Although Ron Howard was born (on March 1, 1954) in Duncan, Oklahoma, from an early age he made Hollywood his home. He shot his first motion picture at four and played major television roles at five. Before his sixth birthday he had found a permanent place for himself in American popular culture by creating the role of Opie on The Andy Griffith Show. Later, through his starring roles in the landmark film, American Graffiti, and the hit television series, Happy Days, he came to represent the perennial American teenager. But even in his teen years, Howard had a long-range goal: to trade the glare of the spotlight for a quieter but equally creative life behind the camera.

Since the age of twenty-three, when he directed Grand Theft Auto for Roger Corman's New World Pictures, Ron Howard has worked tirelessly to show the world that he is not simply an overgrown child star. As a director, he has turned out such hit motion pictures as Splash (1984), Cocoon (1985), Parenthood (1989), Apollo 13 (1995), and Ransom (1996). His live-action version of Dr. Seuss' How the Grinch Stole Christmas (2000) is one of the highest grossing movies of all time. For his psychological drama, A Beautiful Mind (2001), Howard won two of Hollywood's highest accolades, the Academy Award for best director and best picture.

Despite Ron Howard's many accomplishments, no serious biography was ever written about him. Now that he's entered his fifth decade in show business, Ron Howard: From Mayberry to the Moon . . . and Beyond more than makes up for this oversight.