Ron Howard said that the teens of the fifties weren't so different from the young people of today

The actor believed that the two groups were more alike than they were different.

CBS Television Distribution

While nothing will ever be exactly the same as it was when we were kids, there are bound to be some consistencies between generations. Teenagers are strange, but they're not especially complicated. They love to hang out where they aren't supposed to, listen to music their parents hate, and so on. It was a truth that even Ron Howard was willing to acknowledge.

Having played little tyke Opie Taylor of The Andy Griffith Show before graduating to fun-loving teen Richie Cunningham of Happy Days, Howard had lived through adolescence two-fold, and he had quite a few opinions on what it was like to grow up throughout the years.

During an interview with The Columbia Record, Howard revealed that although he played a teenager from the fifties in Happy Days, he didn't especially notice much of a difference between youths from that time period versus the teens of today.

"Things haven't changed that much," said Howard. "The guys I ran with acted just like the guys in the show. The only difference is that kids in the fifties lived in their own world and never thought about politics or things of that nature. We were concerned and more aware."

Considering he was a child star, Howard didn't necessarily have the most traditional upbringing that one might expect of the everyday teenager. But although he had lived many lives on screen, Howard was careful not to get ahead of himself.

"I'm at an age where I could get carried away," said the actor. "But I know it's a fluke in that so many parts came along. I have to look at it rationally. I can play parts from age sixteen to twenty, but there's no way I can be a versatile actor now because such roles aren't around."

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25 Comments

JHP 26 days ago
when it comes down to it....this interview is pretty dated

I cannot see anyone with a good IQ stating that view now
Runeshaper 1 month ago
Interesting insight.

Not thinking about politics or things of that nature probably let's a person be more of a kid, which I personally would prefer at that age.
JHP 1 month ago
Mr Howard I really really really beg to differ. In TAGS you had bullies *Sheldon and the milk money" - Steve Quincy...) to contend with...nowadays...
justjeff 1 month ago
That was a point of view [probably] from the 70s. Without turning this into a politcal basketball, I personally feel that the kids of today are *nothing* like those of the 50s, thanks in part (as a friend so succintly pointed out) thanks to television, the Internet and cell phones.

All three media devices have oversaturated our world with TMI (Too Much Information), and much of it is not necessarily factual or helpful. Remember , there's three sides to every story...yours, mine and **the truth**!
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JHP justjeff 1 month ago
bulls-eye fer sure! social media is more ANTI-social media with the comfort of being in the basement
Coldnorth Sonu 1 month ago
IMO, the words, always, everyone, everything (that’s the words I’m thinking of)I am sure not everyone disrespected WW2 vets. Yes there is always ugliness in our country for some reason. I still say, lack of respect is the reason for problems in our society
Mempatfan Sonu 1 month ago
OK Sonu. How respectful were the boomers toward WW2's generation ?
Sonu Mempatfan 30 days ago
Not very, according to my dad and uncles and ghe establishment at the time. Ever hear the slogan "Don't trust anyone over 30?"
Bapa1 1 month ago
My Father (who passed away 10 years ago) and I would have discussions about this. He would say things are always the same when it comes to relationships, family, raising children etc. I disagreed, I feel the times and technology have changed the dynamics of relationships.
justjeff Bapa1 1 month ago
You're both right - in a way - the essentials of relationships, family, raising children etc. have remained the same from a down-to-earth human perspective, but the outside influences of the times and technology have made some of this "basic goals" harder to achieve...
ncadams27 1 month ago
Growing up in the fifties (sixties), everything, for lack of a better word, was “filtered”. News came from newspapers or TV. Networks only had 15 minutes of news each evening (later 30 min in the early sixties). There were only three networks on TV and no VCR’s, Internet, social media, or streaming. If you wanted music, you had to wait and hear it on the radio or buy a record. You had to go to the theater to watch a first-run movie. The main form of communication with friends was on the phone (landline) or writing letters, if you were unable to be together in person.
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JHP ncadams27 1 month ago
just look at back in the day - tv shows that featured newspapers were gold and their employees were almost law enforcement..
Coldnorth justjeff 1 month ago
Amen Jeff
Sonu justjeff 30 days ago
Welk thats the thing, we tend to think the past was better than it was and that the younger generation is worse. The WW2 generation sneered at the dirty hippy boomers. And if want to see the low opinion the greatest generations parents had of them read "The Man in the Gray Flannel Suit" or "It Can't Happen Here."
Sonu Sonu 30 days ago
Well thats the thing, we tend to think the past was better than it was and that the younger generation is worse. The WW2 generation sneered at the dirty hippy boomers and the boomers railed against the Man. And if you want to see the low opinion the greatest generations parents had of them read "The Man in the Gray Flannel Suit" or "It Can't Happen Here."
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