With the amount of acting prowess Ron Howard displays in The Andy Griffith Show, it can be easy to forget that, by all accounts, he was just a regular kid leading a relatively normal life outside of working hours. All of this was under the direction of Rance Howard, Ron's father, who was focused on ensuring that his son could have a typical childhood.

According to the book Ron Howard: From Mayberry to the Moon...and Beyond by Beverly Gray, filming of The Andy Griffith Show was set up around Howard's schedule so that the boy could join a Little League team and attend practices and games without it conflicting with the shooting schedule.

For Howard, working on The Andy Griffith Show didn't even feel like work all the time. As a young boy, he saw his costars as pals to spend time with, not just his fellow actors. So, Howard began to grow attached to people like Don Knotts and Andy Griffith. Much like any child does, Howard would get emotional when it was time to part ways with his friends, even if it was just for a little while.

"I used to cry every year when the show went into hiatus," Howard said of The Andy Griffith Show during an interview with The Winnipeg Sun. Howard wasn't just warmed by the kindness that the cast and crew showed him as an actor; he was also grateful for the learning opportunities that helped him prepare for his future as a director, even if he didn't realize his path yet.

Disregarding Howard's age, the young actor was involved in more and more production elements of the program, giving him a peek behind the scenes...and at his future.

See More

The Andy Griffith Show

Ron Howard on The Andy Griffith Show: ''You'd never be able to put on that show today''

"The thing is the directors really used to let me in on the creative process," said Howard. "I used to sit around story meetings, watching jokes evolve."

Watch The Andy Griffith Show on MeTV!

Weeknights at 8 & 8:30, Sundays at 12 & 6 PM

*available in most MeTV markets

 Add to Favorites  Remind Me