Ron Howard has been a household name for over 70 years. The Hollywood heavyweight has been working in cinema and television since he was a baby.

In addition to his amazing profession, the multiple award winner, who also exhibits longevity in his personal life, has been married to his wife Cheryl for over 50 years.

Continue reading to learn more about Howard’s decades-long career and marriage!

Ronald Howard, the future Hollywood superstar, was born on March 1, 1954, in Duncan, Oklahoma.

Howard was only 18 months old when he made his film debut in Frontier Woman, and at the age of two, he made his stage debut in The Seven Year Itch.

Soon after, the freckle-faced redhead began his famous career with a part on The Andy Griffith Show (1960–1968).

Howard had the full support of his parents, who worked in the entertainment industry, when he portrayed Opie, the son of Griffith’s character.

“Remember when we said, ‘You can do it if you want, but you don’t have to?'” “Well, once you start this, you can’t stop,” Howard replied, recalling his discussion with his parents decades ago. No need to play other roles on other shows, but you must keep doing this one.”

Howard explains that he understood his parents’ message, saying, “I think it was pretty clear at that point that I was enjoying it, and I was good at it.”

He was excellent at it and was on his way to becoming a superstar.

Howard starred in The Andy Griffith Show and featured on the big screen in 1962’s The Music Man, a tremendous financial triumph.

A natural talent, he went on to feature in 1973’s American Graffiti with Harrison Ford, Richard Dreyfuss, and Cindy Williams, with whom he would later collaborate.

Garry Marshall cast him as Richie Cunningham in his new sitcom Happy Days in 1974, which aired in homes worldwide between 1974 and 1984.

The television program produced a few successful spin-offs, including Laverne & Shirley, featuring Williams and Marshall’s sister Penny, and Mork & Mindy, with Robin Williams as Mork, the favorite Orkan.

Howard met Cheryl Alley, his high school love, in 1970, before winning a Golden Globe for his role as the naive youngster on Happy Days. They married in 1975.

“I met her, and there was never anybody else,” the director of the Da Vinci Code told People. “She’s tremendously supportive and has always been. Our compatibility has lasted through a variety of circumstances.”

After 50 years of sharing experiences, Howard, who won an Oscar for directing A Beautiful Mind, marked the 50th anniversary of his first date with Cheryl on Instagram.

“On November 1, 1970, Cheryl and I went on our first date,” he said, adding a photo of himself wearing socks with representations of Cheryl’s face. “We went to see a re-release of Stanley Kramer’s It’s a Mad Mad Mad World and then had pizza at the now-defunct Barnone’s in Toluca Lake.” Quite a start, right?”

He also detailed their plans for the day: “We’ll be driving in the identical ’70 VW Bug that I picked up Cheryl in 5 decades ago. It operates quite well. ” So do we.”

Cheryl appeared in numerous of Howard’s productions and even portrayed herself in the TV comedy series Arrested Development, which Howard produced and narrated.

During an interview with the Television Academy, Ron described Cheryl as his “lucky charm,” elucidating her presence in each film he produces.

“At a certain point, I became very superstitious about making sure that she appears, that she’s at least identifiable in one frame,” he recalls. “They don’t have to be big cameos, but she’s got to be in there.”

In addition to wishing her husband well, Cheryl is a published novelist with a bachelor’s degree in psychology and a master’s degree in screenwriting.

The power couple is grandparents to six children and parents to four: daughter Bryce, twins Paige and Jocelyn, and son Reed.

Bryce, a well-known actor, has been in films such as Jurassic World and The Help, while Paige made her feature film debut in 2009’s Adventureland. She has appeared in the films The Employer and Collection.

Reed is a professional golfer, while Paige’s twin sister Jocelyn is extremely private.

Nearing their 49th anniversary on June 7, the Emmy Award-winning producer reveals that “communication” is the key to their long-lasting relationship.

“People ask, ‘How’d you do it?’ “There is no technique,” Howard tells People. “There is no technique, except that communication is critical. You must learn to communicate and engage in uncomfortable conversations in a productive way. People develop together or not, and you cannot force it.”