The cycle of directing is quite a beautiful thing. Young, aspiring directors look up to seasoned pros and take the lessons they've learned at the feet of the greats to ascend to greatness themselves. Then, after enough time has passed, these students become the masters and educate a new generation of students, and so the circle continues forever.

Jerry Paris, best known as the director of many an episode of Happy Days, had the privilege of learning his craft from Carl Reiner, who created The Dick Van Dyke Show.

Previously, Paris had actually acted on The Dick Van Dyke Show, appearing as the Petries' neighbor and best friend, Jerry Helper. According to Paris, however, it wasn't long before Reiner began to see promise in him as a creator.

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"You're a wonderful actor," Reiner said to Paris, according to an article in The News. "You always play supporting roles. You should direct. You have imagination and you're full of life."

Of course, Paris argued that he had little experience behind the camera. How was he supposed to prepare for working as a director? Reiner's advice was direct as he passed Paris an upcoming script for The Dick Van Dyke Show. "Read this, and tell me what's wrong with it," said Reiner.

Of course, Reiner's intuition was spot on; Paris became an incredibly talented director, working on shows like The Odd Couple, The Munsters, and McCloud.

"As a director, you can participate in all the colorful things you couldn't do as a supporting actor," said Paris. "If I have a skill, it's an ability to see the end of the road. I know how to get around problems. Too many actors turned directors are carried away by things they love - 'Oh, this is good' - and then discover they have an uneven product."

Of course, Paris used his power for good, using his newfound experience to teach Ron Howard while on the set of Happy Days. Howard, who played Richie Cunningham, went on to have an incredibly successful directing career as well.

"I tell Ron Howard, 'You can add little touches, but keep the overall perspective,'" said Paris.