> </div> </div> </figure> </div> <header class="col-md-12 text-xs-center m-b-2"> <i class="icon-icon_bio text-brand-primary"></i> </header> <aside class="col-md-4 sidebar"> <h2 class="serif-3 achiever--biography-subtitle">A Lifetime in Entertainment</h2> <div class="sans-2">Baltimore, Maryland</div> <div class="sans-2">May 22, 1997</div> </aside> <article class="editorial-article col-md-8">   <div class="achiever__interview-copy"> <p class="inputtext"><b>Unlike most people, you grew up in the business that you’ve made your life’s work. I’ve seen you mingling with students, and you seem to really give to them. Do you relate that to your own early experience? </b></p> </div>     <div class="achiever__video-block"> <figure class="achiever__interview-video"> <div class="embed-responsive embed-responsive-16by9"> <iframe class="embed-responsive-item embed-responsive--has-thumbnail" width="200" height="150" src="https://web.archive.org/web/20200812073921if_/https://www.youtube.com/embed/vgjxvgxwzxg?feature=oembed&hd=1&modestbranding=1&rel=0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe> <div class="embed-responsive__thumbnail ratio-container__image lazyload" data-sizes="auto" data-bgset="/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/Howard-Ron-1997-MasterEdit.00_22_05_15.Still010-380x214.jpg [(max-width:576px)] | /wp-content/uploads/2016/10/Howard-Ron-1997-MasterEdit.00_22_05_15.Still010-760x428.jpg"></div> <i class="embed-responsive__play icon-icon_play-full text-brand-primary"></i> </div> <figcaption class="achiever__interview-video-terms"> <span>Keys to success —</span> <a class="comma-item" href="/web/20200812073921/https://achievement.org/keys-to-success/preparation/">Preparation</a> </figcaption> </figure>  <div class="achiever__interview-video__copy"> <p class="inputtext">Ron Howard: I was very fortunate because as a child, I was exposed to something, the entertainment business, and taught about it in a really solid way. My dad is a very good natural teacher. He really gave me the fundamentals. A lot of children are put in that situation, and they’re just a little bit more than trained animals. They look cute, and people want to get a certain reaction out of them, so they goad them, or they bribe them, but the children aren’t really learning how to act. So I had that going for me. The environment, particularly on <i>The Andy Griffith Show,</i> was really wonderful and very inclusive. And if there’s any reason that I like reaching out and talking to people about what I do, it’s because that was very much the environment on <i>The Andy Griffith Show.</i> The actors were really allowed to participate, to contribute. And even as a kid — I’m talking about six, seven, eight years old — I was allowed to raise my hand and offer up a point of view about a scene, or changing a line of dialogue, or making something a little bit more natural. I was allowed to participate. And, you know, imagine the sort of self-esteem that goes along with being accepted by a bunch of adults. It was extraordinary.</p> </div> </div>      <div class="achiever__interview-copy"> <!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/REC-html40/loose.dtd"> <html><body data-rsssl="1"><figure id="attachment_23794" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-23794" style="width: 1180px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><noscript><img class="wp-image-23794 size-full " src="https://web.archive.org/web/20200812073921im_/https://162.243.3.155/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/005-the-andy-griffith-show-theredlist.jpg"></noscript><img class="wp-image-23794 size-full lazyload" alt="Andy Griffith as Sheriff Andy Taylor, Ron Howard as Opie Taylor, and Don Knotts as Deputy Barney Fife in the television sitcom "The Andy Griffith Show." The show aired on CBS from October 3, 1960 to April 1, 1968, with a total of 249 half-hour episodes." width="1180" height="1500" data-sizes="(max-width: 1180px) 100vw, 1180px" data-srcset="/web/20200812073921im_/https://achievement.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/005-the-andy-griffith-show-theredlist.jpg 1180w, /web/20200812073921im_/https://achievement.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/005-the-andy-griffith-show-theredlist-299x380.jpg 299w, /web/20200812073921im_/https://achievement.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/005-the-andy-griffith-show-theredlist-598x760.jpg 598w" data-src="https://web.archive.org/web/20200812073921/https://162.243.3.155/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/005-the-andy-griffith-show-theredlist.jpg"><figcaption id="caption-attachment-23794" class="wp-caption-text">Andy Griffith as Sheriff Andy Taylor, Ron Howard as Opie Taylor, and Don Knotts as Deputy Barney Fife in the television sitcom <em>The Andy Griffith Show</em>. The show aired from 1960-1968, with a total of 249 half-hour episodes.</figcaption></figure> <p class="inputtext"><b>How did you become interested in directing?</b></p> </body></html> </div>     <div class="achiever__video-block"> <figure class="achiever__interview-video"> <div class="embed-responsive embed-responsive-16by9"> <iframe class="embed-responsive-item embed-responsive--has-thumbnail" width="200" height="150" src="https://web.archive.org/web/20200812073921if_/https://www.youtube.com/embed/dPJx0CM050w?feature=oembed&hd=1&modestbranding=1&rel=0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe> <div class="embed-responsive__thumbnail ratio-container__image lazyload" data-sizes="auto" data-bgset="/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/Howard-Ron-1997-MasterEdit.00_08_12_04.Still004-380x214.jpg [(max-width:576px)] | /wp-content/uploads/2016/10/Howard-Ron-1997-MasterEdit.00_08_12_04.Still004-760x428.jpg"></div> <i class="embed-responsive__play icon-icon_play-full text-brand-primary"></i> </div> <figcaption class="achiever__interview-video-terms"> <span>Keys to success —</span> <a class="comma-item" href="/web/20200812073921/https://achievement.org/keys-to-success/passion/">Passion</a> </figcaption> </figure>  <div class="achiever__interview-video__copy"> <p class="inputtext">Ron Howard: I became intrigued by what the director did primarily because when I was working on the show — <i>The Andy Griffith Show</i> — the actors, they were a blast. I had so much fun hanging around with them. They were interesting, they were smart, they were funny. They were playing practical jokes, then on a dime, they could focus and do great work. And even as a kid, I was impressed with these people. But I also really enjoyed spending time with the crew. They’d let me sit up there and work the camera or learn a little something about sound, how the microphone worked, and placement, and lighting, and things like that. And I enjoyed that time. And, after a while, I realized that the director was the one person who, moment to moment, day in and day out, really got to play with everybody. And the job just started to look very, very good to me.</p> </div> </div>      <div class="achiever__interview-copy"> <!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/REC-html40/loose.dtd"> <html><body data-rsssl="1"><figure id="attachment_23795" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-23795" style="width: 1247px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><noscript><img class="wp-image-23795 size-full " src="https://web.archive.org/web/20200812073921im_/https://162.243.3.155/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/015-the-andy-griffith-show-theredlist.jpg"></noscript><img class="wp-image-23795 size-full lazyload" alt="Ron Howard as Opie Taylor, Clint (Ron's brother) and his real-life father Rance Howard on the set of "The Andy Griffith Show."" width="1247" height="875" data-sizes="(max-width: 1247px) 100vw, 1247px" data-srcset="/web/20200812073921im_/https://achievement.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/015-the-andy-griffith-show-theredlist.jpg 1247w, /web/20200812073921im_/https://achievement.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/015-the-andy-griffith-show-theredlist-380x267.jpg 380w, /web/20200812073921im_/https://achievement.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/015-the-andy-griffith-show-theredlist-760x533.jpg 760w" data-src="https://web.archive.org/web/20200812073921/https://162.243.3.155/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/015-the-andy-griffith-show-theredlist.jpg"><figcaption id="caption-attachment-23795" class="wp-caption-text">Ron Howard as Opie Taylor, brother Clint, and real-life father Rance Howard on the set of <em>The Andy Griffith Show</em>.</figcaption></figure> </body></html> </div>     <div class="achiever__video-block"> <figure class="achiever__interview-video"> <div class="embed-responsive embed-responsive-16by9"> <iframe class="embed-responsive-item embed-responsive--has-thumbnail" width="200" height="150" src="https://web.archive.org/web/20200812073921if_/https://www.youtube.com/embed/buNtCo4jCMc?feature=oembed&hd=1&modestbranding=1&rel=0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe> <div class="embed-responsive__thumbnail ratio-container__image lazyload" data-sizes="auto" data-bgset="/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/Howard-Ron-1997-MasterEdit.00_08_50_08.Still005-380x214.jpg [(max-width:576px)] | /wp-content/uploads/2016/10/Howard-Ron-1997-MasterEdit.00_08_50_08.Still005-760x428.jpg"></div> <i class="embed-responsive__play icon-icon_play-full text-brand-primary"></i> </div> <figcaption class="achiever__interview-video-terms"> <span>Keys to success —</span> <a class="comma-item" href="/web/20200812073921/https://achievement.org/keys-to-success/integrity/">Integrity</a> </figcaption> </figure>  <div class="achiever__interview-video__copy"> <p class="inputtext">The thing that I’ve also understood is because my father is sort of a freelance actor, a character actor, he’s never become a star. He’s never had leverage. He’s never had power in the industry. But he’s always worked, and he’s made his living. But it’s always a struggle. It’s always a struggle. I was always extremely fortunate, but I could see my father struggling in what I view as kind of a noble way, because he’s not really getting all the kudos, and the perks, and all the stuff that a lot of people are attracted to the business for. He just liked being a part of it. He liked being a part of it. And that’s what I began to understand — that I was a part of something. And I started to think about what that <em>thing</em> was. What is that process of staging a television show or movie, and communicating with the audience? And it began to be much more to me than just showing up and fulfilling a function because somebody handed me a script. It became an exploration. It became a chance to really keep challenging myself and keep trying to honor this process, this system.</p> </div> </div>      <div class="achiever__interview-copy"> <!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/REC-html40/loose.dtd"> <html><body data-rsssl="1"><figure id="attachment_23807" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-23807" style="width: 630px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><noscript><img class="wp-image-23807 size-full " src="https://web.archive.org/web/20200812073921im_/https://162.243.3.155/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/grand-theft-auto-corman.jpg"></noscript><img class="wp-image-23807 size-full lazyload" alt="1977: Ron Howard in independent producer Roger Corman's office. Howard offered to act in a film for Corman — for almost nothing — in exchange for the opportunity to direct. The comedy road movie "Grand Theft Auto" became Howard's feature film directorial debut. Roger Corman worked as an executive producer, along with Rance Howard, who also co-wrote the script with Ron." width="630" height="491" data-sizes="(max-width: 630px) 100vw, 630px" data-srcset="/web/20200812073921im_/https://achievement.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/grand-theft-auto-corman.jpg 630w, /web/20200812073921im_/https://achievement.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/grand-theft-auto-corman-380x296.jpg 380w" data-src="https://web.archive.org/web/20200812073921/https://162.243.3.155/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/grand-theft-auto-corman.jpg"><figcaption id="caption-attachment-23807" class="wp-caption-text">1977: Ron Howard in independent producer Roger Corman’s office. Howard offered to act in a film for Corman — for almost nothing — in exchange for the opportunity to direct. The comedy road movie <em>Grand Theft Auto</em> became Howard’s feature film directorial debut. Corman was producer, and Rance Howard co-wrote the script with Ron.</figcaption></figure> <p><strong>What are some things you had to persevere through? What types of criticisms or rejection?</strong></p> <p>Ron Howard: Well, that practically goes with the job description because every project is a potential disaster. Each project requires a huge investment, and people are afraid.</p> </body></html> </div>     <div class="achiever__video-block"> <figure class="achiever__interview-video"> <div class="embed-responsive embed-responsive-16by9"> <iframe class="embed-responsive-item embed-responsive--has-thumbnail" width="200" height="150" src="https://web.archive.org/web/20200812073921if_/https://www.youtube.com/embed/9JxLxW0rYUM?feature=oembed&hd=1&modestbranding=1&rel=0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe> <div class="embed-responsive__thumbnail ratio-container__image lazyload" data-sizes="auto" data-bgset="/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/Howard-Ron-1997-MasterEdit.00_07_19_20.Still003-380x214.jpg [(max-width:576px)] | /wp-content/uploads/2016/10/Howard-Ron-1997-MasterEdit.00_07_19_20.Still003-760x428.jpg"></div> <i class="embed-responsive__play icon-icon_play-full text-brand-primary"></i> </div> <figcaption class="achiever__interview-video-terms"> <span>Keys to success —</span> <a class="comma-item" href="/web/20200812073921/https://achievement.org/keys-to-success/perseverance/">Perseverance</a> </figcaption> </figure>  <div class="achiever__interview-video__copy"> <p class="inputtext">As a young person, a young adult trying to make the transition from sitcom actor to motion picture director, I was getting an awful lot of patronizing kind of pats on the head. And, “Hey, hang in there.” And, you know, “In another ten or 15 years, I’m sure somebody will give you a chance to direct.” And that’s not what I wanted to hear at all. I had a lot of frustration about that, and I earned my way out by making student films myself, by writing, and by getting myself into a position with some leverage by being one of the lead actors on <i>Happy Days.</i> I had something I could sort of trade with. Most people get their first chance to direct by blackmailing their way in. Generally, they have to say, “Well, if you want me to write this script, you have to let me direct it. If I’m going to act in the movie, you’ve got to let me direct it.” Nobody really wants to hand a first-time director the reins.</p> </div> </div>      <div class="achiever__interview-copy"> <!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/REC-html40/loose.dtd"> <html><body data-rsssl="1"><figure id="attachment_23817" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-23817" style="width: 2048px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><noscript><img class="wp-image-23817 size-full " src="https://web.archive.org/web/20200812073921im_/https://162.243.3.155/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/ron-howard-and-brian-grazer-in-apollo-13-1995.jpg"></noscript><img class="wp-image-23817 size-full lazyload" alt="1995: Producer Brian Grazer and director Ron Howard on the set of the docudrama space adventure film "Apollo 13."" width="2048" height="1332" data-sizes="(max-width: 2048px) 100vw, 2048px" data-srcset="/web/20200812073921im_/https://achievement.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/ron-howard-and-brian-grazer-in-apollo-13-1995.jpg 2048w, /web/20200812073921im_/https://achievement.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/ron-howard-and-brian-grazer-in-apollo-13-1995-380x247.jpg 380w, /web/20200812073921im_/https://achievement.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/ron-howard-and-brian-grazer-in-apollo-13-1995-760x494.jpg 760w" data-src="https://web.archive.org/web/20200812073921/https://162.243.3.155/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/ron-howard-and-brian-grazer-in-apollo-13-1995.jpg"><figcaption id="caption-attachment-23817" class="wp-caption-text">1995: Producer Brian Grazer and director Ron Howard on the set of the docudrama space adventure film <em>Apollo 13</em>.</figcaption></figure> <p class="inputtext"><b>You began your directing career in comedy — a style that was already associated with you. Nothing at all like <i>Backdraft, Apollo 13, </i>or the films that came later.</b></p> </body></html> </div>     <div class="achiever__video-block"> <figure class="achiever__interview-video"> <div class="embed-responsive embed-responsive-16by9"> <iframe class="embed-responsive-item embed-responsive--has-thumbnail" width="200" height="150" src="https://web.archive.org/web/20200812073921if_/https://www.youtube.com/embed/LSCh6FRZYsg?feature=oembed&hd=1&modestbranding=1&rel=0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe> <div class="embed-responsive__thumbnail ratio-container__image lazyload" data-sizes="auto" data-bgset="/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/Howard-Ron-1997-MasterEdit.00_02_44_27.Still001-380x214.jpg [(max-width:576px)] | /wp-content/uploads/2016/10/Howard-Ron-1997-MasterEdit.00_02_44_27.Still001-760x428.jpg"></div> <i class="embed-responsive__play icon-icon_play-full text-brand-primary"></i> </div> <figcaption class="achiever__interview-video-terms"> <span>Keys to success —</span> <a class="comma-item" href="/web/20200812073921/https://achievement.org/keys-to-success/perseverance/">Perseverance</a> </figcaption> </figure>  <div class="achiever__interview-video__copy"> <p class="inputtext">Ron Howard: When I began directing I was very young. If there was an area where I had some expertise, it was in light comedy. This is something that I’d been acting in — a tone I’d been involved with — for 20 years already. It was easier for me to convince people that I could actually take the responsibility and do the job of directing a film working in that tone. My first movie was a car chase comedy — young people on the run — called <i>Grand Theft Auto.</i> And made for $602,000, but the film made a terrific profit and it got me started. I wrote it with my father, and I had to star in it in order to get to direct it. But that’s the last time that I acted in anything that I directed. Well, I actually had to do a scene in the next film that I directed, but I didn’t like it and I cut the scene out. And the executives in charge of the project, fortunately, liked the movie well enough that they accepted the fact that I cut myself out of the movie. That was the last time that I acted in anything that I’ve directed. Since then, I’ve graduated to more and more ambitious projects, gained the industry’s trust, gained the trust of creative collaborators: great actors, writers, other producers. Slowly but surely, I’ve tried to broaden the range and scope of what I could do as a director.</p> </div> </div>      <div class="achiever__interview-copy"> <!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/REC-html40/loose.dtd"> <html><body data-rsssl="1"><figure id="attachment_23822" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-23822" style="width: 2048px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><noscript><img class="wp-image-23822 size-full " src="https://web.archive.org/web/20200812073921im_/https://162.243.3.155/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/russell-crowe-ron-howard-and-brian-grazer-in-a-beautiful-mind-2001-large-picture.jpg"></noscript><img class="wp-image-23822 size-full lazyload" alt="2001: Director Ron Howard, producer Brian Grazer, and actor Russell Crowe on the set of the biographical drama film "A Beautiful Mind." The film opened in U.S. cinemas on December 21, 2001. It went on to gross over $313 million worldwide and win four Academy Awards, for Best Picture, Best Director, Best Adapted Screenplay and Best Supporting Actress." width="2048" height="1420" data-sizes="(max-width: 2048px) 100vw, 2048px" data-srcset="/web/20200812073921im_/https://achievement.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/russell-crowe-ron-howard-and-brian-grazer-in-a-beautiful-mind-2001-large-picture.jpg 2048w, /web/20200812073921im_/https://achievement.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/russell-crowe-ron-howard-and-brian-grazer-in-a-beautiful-mind-2001-large-picture-380x263.jpg 380w, /web/20200812073921im_/https://achievement.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/russell-crowe-ron-howard-and-brian-grazer-in-a-beautiful-mind-2001-large-picture-760x527.jpg 760w" data-src="https://web.archive.org/web/20200812073921/https://162.243.3.155/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/russell-crowe-ron-howard-and-brian-grazer-in-a-beautiful-mind-2001-large-picture.jpg"><figcaption id="caption-attachment-23822" class="wp-caption-text">2001: Ron Howard, Brian Grazer, and actor Russell Crowe on the set of the biographical drama film <em>A Beautiful Mind</em>. The film opened in cinemas on December 21, 2001. It went on to gross over $313 million worldwide and win four Academy Awards, for Best Picture, Best Director, Best Adapted Screenplay and Best Supporting Actress.</figcaption></figure> <p><strong>How did you become interested in the space program?</strong></p> </body></html> </div>     <div class="achiever__video-block"> <figure class="achiever__interview-video"> <div class="embed-responsive embed-responsive-16by9"> <iframe class="embed-responsive-item embed-responsive--has-thumbnail" width="200" height="150" src="https://web.archive.org/web/20200812073921if_/https://www.youtube.com/embed/YTB3PqaWAmU?feature=oembed&hd=1&modestbranding=1&rel=0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe> <div class="embed-responsive__thumbnail ratio-container__image lazyload" data-sizes="auto" data-bgset="/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/Howard-Ron-1997-MasterEdit.00_21_41_26.Still009-380x214.jpg [(max-width:576px)] | /wp-content/uploads/2016/10/Howard-Ron-1997-MasterEdit.00_21_41_26.Still009-760x428.jpg"></div> <i class="embed-responsive__play icon-icon_play-full text-brand-primary"></i> </div> <figcaption class="achiever__interview-video-terms"> <span>Keys to success —</span> <a class="comma-item" href="/web/20200812073921/https://achievement.org/keys-to-success/vision/">Vision</a> </figcaption> </figure>  <div class="achiever__interview-video__copy"> <p class="inputtext">Ron Howard: Initially, when the idea for <em>Apollo 13</em> came to me, I didn’t remember the mission very well. And then, as I looked at the facts, I had a vague recollection of it. I always believed in the space program and the spirit of exploration, but I was not a sort of a space junkie. Initially, I thought, “Wow! This would be a great challenge: to try to recreate for the audience the experience of going into space.” And it’s a very dramatic story, and that would be interesting. But I was looking at it more as a sort of cinematic exercise, you know, a great learning experience. However, as I began to learn more about the mission, I began to see that it was, in fact, even more dramatic than I realized. And, more importantly, as I began to meet the individuals involved — not only the astronauts, but also a number of the mission control people who were involved in the rescue — I began to see that this was really a great story of human triumph. A very emotional story and that you could be very, very truthful. And yet, it was a real opportunity to sort of celebrate what human beings are capable of. So my whole point of view about the movie shifted very early in the process. But it was a dramatic shift.</p> </div> </div>      <div class="achiever__interview-copy"> <!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/REC-html40/loose.dtd"> <html><body data-rsssl="1"><figure id="attachment_23820" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-23820" style="width: 1600px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><noscript><img class="wp-image-23820 size-full " src="https://web.archive.org/web/20200812073921im_/https://162.243.3.155/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/ronhoward-in-the-heart-of-the-sea.jpg"></noscript><img class="wp-image-23820 size-full lazyload" alt=""In the Heart of the Sea," directed by Ron Howard, is a 2015 adventure-drama film based on Nathaniel Philbrick's 2000 nonfiction book of the same name, about the sinking of the American whaling ship Essex in 1820." width="1600" height="900" data-sizes="(max-width: 1600px) 100vw, 1600px" data-srcset="/web/20200812073921im_/https://achievement.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/ronhoward-in-the-heart-of-the-sea.jpg 1600w, /web/20200812073921im_/https://achievement.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/ronhoward-in-the-heart-of-the-sea-380x214.jpg 380w, /web/20200812073921im_/https://achievement.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/ronhoward-in-the-heart-of-the-sea-760x428.jpg 760w" data-src="https://web.archive.org/web/20200812073921/https://162.243.3.155/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/ronhoward-in-the-heart-of-the-sea.jpg"><figcaption id="caption-attachment-23820" class="wp-caption-text"><em>In the Heart of the Sea</em>, directed by Ron Howard, is a 2015 adventure-drama film based on Nathaniel Philbrick’s 2000 nonfiction book of the same name, about the sinking of the American whaling ship Essex in the year 1820.</figcaption></figure> </body></html> </div>    <aside class="collapse" id="full-interview">    <div class="achiever__interview-copy"> <p><strong>And you’ve continued with a series on the space project.</strong></p> <p>Ron Howard: Yes. Our company, Imagine Films, in association with Tom Hanks and his company, are doing a series of programs for HBO called <em>from the Earth to the Moon.</em> Tom is really the visionary on this one. Brian Grazer and I are lending a little moral support, and structural support, and things like that through our company. But I’ve got to say, this is really Tom’s brainchild. The episodes are coming out great.</p> <p><strong>What kind of formal education did you get? Did you go to school while you were working on all these TV shows?</strong></p> <p>Ron Howard: I had a kind of so-so formal education. I wasn’t trouble in the classroom, but I was by no means a natural student. I’d spend a little more than half the year being tutored on the set, where I was generally the only kid. If we had other kids in the episode, they’d be tutored for that week. My teacher for eight years, in my own little one-room school house, was Catherine Barton, a great woman who passed away many years ago. She meant a lot to me. She had a great love of literature and reading. I can’t say that I really took to it right away, but I’m 43 years old, and every so often — to this day — I’ll recall something Mrs. Barton said about poetry, or stories, or an attitude that she had about something,</p> <p>It was a pretty creative environment at <em>The Andy Griffith Show.</em> Also, my father was always writing or conducting an improvisational workshop or something at home, so I was around it all the time. When I did go back to school, it was a major adjustment, because suddenly I was in a classroom. I didn’t — and don’t — process things very quickly. If there was a dictation exercise where the teacher was writing something on the board and we were supposed to copy it down, I’d always be the last one to finish. It wouldn’t be terrible, I wouldn’t get it wrong, I’d just be last. On top of that I was always the new kid, and not necessarily getting things quite as quickly as everybody else. It was a little nerve-wracking.</p> <p>The kids tended to — I wouldn’t say ostracize me — but to make me uneasy because there’d always be two or three weeks where every day at school was more like some kind of a personal appearance where I was at everybody’s disposal. And if one group wanted to get autographs, they’d bug me for autographs. If another group wanted to make fun of me, they’d make fun of me. I wasn’t a person. I was this sort of image from TV that they now had at their disposal. It was kind of strange.</p> <p><strong>You’ve talked about some of the struggles your father went through. What were some of the obstacles you ran into? </strong></p> <p>Ron Howard: I’ve had, I think, an extraordinarily blessed journey. At the same time, if I can give myself credit for anything, it’s probably for not taking it all for granted. I don’t think I’ve ever assumed it was going to go on forever unless I kept earning my way, earning my keep, maybe even to a neurotic extent. I never want to coast on past performances. It’s probably one of the reasons why I wanted to become a director, because I wanted to be able to control those opportunities so I could keep doing good work.</p> <p>That’s the thing I learned from my father. I continue to learn from him. he just returned A couple of years ago, he went to his 50th high school reunion, and he was very gratified by the experience, because all of his buddies were retired — the ones that were still alive.</p> <p>My father is working more now than he ever has. And he said, “You know, a lot of my friends, they went into the corporate world, they became doctors, they had great careers, the kinds of careers that everyone would have applauded them for pursuing. And they pursued them, and some of them are happy about it and some of them aren’t. But I followed my dream. And if the object is to have a secure and gratifying life, I’ve achieved that. Maybe never stardom, but my home is paid for, I have a great pension through the Screen Actors Guild plan, and I have security. And on top of everything else, while everyone else is winding down, I still can keep the dream alive. Because you never know when another interesting challenge is going to come along, or another great role. And I’m working more now than I ever have, and I’m active. And I’ve got a lot to look ahead towards.”</p> <p>It was really moving and worth noting because, in fact, you don’t have to become a superstar for this to be a gratifying life and career choice. But you’ve got to be ready to persevere and take a lot of rejection.</p> <p><strong>How do you handle criticism?</strong></p> <p>Ron Howard: I think I handle criticism well. I think that’s one of my strengths, in fact. That doesn’t mean I like being criticized. It always hurts. Whether it’s a critic writing a bad review, or people in the theater bathroom who’ve just seen the movie. I overhear them and a couple of people are saying, “Hey, I really liked it.” And one person says, “Ah, it wasn’t so good.” I’ll forget about all the compliments and that one criticism will stay with me. I’m very sensitive to it, but I really believe that it’s wrong to stick your head in the sand and pretend that everybody loves what you do and only listen to the good stuff because you need to be sort of nourished by that.</p> <p>I think the healthiest kind of balance is one where you have the self-confidence to continue to engage, to do the work, to prepare yourself so that you believe you are actually bringing something to this process. That it’s reasonable for you to be there doing this work, participating in this endeavor, whatever it is. Try not to let that drift into blind arrogance. Instead, try to maintain the humility to listen to those who speak up and say, “I think you’re making a mistake. I don’t think that’s as good as it should be.”</p> <p>“You can please all of the people some of the time, and some of the people all the time, but you can’t please all the people all the time.” That’s not the Abe Lincoln quote, but you get the gist. It’s clearly the case with any sort of creative undertaking. There’s no movie that’s ever been made — no television shows that’s ever been produced — that everybody liked. You have to take that into account.</p> <p><strong>Even when you have such a strong vision and belief, you’re in a field that is so collaborative that you don’t always really have control.</strong></p> <p>Ron Howard: There are a lot of factors and elements that come into play when you’re putting a movie together. But you always have the power of saying, “I choose not to participate in this project if it really has to go in this direction.” Generally, it doesn’t come to that. What I find really exciting about working on a creative project is being at the center of this really intense collaboration. It’s always fascinating.</p> <p>Whenever you face a problem, it’s kind of upsetting. It’s kind of daunting. Everybody’s got a suggestion, a point of view. There’s a little arguing that goes on, a little friction. All of a sudden somebody — myself or someone — will present a solution that makes sense. Generally, there’s almost an instant consensus. But even if there isn’t, if it really rings a bell for me as the director, I get to say, “That’s it! That’s what we’ll do!” It’s exciting. It’s thrilling. I get this emotional rush. “Ha! We did it! We came up with a solution!” I find that really interesting. One of the little theories that I always have is that…</p> <p>Creative undertakings: putting on shows, working in groups on projects, school projects, research projects, making films or videotapes. I always think that they’re, in a way, a kind of better model for how to get things done in life than, for example, playing sports. I used to play and coach kids, and I love sports. I love athletic endeavors. But the fact is, that that always boils down to split-second reaction time and dedication. Preparation and then execution — split second execution. And most human endeavors don’t depend on that. They depend on a more methodical, careful consideration of all the possibilities. And then the dedication, and the execution. I always think that creative projects are actually a better training ground for getting things done in the real world, in real life.</p> <p><strong>You’re very loyal to the group of people you collaborate with. Can you talk about trust in the relationships around you?</strong></p> <p>Ron Howard: When you’re doing something as emotionally risky as working on a TV show or a movie, part of it is that you’re facing the real possibility of complete public humiliation. I mean, it’s not all that unusual for people to say, “Aw, that was terrible! Did you see that guy? Aw, he was awful! He stinks!” And so, everybody knows that that’s out there, because they’ve participated in that same kind of ragging on shows and movies. They know. They know that you’re putting yourself up for that sort of judgment. You’re opening yourself. So as a result, you know, there does need to be a kind of trust. But I’ve found, in the creative community, there’s often a sort of an instant trust. And in just one or two conversations, you can actually determine whether that trusts exists in a relationship or not. People are always looking around for allies in this business. There are a few lone wolves out there, but I certainly am not one of them.</p> <p><strong>You’ve been working with the same writers and the same partner for a long time.</strong></p> <p>Ron Howard: My partner Brian Grazer and I have been working together since 1981, off and on, but absolutely partners since ’85. He’s a producer, and I do some producing but mostly directing. We really rely upon each other because it often feels emotionally dangerous in the business. You are always setting yourself up to fail. Most shows and movies don’t quite live up to expectations. There’s a degree of disappointment that goes along with almost every project that you get involved with. It’s important to be working with people you really trust.</p> <p>I often work with the same writers. Not always — because I also feel that it’s important not to fall into really strict patterns. I don’t think you want to make this film exactly the way you made the last one, or this TV series exactly the way you made the last one. One way for me to mix that up and not fall into that trap of repetition is to take on new collaborators. Sometimes it’s a little emotionally risky, but it’s usually a risk worth taking.</p> <p><strong>What would you tell a kid who didn’t have the connections that you started out with, but had the same dream?</strong></p> <p>Ron Howard: A lot of people have been coming up to me and saying, “I have a sense that I might like to be involved in entertainment or film making. But I could also go to med school, or I could go to law school. I could pursue a more concrete, specific kind of academic discipline that leads to a career. What do I do?” What I keep telling them is that any sort of intellectual, academic pursuit is going to be valid to a creative life. You almost can’t go wrong pursuing the more obvious course. Given the video cameras and word processors we have now, anybody can experiment with creative writing, with putting together a film.</p> <p>Film schools are great. I encourage a lot of people to go. I went to film school. It can be wonderful if that’s what you want to dedicate yourself to. But if there’s any question at all, I would say, “Trust the fact that you can get your movies shown. You can enter them in festivals, you can be creatively ambitious outside the framework of a film school. You really can pursue both avenues. Why make a decision at this point if you don’t have to? If you’re not going to school in one of the hubs – New York, Chicago, L.A., there are still outlets. There’s still ways for your films to be seen.</p> <p>I really believe that great creative ideas will find their way to the surface. Make your videos. Enter them in festivals. Show them to your friends. Expose them to criticism. Go out and make another film. Don’t put all your creative eggs in one basket. Don’t write one spec script and walk away. Just keep pushing it and pushing it. You may find that it’s too much trouble. Good Lesson. Don’t do it. Walk away. You might find that you really love it. If you really love it, you’ll find ways to pursue it.</p> <p><strong>Is there a book that really changed or affected you?</strong></p> <p>Ron Howard: Frank Capra’s autobiography, <em>The Name Above the Title,</em> was very inspirational for me. It’s a fun book. How absolutely true it is, I don’t know. But it’s very inspiring, and it also offers a lot of insight into the process of directing movies: the creative undertakings, interactions with powerful people, stars, and studio executives. It’s a really great book. It was a very important book for me.</p> <p>For writing, there’s a book by an author named Linda Seeger, and the book is called <em>How to Make a Good Script Great</em>. It’s about rewriting, but it’s very useful to anybody who’s thinking of sitting down and trying to write a screenplay, because it doesn’t present a sort of rigid formula or structure. But it gives you lots of lists. It almost provides you with a checklist, so that when you’re inspired, and you come up with your idea, you can ask yourself some of the questions that Linda Seeger asks, and challenge your story in that way. It can be really valuable.</p> <p><strong>Thank you so much for talking with us. I think your words will be really valuable to a lot of people. </strong></p> </div>  </aside>  <div class="read-more__toggle collapsed" data-toggle="collapse" data-target="#full-interview"><a href="#" class="sans-4 btn">Read full interview</a></div> </article> </section> </div> <div class="tab-pane" id="gallery" role="tabpanel"> <section class="isotope-wrapper">  <header class="toolbar toolbar--gallery bg-white clearfix"> <div class="col-md-6"> <div class="serif-4">Ron Howard Gallery</div> </div> <div class="col-md-6 text-md-right isotope-toolbar"> <ul class="list-unstyled list-inline m-b-0 text-brand-primary sans-4"> <li class="list-inline-item" data-filter=".photo"><i class="icon-icon_camera"></i>30 photos</li> </ul> </div> </header> <div class="isotope-gallery isotope-box single-achiever__gallery clearfix"> <figure class="isotope-item ratio-container--gallery photo" data-category="photo" data-ratio="1.2709030100334" title="" data-gtm-category="photo" data-gtm-action="click" data-gtm-label="Achiever - ">   <div class="lazyload ratio-container__image" data-toggle="modal" data-target="#imageModal" data-image-src="/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/005-the-andy-griffith-show-theredlist.jpg" data-image-caption="Andy Griffith as Sheriff Andy Taylor, Ron Howard as Opie Taylor, and Don Knotts as Deputy Barney Fife in the television sitcom "The Andy Griffith Show." The show aired on CBS from October 3, 1960 to April 1, 1968, with a total of 249 half-hour episodes." data-image-copyright="005-the-andy-griffith-show-theredlist" data-sizes="auto" data-bgset="/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/005-the-andy-griffith-show-theredlist-299x380.jpg [(max-width:576px)] | /wp-content/uploads/2016/10/005-the-andy-griffith-show-theredlist-598x760.jpg"></div>  </figure> <figure class="isotope-item ratio-container--gallery photo" data-category="photo" data-ratio="0.70131578947368" title="" data-gtm-category="photo" data-gtm-action="click" data-gtm-label="Achiever - ">   <div class="lazyload ratio-container__image" data-toggle="modal" data-target="#imageModal" data-image-src="/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/015-the-andy-griffith-show-theredlist.jpg" data-image-caption="Ron Howard as Opie Taylor, Clint (Ron's brother) and his real-life father Rance Howard on the set of "The Andy Griffith Show."" data-image-copyright="015-the-andy-griffith-show-theredlist" data-sizes="auto" data-bgset="/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/015-the-andy-griffith-show-theredlist-380x267.jpg [(max-width:576px)] | /wp-content/uploads/2016/10/015-the-andy-griffith-show-theredlist-760x533.jpg"></div>  </figure> <figure class="isotope-item ratio-container--gallery photo" data-category="photo" data-ratio="1.2603648424544" title="" data-gtm-category="photo" data-gtm-action="click" data-gtm-label="Achiever - ">   <div class="lazyload ratio-container__image" data-toggle="modal" data-target="#imageModal" data-image-src="/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/022-happy-days-richie-cunningham.jpg" data-image-caption="Ron Howard as Richie Cunningham on the sitcom "Happy Days."" data-image-copyright="Ron Howard as Richie Cunningham on the sitcom <i>Happy Days</i>." data-sizes="auto" data-bgset="/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/022-happy-days-richie-cunningham-301x380.jpg [(max-width:576px)] | /wp-content/uploads/2016/10/022-happy-days-richie-cunningham-603x760.jpg"></div>  </figure> <figure class="isotope-item ratio-container--gallery photo" data-category="photo" data-ratio="1.2645590682196" title="" data-gtm-category="photo" data-gtm-action="click" data-gtm-label="Achiever - ">   <div class="lazyload ratio-container__image" data-toggle="modal" data-target="#imageModal" data-image-src="/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/1960-andy-griffith-show.jpeg" data-image-caption="1964: American actors Andy Griffith (left) and Ron Howard in a scene from "The Andy Griffith Show." (Photo by CBS Photo Archive/Getty Images)" data-image-copyright="Going Fishing On 'The Andy Griffith Show'" data-sizes="auto" data-bgset="/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/1960-andy-griffith-show-300x380.jpeg [(max-width:576px)] | /wp-content/uploads/2016/10/1960-andy-griffith-show-601x760.jpeg"></div>  </figure> <figure class="isotope-item ratio-container--gallery photo" data-category="photo" data-ratio="1.25" title="" data-gtm-category="photo" data-gtm-action="click" data-gtm-label="Achiever - ">   <div class="lazyload ratio-container__image" data-toggle="modal" data-target="#imageModal" data-image-src="/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/1960-andy-griffith-show-2.jpg" data-image-caption="1965: American actors Andy Griffith (1926 - 2012, left), as Sheriff Andy Taylor, and Ron Howard as Opie Taylor in the sitcom "The Andy Griffith Show." (Photo by Silver Screen Collection/Getty Images)" data-image-copyright="The Andy Griffith Show" data-sizes="auto" data-bgset="/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/1960-andy-griffith-show-2-304x380.jpg [(max-width:576px)] | /wp-content/uploads/2016/10/1960-andy-griffith-show-2-608x760.jpg"></div>  </figure> <figure class="isotope-item ratio-container--gallery photo" data-category="photo" data-ratio="0.65" title="" data-gtm-category="photo" data-gtm-action="click" data-gtm-label="Achiever - ">   <div class="lazyload ratio-container__image" data-toggle="modal" data-target="#imageModal" data-image-src="/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/adev_pds_055_h.jpg" data-image-caption="2006: Ron Howard and actor Jason Bateman on the set of the television sitcom "Arrested Development." The show follows the fictitious Bluth family, a formerly wealthy and habitually dysfunctional family. It is presented in a continuous format, incorporating handheld camera work and voice-over narration, as well as the use of occasional archival photos and historical footage. Ron Howard serves as both an executive producer and the series' uncredited narrator." data-image-copyright="adev_pds_055_h" data-sizes="auto" data-bgset="/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/adev_pds_055_h-380x247.jpg [(max-width:576px)] | /wp-content/uploads/2016/10/adev_pds_055_h-760x494.jpg"></div>  </figure> <figure class="isotope-item ratio-container--gallery photo" data-category="photo" data-ratio="0.65921052631579" title="" data-gtm-category="photo" data-gtm-action="click" data-gtm-label="Achiever - ">   <div class="lazyload ratio-container__image" data-toggle="modal" data-target="#imageModal" data-image-src="/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/apollo13.jpg" data-image-caption="1994: Director Ron Howard and producer Brian Grazer review footage from the motion picture "Apollo 13." (AP Photo/Imagine/Universal, Ron Batzdorff)" data-image-copyright="HOWARD GRAZER" data-sizes="auto" data-bgset="/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/apollo13-380x251.jpg [(max-width:576px)] | /wp-content/uploads/2016/10/apollo13-760x501.jpg"></div>  </figure> <figure class="isotope-item ratio-container--gallery photo" data-category="photo" data-ratio="0.79868421052632" title="" data-gtm-category="photo" data-gtm-action="click" data-gtm-label="Achiever - ">   <div class="lazyload ratio-container__image" data-toggle="modal" data-target="#imageModal" data-image-src="/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/brian-grazer2-1570x1254.jpg" data-image-caption="March 24, 2002: Ron Howard, left, and Brian Grazer pose with their Oscars for Best Picture for the film "A Beautiful Mind" during the 74th annual Academy Awards in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Doug Mills)" data-image-copyright="HOWARD GRAZER" data-sizes="auto" data-bgset="/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/brian-grazer2-1570x1254-380x304.jpg [(max-width:576px)] | /wp-content/uploads/2016/10/brian-grazer2-1570x1254-760x607.jpg"></div>  </figure> <figure class="isotope-item ratio-container--gallery photo" data-category="photo" data-ratio="0.67763157894737" title="" data-gtm-category="photo" data-gtm-action="click" data-gtm-label="Achiever - ">   <div class="lazyload ratio-container__image" data-toggle="modal" data-target="#imageModal" data-image-src="/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/cocoon.jpg" data-image-caption="1985: On the set of the 1985 science-fiction fantasy comedy-drama film "Cocoon" directed by Ron Howard. The movie stars Don Ameche, Wilford Brimley, Hume Cronyn, Brian Dennehy, Jack Gilford, Steve Guttenberg, Maureen Stapleton, Jessica Tandy, Gwen Verdon, Herta Ware, Tahnee Welch, and Linda Harrison." data-image-copyright="cocoon" data-sizes="auto" data-bgset="/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/cocoon-380x258.jpg [(max-width:576px)] | /wp-content/uploads/2016/10/cocoon-760x515.jpg"></div>  </figure> <figure class="isotope-item ratio-container--gallery photo" data-category="photo" data-ratio="1.3333333333333" title="" data-gtm-category="photo" data-gtm-action="click" data-gtm-label="Achiever - ">   <div class="lazyload ratio-container__image" data-toggle="modal" data-target="#imageModal" data-image-src="/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/Doubles_Shot_01_0101_rv2.jpg" data-image-caption="Imagine Entertainment, formerly Imagine Films Entertainment, is an American film and television production company founded in 1986 by director Ron Howard and producer Brian Grazer. Grazer and Howard met in 1982 on "Night Shift," with Howard directing and Grazer co-producing. They followed it up by working on 1984's "Splash."" data-image-copyright="doubles_shot_01_0101_rv2" data-sizes="auto" data-bgset="/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/Doubles_Shot_01_0101_rv2-285x380.jpg [(max-width:576px)] | /wp-content/uploads/2016/10/Doubles_Shot_01_0101_rv2-570x760.jpg"></div>  </figure> <figure class="isotope-item ratio-container--gallery photo" data-category="photo" data-ratio="0.65789473684211" title="" data-gtm-category="photo" data-gtm-action="click" data-gtm-label="Achiever - ">   <div class="lazyload ratio-container__image" data-toggle="modal" data-target="#imageModal" data-image-src="/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/GettyImages-2721886.jpg" data-image-caption="November 12, 2003: President George W. Bush stands with recipients of the National Medal of Arts in the Oval Office of the White House. From left are: blues musician Buddy Guy; dancer and artistic director Suzanne Farrell; children's book author Beverly Cleary; and actor-director Ron Howard. (TIM SLOAN/AFP/Getty Images)" data-image-copyright="US President George W. Bush (C) stands w" data-sizes="auto" data-bgset="/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/GettyImages-2721886-380x250.jpg [(max-width:576px)] | /wp-content/uploads/2016/10/GettyImages-2721886-760x500.jpg"></div>  </figure> <figure class="isotope-item ratio-container--gallery photo" data-category="photo" data-ratio="0.77936507936508" title="" data-gtm-category="photo" data-gtm-action="click" data-gtm-label="Achiever - ">   <div class="lazyload ratio-container__image" data-toggle="modal" data-target="#imageModal" data-image-src="/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/grand-theft-auto-corman.jpg" data-image-caption="1977: Ron Howard in independent producer Roger Corman's office. Howard offered to act in a film for Corman — for almost nothing — in exchange for the opportunity to direct. The comedy road movie "Grand Theft Auto" became Howard's feature film directorial debut. Roger Corman worked as an executive producer, along with Rance Howard, who also co-wrote the script with Ron." data-image-copyright="grand-theft-auto-corman" data-sizes="auto" data-bgset="/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/grand-theft-auto-corman-380x296.jpg [(max-width:576px)] | /wp-content/uploads/2016/10/grand-theft-auto-corman.jpg"></div>  </figure> <figure class="isotope-item ratio-container--gallery photo" data-category="photo" data-ratio="0.66710526315789" title="" data-gtm-category="photo" data-gtm-action="click" data-gtm-label="Achiever - ">   <div class="lazyload ratio-container__image" data-toggle="modal" data-target="#imageModal" data-image-src="/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/grazhoward_20110620230850.jpg" data-image-caption="2011: Imagine Entertainment’s Brian Grazer and Ron Howard. The production company dates back to 1986, a few years after founders Brian Grazer, 64, and Ron Howard, 61, first teamed up on 1982's "Night Shift."" data-image-copyright="grazhoward_20110620230850" data-sizes="auto" data-bgset="/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/grazhoward_20110620230850-380x253.jpg [(max-width:576px)] | /wp-content/uploads/2016/10/grazhoward_20110620230850-760x507.jpg"></div>  </figure> <figure class="isotope-item ratio-container--gallery photo" data-category="photo" data-ratio="0.89342105263158" title="" data-gtm-category="photo" data-gtm-action="click" data-gtm-label="Achiever - ">   <div class="lazyload ratio-container__image" data-toggle="modal" data-target="#imageModal" data-image-src="/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/happy-days-670879.jpg" data-image-caption=""Happy Days" is a television sitcom that aired first-run from January 15, 1974, to September 24, 1984, on ABC, with a total of 255 half-hour episodes spanning over 11 seasons. Created by Garry Marshall, the series presents an idealized vision of American life in the mid-1950s to mid-1960s." data-image-copyright="happy-days-670879" data-sizes="auto" data-bgset="/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/happy-days-670879-380x340.jpg [(max-width:576px)] | /wp-content/uploads/2016/10/happy-days-670879-760x679.jpg"></div>  </figure> <figure class="isotope-item ratio-container--gallery photo" data-category="photo" data-ratio="0.80263157894737" title="" data-gtm-category="photo" data-gtm-action="click" data-gtm-label="Achiever - ">   <div class="lazyload ratio-container__image" data-toggle="modal" data-target="#imageModal" data-image-src="/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/jeffs-all-graffiti-all-the-time-avco-cinema-center-theatre-press-screening-1973-2.jpg" data-image-caption="1973: "American Graffiti," a coming-of-age comedy-drama film directed and co-written by George Lucas, starring Richard Dreyfuss, Ron Howard, Paul Le Mat, Harrison Ford, Charles Martin Smith, Cindy Williams, Candy Clark, Mackenzie Phillips, Bo Hopkins, and Wolfman Jack. The film received widespread critical acclaim and was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Picture." data-image-copyright="jeffs-all-graffiti-all-the-time-avco-cinema-center-theatre-press-screening-1973-2" data-sizes="auto" data-bgset="/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/jeffs-all-graffiti-all-the-time-avco-cinema-center-theatre-press-screening-1973-2-380x305.jpg [(max-width:576px)] | /wp-content/uploads/2016/10/jeffs-all-graffiti-all-the-time-avco-cinema-center-theatre-press-screening-1973-2-760x610.jpg"></div>  </figure> <figure class="isotope-item ratio-container--gallery photo" data-category="photo" data-ratio="0.75131578947368" title="" data-gtm-category="photo" data-gtm-action="click" data-gtm-label="Achiever - ">   <div class="lazyload ratio-container__image" data-toggle="modal" data-target="#imageModal" data-image-src="/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/la-et-mn-oscars-outdoors-classic-hollywood-20130729.jpg" data-image-caption="1973: Ron Howard on the set of "American Graffiti." The film is a coming-of-age comedy-drama film directed and co-written by George Lucas, starring Richard Dreyfuss, Ron Howard, Paul Le Mat, Harrison Ford, Charles Martin Smith, Cindy Williams, Candy Clark, Mackenzie Phillips, Bo Hopkins, and Wolfman Jack. The film received widespread critical acclaim and was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Picture." data-image-copyright="la-et-mn-oscars-outdoors-classic-hollywood-20130729" data-sizes="auto" data-bgset="/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/la-et-mn-oscars-outdoors-classic-hollywood-20130729-380x286.jpg [(max-width:576px)] | /wp-content/uploads/2016/10/la-et-mn-oscars-outdoors-classic-hollywood-20130729-760x571.jpg"></div>  </figure> <figure class="isotope-item ratio-container--gallery photo" data-category="photo" data-ratio="1.25" title="" data-gtm-category="photo" data-gtm-action="click" data-gtm-label="Achiever - ">   <div class="lazyload ratio-container__image" data-toggle="modal" data-target="#imageModal" data-image-src="/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/musicman.jpg" data-image-caption="In 1962, Ronny Howard starred in the musical film "The Music Man."" data-image-copyright="In the 1962, Ronny Howard starred in the musical film <i>The Music Man</i>." data-sizes="auto" data-bgset="/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/musicman-304x380.jpg [(max-width:576px)] | /wp-content/uploads/2016/10/musicman-608x760.jpg"></div>  </figure> <figure class="isotope-item ratio-container--gallery photo" data-category="photo" data-ratio="1.058495821727" title="" data-gtm-category="photo" data-gtm-action="click" data-gtm-label="Achiever - ">   <div class="lazyload ratio-container__image" data-toggle="modal" data-target="#imageModal" data-image-src="/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/roger_publicity_sitting.jpg" data-image-caption="Roger Corman has earned a reputation for giving countless entertainment figures their first big breaks before and behind the camera. Among the graduates of the “Corman School” are Oscar winners Martin Scorsese, James Cameron, Francis Ford Coppola, Robert Towne and Jonathan Demme. Ron Howard joined their number in 1977 after appearing in a car crash action-comedy for Corman’s New World Pictures the previous year called "Eat My Dust!."" data-image-copyright="roger_publicity_sitting" data-sizes="auto" data-bgset="/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/roger_publicity_sitting-359x380.jpg [(max-width:576px)] | /wp-content/uploads/2016/10/roger_publicity_sitting-718x760.jpg"></div>  </figure> <figure class="isotope-item ratio-container--gallery photo" data-category="photo" data-ratio="1.4990138067061" title="" data-gtm-category="photo" data-gtm-action="click" data-gtm-label="Achiever - ">   <div class="lazyload ratio-container__image" data-toggle="modal" data-target="#imageModal" data-image-src="/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/Ron_Howard.jpg" data-image-caption="Director Ron Howard on the set of suspense thriller "Angels and Demons," starring Tom Hanks." data-image-copyright="ron_howard" data-sizes="auto" data-bgset="/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/Ron_Howard-253x380.jpg [(max-width:576px)] | /wp-content/uploads/2016/10/Ron_Howard-507x760.jpg"></div>  </figure> <figure class="isotope-item ratio-container--gallery photo" data-category="photo" data-ratio="0.66447368421053" title="" data-gtm-category="photo" data-gtm-action="click" data-gtm-label="Achiever - ">   <div class="lazyload ratio-container__image" data-toggle="modal" data-target="#imageModal" data-image-src="/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/ron-howard.jpg" data-image-caption="Filmmaker, producer, and actor Ron Howard." data-image-copyright="Filmmaker, producer, and actor Ron Howard." data-sizes="auto" data-bgset="/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/ron-howard-380x253.jpg [(max-width:576px)] | /wp-content/uploads/2016/10/ron-howard-760x505.jpg"></div>  </figure> <figure class="isotope-item ratio-container--gallery photo" data-category="photo" data-ratio="1.3333333333333" title="" data-gtm-category="photo" data-gtm-action="click" data-gtm-label="Achiever - ">   <div class="lazyload ratio-container__image" data-toggle="modal" data-target="#imageModal" data-image-src="/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/ron-howard_sc_768x1024.png" data-image-caption="" data-image-copyright="ron-howard_sc_768x1024" data-sizes="auto" data-bgset="/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/ron-howard_sc_768x1024-285x380.png [(max-width:576px)] | /wp-content/uploads/2016/10/ron-howard_sc_768x1024-570x760.png"></div>  </figure> <figure class="isotope-item ratio-container--gallery photo" data-category="photo" data-ratio="0.65" title="" data-gtm-category="photo" data-gtm-action="click" data-gtm-label="Achiever - ">   <div class="lazyload ratio-container__image" data-toggle="modal" data-target="#imageModal" data-image-src="/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/ron-howard-and-brian-grazer-in-apollo-13-1995.jpg" data-image-caption="1995: Producer Brian Grazer and director Ron Howard on the set of the docudrama space adventure film "Apollo 13."" data-image-copyright="ron-howard-and-brian-grazer-in-apollo-13-1995" data-sizes="auto" data-bgset="/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/ron-howard-and-brian-grazer-in-apollo-13-1995-380x247.jpg [(max-width:576px)] | /wp-content/uploads/2016/10/ron-howard-and-brian-grazer-in-apollo-13-1995-760x494.jpg"></div>  </figure> <figure class="isotope-item ratio-container--gallery photo" data-category="photo" data-ratio="0.81447368421053" title="" data-gtm-category="photo" data-gtm-action="click" data-gtm-label="Achiever - ">   <div class="lazyload ratio-container__image" data-toggle="modal" data-target="#imageModal" data-image-src="/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/ron-howard-gets-support-from-entire-family-at-2nd-star-hollywood-walk-of-fame-ceremony-03.jpg" data-image-caption="December 10, 2015: Director Ron Howard is honored with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in Hollywood, California. Pictured: Ron Howard, Cheryl Howard, Bryce Dallas Howard, and Seth Gabel." data-image-copyright="Ron Howard Honored With Star On The Hollywood Walk Of Fame" data-sizes="auto" data-bgset="/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/ron-howard-gets-support-from-entire-family-at-2nd-star-hollywood-walk-of-fame-ceremony-03-380x310.jpg [(max-width:576px)] | /wp-content/uploads/2016/10/ron-howard-gets-support-from-entire-family-at-2nd-star-hollywood-walk-of-fame-ceremony-03-760x619.jpg"></div>  </figure> <figure class="isotope-item ratio-container--gallery photo" data-category="photo" data-ratio="0.61578947368421" title="" data-gtm-category="photo" data-gtm-action="click" data-gtm-label="Achiever - ">   <div class="lazyload ratio-container__image" data-toggle="modal" data-target="#imageModal" data-image-src="/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/ron-howard-in-apollo-13-1995.jpg" data-image-caption="Ron Howard directing on the set of "Apollo 13," the 1995 docudrama space adventure film." data-image-copyright="ron-howard-in-apollo-13-1995" data-sizes="auto" data-bgset="/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/ron-howard-in-apollo-13-1995-380x234.jpg [(max-width:576px)] | /wp-content/uploads/2016/10/ron-howard-in-apollo-13-1995-760x468.jpg"></div>  </figure> <figure class="isotope-item ratio-container--gallery photo" data-category="photo" data-ratio="0.56315789473684" title="" data-gtm-category="photo" data-gtm-action="click" data-gtm-label="Achiever - ">   <div class="lazyload ratio-container__image" data-toggle="modal" data-target="#imageModal" data-image-src="/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/ronhoward-in-the-heart-of-the-sea.jpg" data-image-caption=""In the Heart of the Sea," directed by Ron Howard, is a 2015 adventure-drama film based on Nathaniel Philbrick's 2000 nonfiction book of the same name, about the sinking of the American whaling ship Essex in 1820." data-image-copyright="ronhoward-in-the-heart-of-the-sea" data-sizes="auto" data-bgset="/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/ronhoward-in-the-heart-of-the-sea-380x214.jpg [(max-width:576px)] | /wp-content/uploads/2016/10/ronhoward-in-the-heart-of-the-sea-760x428.jpg"></div>  </figure> <figure class="isotope-item ratio-container--gallery photo" data-category="photo" data-ratio="0.66447368421053" title="" data-gtm-category="photo" data-gtm-action="click" data-gtm-label="Achiever - ">   <div class="lazyload ratio-container__image" data-toggle="modal" data-target="#imageModal" data-image-src="/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/ron-howard-wife.jpg" data-image-caption="2015: Ron Howard and his wife, Cheryl. Howard married Cheryl Alley on June 7, 1975. (WireImage)" data-image-copyright="ron-howard-wife" data-sizes="auto" data-bgset="/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/ron-howard-wife-380x252.jpg [(max-width:576px)] | /wp-content/uploads/2016/10/ron-howard-wife-760x505.jpg"></div>  </figure> <figure class="isotope-item ratio-container--gallery photo" data-category="photo" data-ratio="0.69342105263158" title="" data-gtm-category="photo" data-gtm-action="click" data-gtm-label="Achiever - ">   <div class="lazyload ratio-container__image" data-toggle="modal" data-target="#imageModal" data-image-src="/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/russell-crowe-ron-howard-and-brian-grazer-in-a-beautiful-mind-2001-large-picture.jpg" data-image-caption="2001: Director Ron Howard, producer Brian Grazer, and actor Russell Crowe on the set of the biographical drama film "A Beautiful Mind." The film opened in U.S. cinemas on December 21, 2001. It went on to gross over $313 million worldwide and win four Academy Awards, for Best Picture, Best Director, Best Adapted Screenplay and Best Supporting Actress." data-image-copyright="russell-crowe-ron-howard-and-brian-grazer-in-a-beautiful-mind-2001-large-picture" data-sizes="auto" data-bgset="/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/russell-crowe-ron-howard-and-brian-grazer-in-a-beautiful-mind-2001-large-picture-380x263.jpg [(max-width:576px)] | /wp-content/uploads/2016/10/russell-crowe-ron-howard-and-brian-grazer-in-a-beautiful-mind-2001-large-picture-760x527.jpg"></div>  </figure> <figure class="isotope-item ratio-container--gallery photo" data-category="photo" data-ratio="0.56315789473684" title="" data-gtm-category="photo" data-gtm-action="click" data-gtm-label="Achiever - ">   <div class="lazyload ratio-container__image" data-toggle="modal" data-target="#imageModal" data-image-src="/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/splash-fast-co.jpg" data-image-caption="Producer Brian Grazer (left) and director Ron Howard on the set of the 1984 comedy "Splash." (Buena Vista Pictures)" data-image-copyright="splash-fast-co" data-sizes="auto" data-bgset="/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/splash-fast-co-380x214.jpg [(max-width:576px)] | /wp-content/uploads/2016/10/splash-fast-co-760x428.jpg"></div>  </figure> <figure class="isotope-item ratio-container--gallery photo" data-category="photo" data-ratio="1.1515151515152" title="" data-gtm-category="photo" data-gtm-action="click" data-gtm-label="Achiever - ">   <div class="lazyload ratio-container__image" data-toggle="modal" data-target="#imageModal" data-image-src="/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/this-inferno.jpg" data-image-caption="May 11, 2015: Director Ron Howard in Florence, Italy on the set of the mystery thriller film "Inferno," based on Dan Brown’s bestselling series of books. Pictured: (left to right) Tom Hanks (“Robert Langdon”); Sidse Babett Knudsen (“Dr. Elizabeth Sinskey”); Ron Howard, director/producer; Omar Sy (“Christoph Bouchard”); Dan Brown, “Inferno” Author; Felicity Jones (“Dr. Sienna Brooks”)." data-image-copyright="INFERNO - Florence Photo Call" data-sizes="auto" data-bgset="/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/this-inferno-330x380.jpg [(max-width:576px)] | /wp-content/uploads/2016/10/this-inferno-660x760.jpg"></div>  </figure> <figure class="isotope-item ratio-container--gallery photo" data-category="photo" data-ratio="1.2687813021703" title="" data-gtm-category="photo" data-gtm-action="click" data-gtm-label="Achiever - ">   <div class="lazyload ratio-container__image" data-toggle="modal" data-target="#imageModal" data-image-src="/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/williams-howard-winkler-most.jpg" data-image-caption="Anson Williams (Potsie Weber), Ron Howard (Richie Cunningham), Henry Winkler (Arthur "The Fonze" Fonzarelli), and Donny Most (Ralph Malph) of the TV show "Happy Days."" data-image-copyright="williams-howard-winkler-most" data-sizes="auto" data-bgset="/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/williams-howard-winkler-most-299x380.jpg [(max-width:576px)] | /wp-content/uploads/2016/10/williams-howard-winkler-most-599x760.jpg"></div>  </figure>    </div> </section> </div> </div> <div class="container"> <footer class="editorial-article__footer col-md-8 col-md-offset-4"> <div class="editorial-article__next-link sans-3"> <a href="#"><strong>What's next:</strong> <span class="editorial-article__next-link-title">profile</span></a> </div> <ul class="social list-unstyled list-inline ssk-group m-b-0"> <li class="list-inline-item"><a href="" class="ssk ssk-facebook" data-gtm-category="social" data-gtm-action="click" data-gtm-label="Shared Achiever on Facebook"><i class="icon-icon_facebook-circle"></i></a></li> <li class="list-inline-item"><a href="" class="ssk ssk-twitter" data-gtm-category="social" data-gtm-action="click" data-gtm-label="Shared 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class="icon-icon_chevron-down"></i> </div> <ul class="find-achiever-list list m-b-0 list-unstyled"> <li> <a href="/web/20200812073921/https://achievement.org/achiever/hank-aaron/"><span class="achiever-list-name">Hank Aaron</span></a> </li> <li> <a href="/web/20200812073921/https://achievement.org/achiever/kareem-abdul-jabbar/"><span class="achiever-list-name">Kareem Abdul-Jabbar</span></a> </li> <li> <a href="/web/20200812073921/https://achievement.org/achiever/lynsey-addario/"><span class="achiever-list-name">Lynsey Addario</span></a> </li> <li> <a href="/web/20200812073921/https://achievement.org/achiever/edward-albee/"><span class="achiever-list-name">Edward Albee</span></a> </li> <li> <a href="/web/20200812073921/https://achievement.org/achiever/tenley-albright-m-d/"><span class="achiever-list-name">Tenley Albright, M.D.</span></a> </li> <li> <a href="/web/20200812073921/https://achievement.org/achiever/svetlana-alexievich/"><span class="achiever-list-name">Svetlana Alexievich</span></a> </li> <li> <a href="/web/20200812073921/https://achievement.org/achiever/julie-andrews/"><span class="achiever-list-name">Dame Julie Andrews</span></a> </li> <li> <a href="/web/20200812073921/https://achievement.org/achiever/maya-angelou/"><span class="achiever-list-name">Maya Angelou</span></a> </li> <li> <a href="/web/20200812073921/https://achievement.org/achiever/frances-h-arnold-ph-d/"><span class="achiever-list-name">Frances H. Arnold, Ph.D.</span></a> </li> <li> <a href="/web/20200812073921/https://achievement.org/achiever/robert-d-ballard-ph-d/"><span class="achiever-list-name">Robert D. Ballard, Ph.D.</span></a> </li> <li> <a href="/web/20200812073921/https://achievement.org/achiever/sir-roger-bannister-2/"><span class="achiever-list-name">Sir Roger Bannister</span></a> </li> <li> <a href="/web/20200812073921/https://achievement.org/achiever/john-banville/"><span class="achiever-list-name">John Banville</span></a> </li> <li> <a href="/web/20200812073921/https://achievement.org/achiever/ehud-barak/"><span class="achiever-list-name">Ehud Barak</span></a> </li> <li> <a href="/web/20200812073921/https://achievement.org/achiever/lee-r-berger-ph-d/"><span class="achiever-list-name">Lee R. Berger, Ph.D.</span></a> </li> <li> <a href="/web/20200812073921/https://achievement.org/achiever/sir-timothy-berners-lee/"><span class="achiever-list-name">Sir Tim Berners-Lee</span></a> </li> <li> <a href="/web/20200812073921/https://achievement.org/achiever/yogi-berra/"><span class="achiever-list-name">Yogi Berra</span></a> </li> <li> <a href="/web/20200812073921/https://achievement.org/achiever/jeffrey-p-bezos/"><span class="achiever-list-name">Jeffrey P. Bezos</span></a> </li> <li> <a href="/web/20200812073921/https://achievement.org/achiever/benazir-bhutto/"><span class="achiever-list-name">Benazir Bhutto</span></a> </li> <li> <a href="/web/20200812073921/https://achievement.org/achiever/simone-biles/"><span class="achiever-list-name">Simone Biles</span></a> </li> <li> <a href="/web/20200812073921/https://achievement.org/achiever/keith-l-black/"><span class="achiever-list-name">Keith L. Black, M.D.</span></a> </li> <li> <a href="/web/20200812073921/https://achievement.org/achiever/elizabeth-blackburn/"><span class="achiever-list-name">Elizabeth Blackburn, Ph.D.</span></a> </li> <li> <a href="/web/20200812073921/https://achievement.org/achiever/david-boies-2/"><span class="achiever-list-name">David Boies</span></a> </li> <li> <a href="/web/20200812073921/https://achievement.org/achiever/norman-e-borlaug/"><span class="achiever-list-name">Norman E. Borlaug, Ph.D.</span></a> </li> <li> <a href="/web/20200812073921/https://achievement.org/achiever/benjamin-c-bradlee/"><span class="achiever-list-name">Benjamin C. Bradlee</span></a> </li> <li> <a href="/web/20200812073921/https://achievement.org/achiever/sergey-brin/"><span class="achiever-list-name">Sergey Brin</span></a> </li> <li> <a href="/web/20200812073921/https://achievement.org/achiever/carter-j-brown/"><span class="achiever-list-name">J. Carter Brown</span></a> </li> <li> <a href="/web/20200812073921/https://achievement.org/achiever/linda-buck/"><span class="achiever-list-name">Linda B. Buck, Ph.D.</span></a> </li> <li> <a href="/web/20200812073921/https://achievement.org/achiever/carol-burnett/"><span class="achiever-list-name">Carol Burnett</span></a> </li> <li> <a href="/web/20200812073921/https://achievement.org/achiever/george-h-w-bush/"><span class="achiever-list-name">George H. W. Bush</span></a> </li> <li> <a href="/web/20200812073921/https://achievement.org/achiever/susan-butcher/"><span class="achiever-list-name">Susan Butcher</span></a> </li> <li> <a href="/web/20200812073921/https://achievement.org/achiever/sir-michael-caine/"><span class="achiever-list-name">Sir Michael Caine</span></a> </li> <li> <a href="/web/20200812073921/https://achievement.org/achiever/james-cameron/"><span class="achiever-list-name">James Cameron</span></a> </li> <li> <a href="/web/20200812073921/https://achievement.org/achiever/benjamin-s-carson/"><span class="achiever-list-name">Benjamin S. Carson, M.D.</span></a> </li> <li> <a href="/web/20200812073921/https://achievement.org/achiever/jimmy-carter/"><span class="achiever-list-name">Jimmy Carter</span></a> </li> <li> <a href="/web/20200812073921/https://achievement.org/achiever/johnny-cash/"><span class="achiever-list-name">Johnny Cash</span></a> </li> <li> <a href="/web/20200812073921/https://achievement.org/achiever/william-j-clinton/"><span class="achiever-list-name">William J. Clinton</span></a> </li> <li> <a href="/web/20200812073921/https://achievement.org/achiever/francis-s-collins/"><span class="achiever-list-name">Francis S. Collins, M.D., Ph.D.</span></a> </li> <li> <a href="/web/20200812073921/https://achievement.org/achiever/denton-a-cooley/"><span class="achiever-list-name">Denton A. Cooley, M.D.</span></a> </li> <li> <a href="/web/20200812073921/https://achievement.org/achiever/francis-ford-coppola/"><span class="achiever-list-name">Francis Ford Coppola</span></a> </li> <li> <a href="/web/20200812073921/https://achievement.org/achiever/ray-dalio/"><span class="achiever-list-name">Ray Dalio</span></a> </li> <li> <a href="/web/20200812073921/https://achievement.org/achiever/olivia-de-havilland/"><span class="achiever-list-name">Dame Olivia de Havilland</span></a> </li> <li> <a href="/web/20200812073921/https://achievement.org/achiever/michael-e-debakey-m-d/"><span class="achiever-list-name">Michael E. DeBakey, M.D.</span></a> </li> <li> <a href="/web/20200812073921/https://achievement.org/achiever/michael-dell/"><span class="achiever-list-name">Michael S. Dell</span></a> </li> <li> <a href="/web/20200812073921/https://achievement.org/achiever/ron-dennis/"><span class="achiever-list-name">Ron Dennis</span></a> </li> <li> <a href="/web/20200812073921/https://achievement.org/achiever/joan-didion/"><span class="achiever-list-name">Joan Didion</span></a> </li> <li> <a href="/web/20200812073921/https://achievement.org/achiever/david-herbert-donald-ph-d/"><span class="achiever-list-name">David Herbert Donald, Ph.D.</span></a> </li> <li> <a href="/web/20200812073921/https://achievement.org/achiever/david-doubilet/"><span class="achiever-list-name">David Doubilet</span></a> </li> <li> <a href="/web/20200812073921/https://achievement.org/achiever/jennifer-a-doudna-ph-d/"><span class="achiever-list-name">Jennifer A. Doudna, Ph.D.</span></a> </li> <li> <a href="/web/20200812073921/https://achievement.org/achiever/rita-dove/"><span class="achiever-list-name">Rita Dove</span></a> </li> <li> <a href="/web/20200812073921/https://achievement.org/achiever/sylvia-earle/"><span class="achiever-list-name">Sylvia Earle, Ph.D.</span></a> </li> <li> <a href="/web/20200812073921/https://achievement.org/achiever/elbaradei/"><span class="achiever-list-name">Mohamed ElBaradei</span></a> </li> <li> <a href="/web/20200812073921/https://achievement.org/achiever/gertrude-elion/"><span class="achiever-list-name">Gertrude B. Elion, M.Sc.</span></a> </li> <li> <a href="/web/20200812073921/https://achievement.org/achiever/larry-j-ellison/"><span class="achiever-list-name">Larry J. Ellison</span></a> </li> <li> <a href="/web/20200812073921/https://achievement.org/achiever/nora-ephron/"><span class="achiever-list-name">Nora Ephron</span></a> </li> <li> <a href="/web/20200812073921/https://achievement.org/achiever/julius-erving/"><span class="achiever-list-name">Julius Erving</span></a> </li> <li> <a href="/web/20200812073921/https://achievement.org/achiever/tony-fadell/"><span class="achiever-list-name">Tony Fadell</span></a> </li> <li> <a href="/web/20200812073921/https://achievement.org/achiever/paul-farmer/"><span class="achiever-list-name">Paul Farmer, M.D.</span></a> </li> <li> <a href="/web/20200812073921/https://achievement.org/achiever/suzanne-farrell/"><span class="achiever-list-name">Suzanne Farrell</span></a> </li> <li> <a href="/web/20200812073921/https://achievement.org/achiever/anthony-s-fauci-m-d/"><span class="achiever-list-name">Anthony S. Fauci, M.D.</span></a> </li> <li> <a href="/web/20200812073921/https://achievement.org/achiever/sally-field/"><span class="achiever-list-name">Sally Field</span></a> </li> <li> <a href="/web/20200812073921/https://achievement.org/achiever/lord-norman-foster/"><span class="achiever-list-name">Lord Norman Foster</span></a> </li> <li> <a href="/web/20200812073921/https://achievement.org/achiever/aretha-franklin/"><span class="achiever-list-name">Aretha Franklin</span></a> </li> <li> <a href="/web/20200812073921/https://achievement.org/achiever/milton-friedman-ph-d/"><span class="achiever-list-name">Milton Friedman, Ph.D.</span></a> </li> <li> <a href="/web/20200812073921/https://achievement.org/achiever/carlos-fuentes/"><span class="achiever-list-name">Carlos Fuentes</span></a> </li> <li> <a href="/web/20200812073921/https://achievement.org/achiever/athol-fugard/"><span class="achiever-list-name">Athol Fugard</span></a> </li> <li> <a href="/web/20200812073921/https://achievement.org/achiever/peter-gabriel/"><span class="achiever-list-name">Peter Gabriel</span></a> </li> <li> <a href="/web/20200812073921/https://achievement.org/achiever/ernest-j-gaines/"><span class="achiever-list-name">Ernest J. Gaines</span></a> </li> <li> <a href="/web/20200812073921/https://achievement.org/achiever/william-h-gates-iii/"><span class="achiever-list-name">William H. Gates III</span></a> </li> <li> <a href="/web/20200812073921/https://achievement.org/achiever/leymah-gbowee/"><span class="achiever-list-name">Leymah Gbowee</span></a> </li> <li> <a href="/web/20200812073921/https://achievement.org/achiever/frank-gehry/"><span class="achiever-list-name">Frank O. Gehry</span></a> </li> <li> <a href="/web/20200812073921/https://achievement.org/achiever/murray-gell-mann-ph-d/"><span class="achiever-list-name">Murray Gell-Mann, Ph.D.</span></a> </li> <li> <a href="/web/20200812073921/https://achievement.org/achiever/carlos-ghosn/"><span class="achiever-list-name">Carlos Ghosn</span></a> </li> <li> <a href="/web/20200812073921/https://achievement.org/achiever/vince-gill/"><span class="achiever-list-name">Vince Gill</span></a> </li> <li> <a href="/web/20200812073921/https://achievement.org/achiever/ruth-bader-ginsburg/"><span class="achiever-list-name">Ruth Bader Ginsburg</span></a> </li> <li> <a href="/web/20200812073921/https://achievement.org/achiever/louise-gluck/"><span class="achiever-list-name">Louise Glück</span></a> </li> <li> <a href="/web/20200812073921/https://achievement.org/achiever/whoopi-goldberg/"><span class="achiever-list-name">Whoopi Goldberg</span></a> </li> <li> <a href="/web/20200812073921/https://achievement.org/achiever/jane-goodall/"><span class="achiever-list-name">Dame Jane Goodall</span></a> </li> <li> <a href="/web/20200812073921/https://achievement.org/achiever/doris-kearns-goodwin/"><span class="achiever-list-name">Doris Kearns Goodwin, Ph.D.</span></a> </li> <li> <a href="/web/20200812073921/https://achievement.org/achiever/mikhail-s-gorbachev/"><span class="achiever-list-name">Mikhail S. Gorbachev</span></a> </li> <li> <a href="/web/20200812073921/https://achievement.org/achiever/nadine-gordimer/"><span class="achiever-list-name">Nadine Gordimer</span></a> </li> <li> <a href="/web/20200812073921/https://achievement.org/achiever/stephen-jay-gould/"><span class="achiever-list-name">Stephen Jay Gould, Ph.D.</span></a> </li> <li> <a href="/web/20200812073921/https://achievement.org/achiever/carol-greider-ph-d/"><span class="achiever-list-name">Carol W. Greider, Ph.D.</span></a> </li> <li> <a href="/web/20200812073921/https://achievement.org/achiever/john-grisham/"><span class="achiever-list-name">John Grisham</span></a> </li> <li> <a href="/web/20200812073921/https://achievement.org/achiever/sir-john-gurdon/"><span class="achiever-list-name">Sir John Gurdon</span></a> </li> <li> <a href="/web/20200812073921/https://achievement.org/achiever/dorothy-hamill/"><span class="achiever-list-name">Dorothy Hamill</span></a> </li> <li> <a href="/web/20200812073921/https://achievement.org/achiever/demis-hassabis-ph-d/"><span class="achiever-list-name">Demis Hassabis, Ph.D.</span></a> </li> <li> <a href="/web/20200812073921/https://achievement.org/achiever/lauryn-hill/"><span class="achiever-list-name">Lauryn Hill</span></a> </li> <li> <a href="/web/20200812073921/https://achievement.org/achiever/sir-edmund-hillary/"><span class="achiever-list-name">Sir Edmund Hillary</span></a> </li> <li> <a href="/web/20200812073921/https://achievement.org/achiever/reid-hoffman/"><span class="achiever-list-name">Reid Hoffman</span></a> </li> <li> <a href="/web/20200812073921/https://achievement.org/achiever/khaled-hosseini/"><span class="achiever-list-name">Khaled Hosseini, M.D.</span></a> </li> <li> <a href="/web/20200812073921/https://achievement.org/achiever/ron-howard/"><span class="achiever-list-name">Ron Howard</span></a> </li> <li> <a href="/web/20200812073921/https://achievement.org/achiever/john-hume/"><span class="achiever-list-name">John Hume</span></a> </li> <li> <a href="/web/20200812073921/https://achievement.org/achiever/louis-ignarro-ph-d/"><span class="achiever-list-name">Louis Ignarro, Ph.D.</span></a> </li> <li> <a href="/web/20200812073921/https://achievement.org/achiever/daniel-inouye/"><span class="achiever-list-name">Daniel K. Inouye</span></a> </li> <li> <a href="/web/20200812073921/https://achievement.org/achiever/jeremy-irons/"><span class="achiever-list-name">Jeremy Irons</span></a> </li> <li> <a href="/web/20200812073921/https://achievement.org/achiever/john-irving/"><span class="achiever-list-name">John Irving</span></a> </li> <li> <a href="/web/20200812073921/https://achievement.org/achiever/kazuo-ishiguro/"><span class="achiever-list-name">Sir Kazuo Ishiguro</span></a> </li> <li> <a href="/web/20200812073921/https://achievement.org/achiever/sir-peter-jackson/"><span class="achiever-list-name">Sir Peter Jackson</span></a> </li> <li> <a href="/web/20200812073921/https://achievement.org/achiever/donald-c-johanson/"><span class="achiever-list-name">Donald C. Johanson, Ph.D.</span></a> </li> <li> <a href="/web/20200812073921/https://achievement.org/achiever/frank-m-johnson/"><span class="achiever-list-name">Frank M. Johnson, Jr.</span></a> </li> <li> <a href="/web/20200812073921/https://achievement.org/achiever/philip-johnson/"><span class="achiever-list-name">Philip C. Johnson</span></a> </li> <li> <a href="/web/20200812073921/https://achievement.org/achiever/chuck-jones/"><span class="achiever-list-name">Chuck Jones</span></a> </li> <li> <a href="/web/20200812073921/https://achievement.org/achiever/james-earl-jones/"><span class="achiever-list-name">James Earl Jones</span></a> </li> <li> <a href="/web/20200812073921/https://achievement.org/achiever/quincy-jones/"><span class="achiever-list-name">Quincy Jones</span></a> </li> <li> <a href="/web/20200812073921/https://achievement.org/achiever/beverly-joubert/"><span class="achiever-list-name">Beverly Joubert</span></a> </li> <li> <a href="/web/20200812073921/https://achievement.org/achiever/dereck-joubert/"><span class="achiever-list-name">Dereck Joubert</span></a> </li> <li> <a href="/web/20200812073921/https://achievement.org/achiever/paul-kagame/"><span class="achiever-list-name">Paul Kagame</span></a> </li> <li> <a href="/web/20200812073921/https://achievement.org/achiever/thomas-keller-2/"><span class="achiever-list-name">Thomas Keller</span></a> </li> <li> <a href="/web/20200812073921/https://achievement.org/achiever/anthony-m-kennedy/"><span class="achiever-list-name">Anthony M. Kennedy</span></a> </li> <li> <a href="/web/20200812073921/https://achievement.org/achiever/carole-king/"><span class="achiever-list-name">Carole King</span></a> </li> <li> <a href="/web/20200812073921/https://achievement.org/achiever/b-b-king/"><span class="achiever-list-name">B.B. King</span></a> </li> <li> <a href="/web/20200812073921/https://achievement.org/achiever/coretta-scott-king/"><span class="achiever-list-name">Coretta Scott King</span></a> </li> <li> <a href="/web/20200812073921/https://achievement.org/achiever/henry-kissinger-ph-d/"><span class="achiever-list-name">Henry A. Kissinger, Ph.D.</span></a> </li> <li> <a href="/web/20200812073921/https://achievement.org/achiever/willem-j-kolff/"><span class="achiever-list-name">Willem J. Kolff, M.D., Ph.D.</span></a> </li> <li> <a href="/web/20200812073921/https://achievement.org/achiever/wendy-kopp/"><span class="achiever-list-name">Wendy Kopp</span></a> </li> <li> <a href="/web/20200812073921/https://achievement.org/achiever/henry-r-kravis/"><span class="achiever-list-name">Henry R. Kravis</span></a> </li> <li> <a href="/web/20200812073921/https://achievement.org/achiever/nicholas-d-kristof/"><span class="achiever-list-name">Nicholas D. Kristof</span></a> </li> <li> <a href="/web/20200812073921/https://achievement.org/achiever/mike-krzyzewski/"><span class="achiever-list-name">Mike Krzyzewski</span></a> </li> <li> <a href="/web/20200812073921/https://achievement.org/achiever/ray-kurzwell/"><span class="achiever-list-name">Ray Kurzweil</span></a> </li> <li> <a href="/web/20200812073921/https://achievement.org/achiever/eric-lander-ph-d/"><span class="achiever-list-name">Eric S. Lander, Ph.D.</span></a> </li> <li> <a href="/web/20200812073921/https://achievement.org/achiever/robert-s-langer-ph-d/"><span class="achiever-list-name">Robert S. Langer, Sc.D.</span></a> </li> <li> <a href="/web/20200812073921/https://achievement.org/achiever/richard-leakey/"><span class="achiever-list-name">Richard E. Leakey</span></a> </li> <li> <a href="/web/20200812073921/https://achievement.org/achiever/leon-lederman-ph-d/"><span class="achiever-list-name">Leon Lederman, Ph.D.</span></a> </li> <li> <a href="/web/20200812073921/https://achievement.org/achiever/robert-lefkowitz-m-d/"><span class="achiever-list-name">Robert J. Lefkowitz, M.D.</span></a> </li> <li> <a href="/web/20200812073921/https://achievement.org/achiever/congressman-john-r-lewis/"><span class="achiever-list-name">Congressman John R. Lewis</span></a> </li> <li> <a href="/web/20200812073921/https://achievement.org/achiever/maya-lin/"><span class="achiever-list-name">Maya Lin</span></a> </li> <li> <a href="/web/20200812073921/https://achievement.org/achiever/george-lucas/"><span class="achiever-list-name">George Lucas</span></a> </li> <li> <a href="/web/20200812073921/https://achievement.org/achiever/paul-b-maccready-ph-d/"><span class="achiever-list-name">Paul B. MacCready, Ph.D.</span></a> </li> <li> <a href="/web/20200812073921/https://achievement.org/achiever/norman-mailer/"><span class="achiever-list-name">Norman Mailer</span></a> </li> <li> <a href="/web/20200812073921/https://achievement.org/achiever/peyton-manning/"><span class="achiever-list-name">Peyton Manning</span></a> </li> <li> <a href="/web/20200812073921/https://achievement.org/achiever/wynton-marsalis/"><span class="achiever-list-name">Wynton Marsalis</span></a> </li> <li> <a href="/web/20200812073921/https://achievement.org/achiever/john-c-mather-ph-d/"><span class="achiever-list-name">John C. Mather, Ph.D.</span></a> </li> <li> <a href="/web/20200812073921/https://achievement.org/achiever/johnny-mathis/"><span class="achiever-list-name">Johnny Mathis</span></a> </li> <li> <a href="/web/20200812073921/https://achievement.org/achiever/ernst-mayr-ph-d/"><span class="achiever-list-name">Ernst Mayr, Ph.D.</span></a> </li> <li> <a href="/web/20200812073921/https://achievement.org/achiever/willie-mays/"><span class="achiever-list-name">Willie Mays</span></a> </li> <li> <a href="/web/20200812073921/https://achievement.org/achiever/frank-mccourt/"><span class="achiever-list-name">Frank McCourt</span></a> </li> <li> <a href="/web/20200812073921/https://achievement.org/achiever/david-mccullough/"><span class="achiever-list-name">David McCullough</span></a> </li> <li> <a href="/web/20200812073921/https://achievement.org/achiever/audra-mcdonald/"><span class="achiever-list-name">Audra McDonald</span></a> </li> <li> <a href="/web/20200812073921/https://achievement.org/achiever/admiral-william-h-mcraven/"><span class="achiever-list-name">Admiral William H. McRaven, USN</span></a> </li> <li> <a href="/web/20200812073921/https://achievement.org/achiever/w-s-merwin/"><span class="achiever-list-name">W. S. Merwin</span></a> </li> <li> <a href="/web/20200812073921/https://achievement.org/achiever/reinhold-messner/"><span class="achiever-list-name">Reinhold Messner</span></a> </li> <li> <a href="/web/20200812073921/https://achievement.org/achiever/james-a-michener/"><span class="achiever-list-name">James A. Michener</span></a> </li> <li> <a href="/web/20200812073921/https://achievement.org/achiever/marvin-minsky-ph-d/"><span class="achiever-list-name">Marvin Minsky, Ph.D.</span></a> </li> <li> <a href="/web/20200812073921/https://achievement.org/achiever/mario-j-molina-ph-d/"><span class="achiever-list-name">Mario J. Molina, Ph.D.</span></a> </li> <li> <a href="/web/20200812073921/https://achievement.org/achiever/n-scott-momaday-ph-d/"><span class="achiever-list-name">N. Scott Momaday, Ph.D.</span></a> </li> <li> <a href="/web/20200812073921/https://achievement.org/achiever/story-musgrave/"><span class="achiever-list-name">Story Musgrave, M.D.</span></a> </li> <li> <a href="/web/20200812073921/https://achievement.org/achiever/ralph-nader/"><span class="achiever-list-name">Ralph Nader</span></a> </li> <li> <a href="/web/20200812073921/https://achievement.org/achiever/peggy-noonan/"><span class="achiever-list-name">Peggy Noonan</span></a> </li> <li> <a href="/web/20200812073921/https://achievement.org/achiever/jessye-norman/"><span class="achiever-list-name">Jessye Norman</span></a> </li> <li> <a href="/web/20200812073921/https://achievement.org/achiever/tommy-norris/"><span class="achiever-list-name">Lt. Thomas R. Norris, USN</span></a> </li> <li> <a href="/web/20200812073921/https://achievement.org/achiever/joyce-carol-oates/"><span class="achiever-list-name">Joyce Carol Oates</span></a> </li> <li> <a href="/web/20200812073921/https://achievement.org/achiever/pierre-omidyar/"><span class="achiever-list-name">Pierre Omidyar</span></a> </li> <li> <a href="/web/20200812073921/https://achievement.org/achiever/jimmy-page/"><span class="achiever-list-name">Jimmy Page</span></a> </li> <li> <a href="/web/20200812073921/https://achievement.org/achiever/larry-page/"><span class="achiever-list-name">Larry Page</span></a> </li> <li> <a href="/web/20200812073921/https://achievement.org/achiever/arnold-palmer/"><span class="achiever-list-name">Arnold Palmer</span></a> </li> <li> <a href="/web/20200812073921/https://achievement.org/achiever/leon-panetta/"><span class="achiever-list-name">Leon Panetta</span></a> </li> <li> <a href="/web/20200812073921/https://achievement.org/achiever/rosa-parks/"><span class="achiever-list-name">Rosa Parks</span></a> </li> <li> <a href="/web/20200812073921/https://achievement.org/achiever/suzan-lori-parks/"><span class="achiever-list-name">Suzan-Lori Parks</span></a> </li> <li> <a href="/web/20200812073921/https://achievement.org/achiever/linus-pauling/"><span class="achiever-list-name">Linus C. Pauling, Ph.D.</span></a> </li> <li> <a href="/web/20200812073921/https://achievement.org/achiever/shimon-peres/"><span class="achiever-list-name">Shimon Peres</span></a> </li> <li> <a href="/web/20200812073921/https://achievement.org/achiever/itzhak-perlman/"><span class="achiever-list-name">Itzhak Perlman</span></a> </li> <li> <a href="/web/20200812073921/https://achievement.org/achiever/general-david-petraeus/"><span class="achiever-list-name">General David H. Petraeus, USA</span></a> </li> <li> <a href="/web/20200812073921/https://achievement.org/achiever/sidney-poitier/"><span class="achiever-list-name">Sidney Poitier</span></a> </li> <li> <a href="/web/20200812073921/https://achievement.org/achiever/general-colin-l-powell/"><span class="achiever-list-name">General Colin L. Powell, USA</span></a> </li> <li> <a href="/web/20200812073921/https://achievement.org/achiever/harold-prince/"><span class="achiever-list-name">Harold Prince</span></a> </li> <li> <a href="/web/20200812073921/https://achievement.org/achiever/venki-ramakrishnan-ph-d/"><span class="achiever-list-name">Venki Ramakrishnan, Ph.D.</span></a> </li> <li> <a href="/web/20200812073921/https://achievement.org/achiever/lord-martin-rees/"><span class="achiever-list-name">Lord Martin Rees</span></a> </li> <li> <a href="/web/20200812073921/https://achievement.org/achiever/lloyd-richards/"><span class="achiever-list-name">Lloyd Richards</span></a> </li> <li> <a href="/web/20200812073921/https://achievement.org/achiever/sally-ride-ph-d/"><span class="achiever-list-name">Sally K. Ride, Ph.D.</span></a> </li> <li> <a href="/web/20200812073921/https://achievement.org/achiever/sonny-rollins/"><span class="achiever-list-name">Sonny Rollins</span></a> </li> <li> <a href="/web/20200812073921/https://achievement.org/achiever/anthony-romero/"><span class="achiever-list-name">Anthony D. Romero</span></a> </li> <li> <a href="/web/20200812073921/https://achievement.org/achiever/james-rosenquist/"><span class="achiever-list-name">James Rosenquist</span></a> </li> <li> <a href="/web/20200812073921/https://achievement.org/achiever/pete-rozelle/"><span class="achiever-list-name">Pete Rozelle</span></a> </li> <li> <a href="/web/20200812073921/https://achievement.org/achiever/bill-russell/"><span class="achiever-list-name">Bill Russell</span></a> </li> <li> <a href="/web/20200812073921/https://achievement.org/achiever/albie-sachs/"><span class="achiever-list-name">Albie Sachs</span></a> </li> <li> <a href="/web/20200812073921/https://achievement.org/achiever/oliver-sacks-m-d/"><span class="achiever-list-name">Oliver Sacks, M.D.</span></a> </li> <li> <a href="/web/20200812073921/https://achievement.org/achiever/jonas-salk-m-d/"><span class="achiever-list-name">Jonas Salk, M.D.</span></a> </li> <li> <a href="/web/20200812073921/https://achievement.org/achiever/frederick-sanger-ph-d/"><span class="achiever-list-name">Frederick Sanger, Ph.D.</span></a> </li> <li> <a href="/web/20200812073921/https://achievement.org/achiever/george-b-schaller-ph-d/"><span class="achiever-list-name">George B. Schaller, Ph.D.</span></a> </li> <li> <a href="/web/20200812073921/https://achievement.org/achiever/barry-scheck/"><span class="achiever-list-name">Barry Scheck</span></a> </li> <li> <a href="/web/20200812073921/https://achievement.org/achiever/richard-evans-schultes-ph-d/"><span class="achiever-list-name">Richard Evans Schultes, Ph.D.</span></a> </li> <li> <a href="/web/20200812073921/https://achievement.org/achiever/general-h-norman-schwarzkopf/"><span class="achiever-list-name">General H. Norman Schwarzkopf, USA</span></a> </li> <li> <a href="/web/20200812073921/https://achievement.org/achiever/stephen-schwarzman/"><span class="achiever-list-name">Stephen A. Schwarzman</span></a> </li> <li> <a href="/web/20200812073921/https://achievement.org/achiever/glenn-t-seaborg-ph-d/"><span class="achiever-list-name">Glenn T. Seaborg, Ph.D.</span></a> </li> <li> <a href="/web/20200812073921/https://achievement.org/achiever/neil-sheehan/"><span class="achiever-list-name">Neil Sheehan</span></a> </li> <li> <a href="/web/20200812073921/https://achievement.org/achiever/admiral-alan-shepard-jr/"><span class="achiever-list-name">Admiral Alan B. Shepard, Jr., USN</span></a> </li> <li> <a href="/web/20200812073921/https://achievement.org/achiever/ellen-johnson-sirleaf/"><span class="achiever-list-name">Ellen Johnson Sirleaf</span></a> </li> <li> <a href="/web/20200812073921/https://achievement.org/achiever/carlos-slim/"><span class="achiever-list-name">Carlos Slim Helú</span></a> </li> <li> <a href="/web/20200812073921/https://achievement.org/achiever/frederick-w-smith/"><span class="achiever-list-name">Frederick W. Smith</span></a> </li> <li> <a href="/web/20200812073921/https://achievement.org/achiever/stephen-sondheim/"><span class="achiever-list-name">Stephen Sondheim</span></a> </li> <li> <a href="/web/20200812073921/https://achievement.org/achiever/sonia-sotomayor/"><span class="achiever-list-name">Sonia Sotomayor</span></a> </li> <li> <a href="/web/20200812073921/https://achievement.org/achiever/wole-soyinka/"><span class="achiever-list-name">Wole Soyinka</span></a> </li> <li> <a href="/web/20200812073921/https://achievement.org/achiever/esperanza-spalding/"><span class="achiever-list-name">Esperanza Spalding</span></a> </li> <li> <a href="/web/20200812073921/https://achievement.org/achiever/martha-stewart/"><span class="achiever-list-name">Martha Stewart</span></a> </li> <li> <a href="/web/20200812073921/https://achievement.org/achiever/admiral-james-b-stockdale/"><span class="achiever-list-name">Admiral James B. Stockdale, USN</span></a> </li> <li> <a href="/web/20200812073921/https://achievement.org/achiever/hilary-swank/"><span class="achiever-list-name">Hilary Swank</span></a> </li> <li> <a href="/web/20200812073921/https://achievement.org/achiever/amy-tan/"><span class="achiever-list-name">Amy Tan</span></a> </li> <li> <a href="/web/20200812073921/https://achievement.org/achiever/dame-kiri-te-kanawa/"><span class="achiever-list-name">Dame Kiri Te Kanawa</span></a> </li> <li> <a href="/web/20200812073921/https://achievement.org/achiever/edward-teller-ph-d/"><span class="achiever-list-name">Edward Teller, Ph.D.</span></a> </li> <li> <a href="/web/20200812073921/https://achievement.org/achiever/twyla-tharp/"><span class="achiever-list-name">Twyla Tharp</span></a> </li> <li> <a href="/web/20200812073921/https://achievement.org/achiever/wayne-thiebaud/"><span class="achiever-list-name">Wayne Thiebaud</span></a> </li> <li> <a href="/web/20200812073921/https://achievement.org/achiever/lt-michael-e-thornton-usn/"><span class="achiever-list-name">Lt. Michael E. Thornton, USN</span></a> </li> <li> <a href="/web/20200812073921/https://achievement.org/achiever/clyde-tombaugh/"><span class="achiever-list-name">Clyde Tombaugh</span></a> </li> <li> <a href="/web/20200812073921/https://achievement.org/achiever/charles-h-townes-ph-d/"><span class="achiever-list-name">Charles H. Townes, Ph.D.</span></a> </li> <li> <a href="/web/20200812073921/https://achievement.org/achiever/david-trimble/"><span class="achiever-list-name">Lord David Trimble</span></a> </li> <li> <a href="/web/20200812073921/https://achievement.org/achiever/ted-turner/"><span class="achiever-list-name">Robert Edward (Ted) Turner</span></a> </li> <li> <a href="/web/20200812073921/https://achievement.org/achiever/desmond-tutu/"><span class="achiever-list-name">Archbishop Desmond Tutu</span></a> </li> <li> <a href="/web/20200812073921/https://achievement.org/achiever/john-updike/"><span class="achiever-list-name">John Updike</span></a> </li> <li> <a href="/web/20200812073921/https://achievement.org/achiever/gore-vidal/"><span class="achiever-list-name">Gore Vidal</span></a> </li> <li> <a href="/web/20200812073921/https://achievement.org/achiever/antonio-villaraigosa/"><span class="achiever-list-name">Antonio Villaraigosa</span></a> </li> <li> <a href="/web/20200812073921/https://achievement.org/achiever/lech-walesa/"><span class="achiever-list-name">Lech Walesa</span></a> </li> <li> <a href="/web/20200812073921/https://achievement.org/achiever/herschel-walker/"><span class="achiever-list-name">Herschel Walker</span></a> </li> <li> <a href="/web/20200812073921/https://achievement.org/achiever/alice-waters/"><span class="achiever-list-name">Alice Waters</span></a> </li> <li> <a href="/web/20200812073921/https://achievement.org/achiever/james-d-watson/"><span class="achiever-list-name">James D. Watson, Ph.D.</span></a> </li> <li> <a href="/web/20200812073921/https://achievement.org/achiever/andrew-weil-m-d/"><span class="achiever-list-name">Andrew Weil, M.D.</span></a> </li> <li> <a href="/web/20200812073921/https://achievement.org/achiever/leslie-h-wexner/"><span class="achiever-list-name">Leslie H. Wexner</span></a> </li> <li> <a href="/web/20200812073921/https://achievement.org/achiever/elie-wiesel/"><span class="achiever-list-name">Elie Wiesel</span></a> </li> <li> <a href="/web/20200812073921/https://achievement.org/achiever/edward-o-wilson-ph-d/"><span class="achiever-list-name">Edward O. Wilson, Ph.D.</span></a> </li> <li> <a href="/web/20200812073921/https://achievement.org/achiever/oprah-winfrey/"><span class="achiever-list-name">Oprah Winfrey</span></a> </li> <li> <a href="/web/20200812073921/https://achievement.org/achiever/tom-wolfe/"><span class="achiever-list-name">Tom Wolfe</span></a> </li> <li> <a href="/web/20200812073921/https://achievement.org/achiever/john-wooden/"><span class="achiever-list-name">John Wooden</span></a> </li> <li> <a href="/web/20200812073921/https://achievement.org/achiever/bob-woodward/"><span class="achiever-list-name">Bob Woodward</span></a> </li> <li> <a href="/web/20200812073921/https://achievement.org/achiever/shinya-yamanaka-m-d-ph-d/"><span class="achiever-list-name">Shinya Yamanaka, M.D., Ph.D.</span></a> </li> <li> <a href="/web/20200812073921/https://achievement.org/achiever/general-chuck-yeager/"><span class="achiever-list-name">General Chuck Yeager, USAF</span></a> </li> <li> <a href="/web/20200812073921/https://achievement.org/achiever/andrew-young/"><span class="achiever-list-name">Andrew J. Young</span></a> </li> </ul> <div class="list__close"></div> </div> <div class="col-sm-6 col-lg-3"> <ul id="menu-footer-menu-col-1" class="menu list-unstyled"><li class="menu-item menu-item-has-children menu-our-history"><a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20200812073921/https://achievement.org/our-history/">Our History</a> <ul class="sub-menu"> <li class="menu-item menu-about-the-academy"><a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20200812073921/https://achievement.org/our-history/">About the Academy</a></li> <li class="menu-item menu-academy-patrons"><a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20200812073921/https://achievement.org/our-history/patrons/">Academy Patrons</a></li> <li class="menu-item menu-delegate-alumni"><a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20200812073921/https://achievement.org/our-history/alumni/">Delegate Alumni</a></li> <li class="menu-item menu-directors-our-team"><a 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