Ron Howard's transformation from adorable child actor to Hollywood icon in 9 photos

Sheriff Andy Taylor and son Opie, played by Ron Howard, live with his Aunt Bee and spend very little time solving crime.

Ron brought the loveable star of the fictional town of Mayberry to life and set himself up for a life of success in showbiz.

Ron Howard's brother Clint also worked as an actor, and starred on two seasons of Gentle Ben, with brother Ron appearing as a guest star.

Gentle Ben himself was played by Bruno the Bear, who also worked with Hollywood star Paul Newman. Born in 1962, he brought the cuddly giant to life between 1967 and 1969 alongside Clint Howard.

The Smith Family ran for two seasons, first airing in 1971, and starred Ron and Henry Fonda. Henry's Detective Chad Smith worked as an LA policeman, as well as a father of three.

Ron Howard and his on-screen siblings explored more grounded family issues, with Ron playing the eldest child, Bob Smith.

One of Ron's most famous roles, Richie Cunningham on Happy Days, cast Howard as the relatable boy next door.

His run on the show ensured Ron would become a household name in Hollywood. His role lasted between 1974 and 1980, appearing regularly on the first seven seasons before leaving the show and occasionally appearing in guest spots until its end in 1984. 

Ron might know exactly how to make a splash on the sitcom screen, but he truly made, well, a Splash in his 1984 directorial feature starring Tom Hanks and Daryl Hannah. 

The classic hit came 7 years after his first directorial feature Grand Theft Auto, and surely proved to any remaining doubters that Ron was a showbiz wiz behind the camera as well.

Ron and Cheryl Howard had their first date in 1970 and married five years later, now having shared over 50 years of red carpet kisses together.

It was business as usual in 1996 as Ron Howard was awarded Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Feature Film for his work on Apollo 13. Of course, his long-time love Cheryl was there to celebrate the win.

In 2002, Ron Howard took home two Oscar wins for touching biographical drama A Beautiful Mind, which won Best Picture and Best Director.

Magic almost struck twice, as Ron earned nominations for the same set of prestigious awards seven years later for his political feature Frost/Nixon in 2009.

Nothing says Hollywood icon quite like a star on the Walk of Fame. Fortunately, Ron's got two of those ticked off the bucket list.

In 1981, he secured his TV legacy with a Hollywood Star and, in a rare honour, was awarded a second for his film work in 2015.

Of course, it's not all about the awards. Ron has also found joy as a family man, raising daughter Bryce Dallas Howard and three other children with his school sweetheart Cheryl.

Bryce has clearly inherited her father's talents and is a star of her own making, with credits including Spider-Man 3, The Twilight Saga: Eclipse and The Help. She is, however, best known as Claire Dearing in Jurassic World.