Summary
Ron Howard explains howThe Andy Griffith Showrewrote his key character. Howard played Opie Taylor on the hit ‘60s show, beginning the role when he was only six years old and continuing to act until the show ended, when he was 14 years old. In addition to Howard, the popular'60s seriesThe Andy Griffith Showstarred the eponymous Andy Griffith alongside a supporting cast including Don Knotts, Frances Bavier, Colin Male, George Lindsey, Howard McNear, Tom Jacobs, Aneta Corsaut, Jack Dodson, and Hal Smith.
Speaking onConan O’Brien Needs a Friend, Howard explains how his father’s advice to Griffith changed the character of Opie.
Howard was asked about the freshness of Opie’s character inThe Andy Griffith Show, and went on to explain how the character was altered from his original form.Before Howard’s father stepped in, Opie Taylor was written as a wise-cracking, precocious young kidin the way many child characters at the time were. After the first episode, Howard’s father suggested a softer alternative to Griffith, wherein Opie “actually respected his father.” Check out the full quote from Howard below:
This is something that means a lot to me, and I didn’t know anything about it at the time, but later Andy told me this. So when we were doing a revival, Return to Mayberry, or one of those sort of interview specials or something, Andy told me that in that very first season, the first episode, that my dad — was an actor, not a famous actor, but he was a professional, working — took it upon himself to just go up quietly to Andy at one point and say, ‘Now I see they’re writing Opie kind of the way they write the Rusty Hamer character on Danny Thomas. And like so many shows, where he’s a wise ass. And he said, ‘You know, Ronnie can do that and everything, but what if he actually respected his father?’ And Andy thought about it, and told me years later that he went back to the writers and said, ‘Let’s write Andy-Opie like Ronnie-Rance.’ And let’s try that. And they went for it.
Why This Opie Decision Was A Good One
The Andy Griffith Show Maintained an Organic Feel
Opie’s character is far more human, believable, and likable than many other child characters on TV, and imbuesThe Andy Griffith Showwith the profound sense of kindness that so characterizes the show.
As per Howard’s description, Opie stood out from many young characters that were on TV during the time ofThe Andy Griffith Show. This difference made it such thatOpie was a much more fully-formed, believable young boythan many of the other characters. This element of Opie makes his character far more human, realistic, and likable than many other child characters on TV, and imbuesThe Andy Griffith Showwith the profound sense of kindness that so characterizes it.
The Opie change was not the only thing thatnow-director Howardrevealed aboutThe Andy Griffith Showin his conversation with O’Brien. Earlier in the interview, the host asked him to speak about the slow dialogue scenes that were typically held between Andy and Barney. Howard then revealed that the majority of those scenes were improvised, used to fill in for time when the episodes were coming in short. The scenes that resulted from this process felt like real conversations, and that was because they were.
The Andy Griffith Show: 10 Jokes That Aged Poorly
The Andy Griffith Show is a classic TV show from the 60s and one that people still watch. But some of the jokes are dated and don’t fly today.
Through both the Opie change and the revelation about the dialogue scenes, it becomes clear how much ofThe Andy Griffith Showwas an evolving process. The series’ content was not just dictated by star Griffith or main producer Aaron Ruben, but was a coalescing of multiple great TV minds. This collaborative environment led to a show that felt organic, believable, and real, and cementedThe Andy Griffith Showas one of the most-loved sitcoms of all time.
Ron Howard’s Post-Opie Legacy
Ron Howard Has A Prominent Directing Career
Part of why it is so fascinating to hear Howard reflect on his time playing Opie is because of how far the former child actor has come in his career. As he mentioned in his interview, Howard came from an acting family, as his father, Rance Howard, was an actor as well.It was his dad’s connections that helped young Ron Howard land his roleinThe Andy Griffith Show. Acting in the series from ages six to fourteen, Howard grew up with the series and became beloved for that reason.
When Howard was a teenager, he dabbled in the behind-the-scenes part of the industry when he started directing his own short films. In 1977,Howard directed his first feature film,Grand Theft Auto. In addition to helming the film, he also starred in the movie alongside his father, Rance. From there, Howard focused much of his career on directing, going on to create notable works includingParenthood,Apollo 13,Willow, andCinderella Man.
Howard has won two Oscars, bothforA Beautiful Mind, which he directed and produced. He also received Oscar nominations for Best Director and Best Picture for 2008’s acclaimedFrost/Nixon. In recent years, he has directed a smattering of documentaries and based-on-true-story films, includingThirteen Livesand this year’sJim Henson: Idea Man, and he also has a number of upcoming projects, such asThe Shrinking of TreehornandThe Fixer.
Even after his career has taken an entirely different shape, it is endearing to reflect on Howard’s role onThe Andy Griffith Show, which made him first known to the world. Howard’s time working with TV greats such as Ruben and Griffith was undoubtedly formative for his later career, giving him the kind of edge in directing that he has now. The Howard family’s Hollywood legacy will also live on past Rance and Ron Howard, as the latter’sdaughter Bryce Dallas Howard also has an active film career.
Bryce Dallas Howard is best known for starring in theJurassic Worldfranchise, and she most recently appeared in Matthew Vaughn’sArgylle.
