“When 'Apollo 13' appeared as an opportunity and I began to tackle that in as authentic a way as I possibly could, I really became enthralled by the philosophical side of space travel and why we need to explore - what it means to us here on Earth - all of those things. I became a huge proponent.”

American filmmaker and actor

Ronald William Howard is an American filmmaker and actor whose career has spanned six decades. He began as a child actor before moving into directing films, and has been recognized for work in both film and television. He has received two Academy Awards, seven Emmy Awards, two Golden Globe Awards, and two Grammy Awards, along with seven British Academy Film Award nominations. He was awarded the National Medal of Arts in 2003, entered the Television Hall of Fame in 2013, and has two stars on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.