The real reason Ron Howard hasn’t acted in a movie he directed since 1977: “That’s the last time”

Ron Howard says he stopped acting in films he directed because he wanted to focus on directing and take on increasingly ambitious projects. His only starring role in his own film was in his 1977 debut, *Grand Theft Auto*, which he co-wrote with his father; he says he acted in nothing he directed after that.

Howard did film a scene for his next feature, *Night Shift*, but cut it because he disliked it. Across 28 feature films as director, he has appeared on screen only once more: an uncredited cameo in *How the Grinch Stole Christmas*, under makeup and prosthetics. He continued acting elsewhere for years, including in *Happy Days*, before leaving regular screen work.