Ron Howard and his daughter Bryce have a lot in common!
The acclaimed filmmaker, 71, opened up to PEOPLE about his daughter’s directing talents at the 50th AFI Life Achievement Award: A Tribute to Francis Ford Coppola on Saturday, April 26, in Los Angeles.
“She works differently,” Ron said of Bryce, 44. “Our sensibilities are similar in a lot of ways.”
He noted that he considers himself “a collaborator and team leader,” but Bryce has “taken that to a whole other level.”
“She’s so good at leading a group of people to find what’s best for the story. She has her own taste, her own sensibilities, and I just love the way she’s approached what she’s done,” the proud dad continued of his daughter. “She’s strong, she has opinions. She’s articulate. She takes the positions. She’s not afraid to challenge even the studio’s thinking.”
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Ron shares Bryce with wife Cheryl. They also share twins Jocelyn Carlyle and Paige Carlyle, and son Reed Cross.
Bryce has accumulated several directing credits over the last two decades after having started her career as an actress. A few of her recent directing credits include episodes of The Book of Boba Fett, The Mandalorian and Skeleton Crew, as well as the Disney+ Pets documentary.
Meanwhile, Ron has helmed several classics, such as 1989’s Parenthood, 1995’s Apollo 13 and 2001’s A Beautiful Mind. The Oscar winner has also directed the recent releases, Solo: A Star Wars Story, Hillbilly Elegy and the star-studded drama Thirteen Lives.
The AFI Life Achievement Award saw filmmaker Francis Ford Coppola be awarded the prestigious honor from the American Film Institute. Previous honorees include Nicole Kidman, Julie Andrews and Denzel Washington.
While chatting with PEOPLE, Ron also reflected on how Coppola has inspired him. “He really is a maverick at heart and remains that person. It’s really remarkable,” the director said.
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“It’s that idea that audiences actually hunger for something that is an expression of a filmmaker… I’ve tried to make movies, in whatever genre, I’ve tried to find that link between what I had to offer, what I felt, what was really in my heart and that story, and whether it’s a family fantasy comedy or a thriller based on real events,” Ron continued. “I think several generations of filmmakers have been inspired in that way by Francis, put yourself into your movies and fully really commit.”
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