Ron Howard on his time as a university student while playing a high schooler on Happy Days
Ron Howard didn't just play a student during his time on Happy Days; he actually was one. According to an interview with the Longview Daily News, Howard studied cinema at the University of California.
"I'm on a half schedule and studying psychology and biology," he said. "The teachers are mailing tests and letting me cover the material on my own. Next semester I may take it a little easier."
Luckily, in Howard's life, there was an emphasis of importance on education, just the same as there was on his career.
"I've never been able to be a full-time student because of acting, but this is not important because I know what I want and am doing it...It would be a lack of foresight to think I had it made now and didn't have to continue to improve myself."
While Howard never graduated from university, he did have a good enough head on his shoulders to understand that big dreams require determination and lots of help. Luckily, his Happy Days costars were more than happy to make their series the best one possible.
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"The most pleasant surprise is that the material is very good and nobody is treating it as a job," said Howard. "Instead, all of us are treating it as fun and we are trying to do something that's good here. I hope we can succeed."
Executive producer Thomas L. Miller said that although Richie seemed to serve as the show's protagonist, it was important to understand that a show like Happy Days wasn't just about the students; it was about the entire family.
"While the series is about Richie and his best friend Potsie...it is also the story of the way families related in a time when everybody in the household sat down at six p.m. for dinner together, maybe even preceded by a blessing," said Miller.
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