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Ron Howard on the similarities between the Cunninghams and his own family
It turns out that the Howard family was a lot like the Cunningham family.
Families come in all shapes and sizes, but when we're casting broad strokes, you can find certain similarities throughout every family.
A show like Happy Days found the sweet spot between nostalgia and relatability. Sure, the series was depicting a decade that had long passed us by, but there were elements of the Cunningham family that we recognized in our own.
This wasn't just a feeling shared by the audience; it also affected the show's actors. Specifically, Richie Cunningham, played by Ron Howard, found that he could recognize pieces of his own family in his on-screen one.
"There are similarities between this series family and my own family," said Howard. "My Dad has a certain kind of sense of humor. It's not as sharp as Tom's in the series. Nevertheless, there is a similarity that makes it easy and natural to do scenes with him."
For Bosley's part, the man who had lived through the fifties was able to recognize exactly what made it so enviable to viewers who were avidly watching in the seventies. "Parents and children really did communicate with each other in those days," said Bosley.
Still, Bosley felt that the series could provide a look behind the curtain, and perhaps give reason for parents and children of a more modern age to connect with each other.
"I have a different perspective about the series since I was not a juvenile then," said the actor. "I see many things come up I even associate with the forties. I think the show has appeal for both older viewers and members of the younger teens audience who are curious about what it was like when their parents were growing up."
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