Were Andy Griffith's lessons the secret behind Ron Howard’s creative genius?

It all comes back to Mayberry.

August 19, 2024, 11:16AM By MeTV Staff

The Everett Collection

When it's time to get on with our work, everybody knows the environment is one of the most important elements. Having the right surroundings, and the right context to proceed with one's job is key. We can't just plop down in the middle of a busy intersection and expect to be productive. But, similarly, an empty, silent room might not yield great results either.

Everybody is different, and everyone's ideal workspace is different as well. One thing we can all agree on, though, is that there's no room for tension. To make the best work, we have to feel free from certain negative interactions.

Ron Howard, who starred as Opie Taylor on The Andy Griffith Show, has had a variety of workplaces over his long career. From that early, legendary TV show to other acting opportunities like Happy Days and American Graffiti, Howard had plenty of sets to observe from, and he seemingly collected bits and pieces from each of those experiences. But more than his later successes, it seems Mayberry helped shape the future of his career, especially when it comes to the atmosphere he cultivates in his own projects.

In a 2010 interview with Amy Anderson of Success.com, Howard discussed how his time as Opie informed the remainder of his career. Specifically, it was the feeling Andy Griffith fostered on his set that proved most influential.

"That was a very unique environment,” Howard said of the Andy Griffith Show's production.

“It was incredibly productive, but it was also fun. And Andy Griffith, to be honest, set a tremendous example without ever lecturing or offering a word of advice. Basically, he demonstrated a creative integrity about the work…. It did not mean that people had to wander around with a furrowed brow, chain smoking and kicking furniture, in order to bring something that was really personal and creatively exciting to the public.”

Those experiences on the set of one of TV's most beloved programs influenced the work Howard continues to do as a director today.

“That’s the kind of environment that I try to create, and it’s the way I work,” he says. “So I’m not a person that flourishes in an environment of conflict. I’ve learned to cope with hot situations, but it’s not something that I find stimulating.”