Ron Howard Shares Throwback Photo of Himself & Wife Cheryl at a Backwards Dance

Lauren Novak November 4, 2:30 pm

Director Ron Howard (L) and actress Cheryl Howard attend the 2015 Vanity Fair Oscar Party hosted by Graydon Carter at Wallis Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts on February 22, 2015 in Beverly Hills, California — Pascal Le Segretain/Getty Images

Ron Howard is one of those rare Hollywood celebrities who has been married to the same person forever. He married his high school sweetheart, Cheryl, in 1975, and they have been together ever since, through the highs and lows of fame and raising four children. To delight their fans, Ron often shares throwback photos of their life together on social media. Recently, he shared a photo of himself and Cheryl in high school at something called a backwards dance.

It sounds similar to a Sadie Hawkins dance, where the girl asks the boy to the dance. Ron added, “Cheryl made that dress from storebought pattern as I recall,” as well as promoted his book called The Boys: A Memoir of Hollywood and Family, which he wrote with his brother Clint about growing up.

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While Ron and Clint had a famous father, Rance Howard, and Ron started acting when he was just 5 years old in The Andy Griffith Show, he attended Burbank’s John Burroughs High School. He once shared, “I met her, and there was never anybody else. She’s unbelievably supportive and always has been. Our compatibility has endured through all kinds of experiences.”

Director Ron Howard kisses his wife Cheryl at the 74th Annual Academy Awards March 24, 2002 at The Kodak Theater in Hollywood, CA

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The couple opened up about their first date and said that they went to see a re-release of Stanley Kramer‘s It’s a Mad Mad Mad World and then got some pizza. On the 50th anniversary of their first date, Ron shared that they were driving around in the same ’70 VW Bug from that day.

Director Ron Howard and Cheryl Howard attend the DGA Honors 2015 Gala on October 15, 2015 in New York City

Jemal Countess/Getty Images for DGA

Another fun fact from their relationship? Cheryl has been in everything that Ron has directed since 11th grade. He once said that superstition is a big factor in why he makes sure Cheryl has a cameo in every film. He explained, “At a certain point, I became very superstitious about making sure that she appears, that she’s at least identifiable in one frame. They don’t have to be big cameos, but she’s gotta be in there.”