Bryce Dallas Howard was born March 2, 1981, in Los Angeles,[1] to writer Cheryl Howard (née Alley)[2] and actor-director Ron Howard. She has two younger sisters; twins Jocelyn and Paige, and a younger brother named Reed.[3] Through her father, Bryce is a granddaughter of actors Rance Howard and Jean Speegle Howard, as well as a niece of actor Clint Howard. Her godfather is actor Henry Winkler,[4] who co-starred with her father in the 1970s–1980s American comedy television series Happy Days.[5]
Howard was raised in Armonk, New York, and on a farm in Greenwich, Connecticut.[6] Howard and her siblings were raised away from the world of show business; their parents did not allow them access to television, and instead encouraged outdoor activities and hobbies. At the age of seven, she was permitted to be an extra in her father's films. In a 2017 appearance on Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen, she said she and her siblings were babysat by family friend Tom Cruise on several occasions.[7]
Howard is also an alumna of the Steppenwolf Theatre Company's School in Chicago, and of The Actors Center in New York City.[11] During her time in New York, Howard was also a member of Theater Mitu, a company that was in residence at New York Theatre Workshop, which is known for its exploration of theatrical forms.[11][15]
In 2007, Howard starred in her first blockbuster film, portraying Gwen Stacy in the superhero film Spider-Man 3.[28] Howard described herself as a "huge fan" of the franchise and did extensive research to prepare for the role, including reading comic books and dyeing her hair blonde for the part.[29][30] Howard performed many of her own stunts while filming, unaware she was a few months into a pregnancy.[31] The film was the highest-grossing installment of the trilogy and received a mixed reception.[32][33] Howard then starred in the science fiction film Terminator Salvation (2009);[34] she replaced Claire Danes in the role of Kate Connor.[35][36] Howard described her role as "an emotional sounding board" for other characters.[37] The film was a financial success but was not critically well received.[34][38]The Guardian described Howard's role as "winsomely" while The New York Times wrote she "upholds the maternal side of the original Sarah Connor legacy".[39][40]
Howard, alongside her father, produced Gus Van Sant's Restless (2011), a dark coming-of-age film about a teenage boy and girl who are engrossed with death.[60] Howard[which?] offered considerable input on the film's screenwriting and directorial choices.[61] It premiered at the Cannes Film Festival to mixed reviews.[62] She portrayed Joseph Gordon-Levitt's on-and-off girlfriend in the cancer dramedy50/50 (2011).[63] The film premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival to critical acclaim and was nominated for the Golden Globe Award for Best Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy.[64][65]The New York Times stated Howard "makes a real character" out of the "shrewish" role while Los Angeles Times wrote she was "rapidly becoming today's preeminent Queen of Mean".[66] Howard directed the short film When You Find Me, a social film that was developed in collaboration with Canon under the premise of gathering inspiration through images selected from a photography contest. 96,362 entries[67] were accepted while only eight were selected for use in the film.[68]
2015–present: Mainstream recognition and professional expansion
In 2015, Howard starred opposite Chris Pratt, in the science fiction action film Jurassic World, the fourth installment in the Jurassic Park franchise.[69] She portrayed Claire Dearing, the ambitious, accomplished operations manager at the titular theme park who undergoes development during the film.[70] Howard performed extensive ankle exercises to complete the scenes in which her character runs in high heels through almost three feet (0.91 m) of mud, which she described as "one of the hardest things [she's] ever had to do".[71]Jurassic World was a commercial and critical success, with Howard's performance and on-screen chemistry with Pratt receiving praise.[72][73][74]Rolling Stone described her portrayal as "dynamo" and "nobody's patsy" while the Associated Press wrote; "it is Howard who makes the biggest impact ... her transformation is the most convincing one in a film full of dubious evolutions".[75][76] The Los Angeles Times and The Atlantic considered Dearing and her use of heels "sexist", while Bustle and Inquisitr labeled Howard's character as a "feminist hero".[77][78][79][80][81] Howard disagreed with the former view, citing the character's detachment from reality and extensive familiarity with heels in everyday life.[82]
In 2016, Howard starred in the fantasy adventure film Pete's Dragon, a remake of the 1977 film of the same name.[83][84]Pete's Dragon was released to critical and commercial success.[85] The same year, Howard appeared in the crime drama Gold (2016) as Kay, the protagonist's girlfriend.[86]Gold opened to a limited release with mixed reviews.[87]The Hollywood Reporter dubbed her portrayal a "sturdy, salt-of-the-earth" type who "makes [a substantial] impression".[88] That same year, she also appeared in "Nosedive", an episode of the Netflix science fiction anthology series Black Mirror.[89] Howard gained 30 pounds for the role because body shaming is a "huge part of the subtext of the story".[90] She chose a laugh for Lacie, her character, that she meant to connote artificiality, anxiety, and dejection.[91] Both Howard and the episode received critical praise; The Guardian lauded her portrayal as "brilliantly played" and The Atlantic wrote "Howard's performance is terrific–she conveys Lacie's inner frustration while grinning cheerfully through it".[92][93] Howard received a Screen Actors Guild Award nomination for her performance.[94]
Howard reprised her role as Claire Dearing in the second film of the Jurassic World trilogy, Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom (2018), in which her character appears as a dinosaur-rights activist. The film was a commercial hit, although it received mixed critical reception.[95][96][97] For accuracy, Howard trained with a veterinary surgeon who had experience with African wildlife.[98]Variety stated Howard "projects a luminous concern for God's ancient revived creatures" while Empire praised both Pratt and Howard for "develop[ing] their characters beyond the archetypes they inhabited".[99][100]
In 2019, Howard voiced the character Bella in the family drama film A Dog's Way Home, which opened to critical and commercial success.[101][102] Howard appeared as Elton John's mother Sheila Dwight in the musical biopic Rocketman (2019), which was directed by Dexter Fletcher.[103] Howard described her character as humorous and sharp-witted, and as someone who struggled with her mental health.[104] Howard worked extensively with make-up artists to design the character's look as she aged, and used Elizabeth Taylor as inspiration for her portrayal.[105][106]Rocketman was a box-office hit and garnered critical acclaim, receiving a nomination for the Golden Globe Award for Best Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy.[107][108] The Chicago Sun-Times praised Howard for her "finely nuanced work" and CinemaBlend called her performance a "wicked portrayal ... that really ties a film together".[109][110][111]
Howard made her feature film directorial debut with the documentary Dads,[112][113] which premiered at the 2019 Toronto International Film Festival, where it was named second runner-up for the People's Choice Award for Documentaries.[114]Dads received critical acclaim; Variety wrote; "Howard favors observation over lecture, anecdotes over numbers, showing instead of telling what equally split primary-caregiving looks like in contemporary households" and The Guardian said the film "mixes the platitudinous with the genuinely moving".[115][116]
She directed three episodes of the Disney+ space Western series The Mandalorian (2019–2023).[117] Howard referred to the larger Star Wars universe as an asset to storytelling, and sought to maintain character depth and appeal to viewers.[118] Howard's direction received positive responses; Den of Geek said she "[made] the episode pop" and "knows what makes Star Wars tick".[119] Howard also directed an episode of the miniseries The Book of Boba Fett, which premiered on Disney+ in January 2022.[120]
Howard reprised her role as Claire Dearing once more in Jurassic World Dominion (2022), the concluding instalment in the Jurassic World trilogy.[121] In 2024, she starred in the lead role of the action comedy film Argylle, directed by Matthew Vaughn.[122] She also directed episode 6 of the Disney+ science fiction series Star Wars: Skeleton Crew.
During her senior year of high school, Howard learned of existentialism. She said: "I was like, 'This is it! This is my religion.' I had never felt a connection to any sort of spirituality before that. It was very basic–you're responsible for the choices that you make–but it was mind-blowing at the time."[5]
Howard met actor Seth Gabel at New York University;[23] they dated for five years before marrying on June 17, 2006.[28] Howard and Gabel had planned to start a family together in their thirties but a week after their wedding, when they were both around 25 years old, Howard learned she was pregnant with their first child.[44][124] Howard gave birth to their son in 2007.[125] Howard has talked about experiencing postpartum depression 18 months after her son's birth, and credited her recovery to the help of a physician and a therapist.[124][44] The couple had a second child, a daughter, in 2012.[126][127] The family lives in upstate New York.[128]
^ abcDavis, Peter (January 26, 2006). "Too Good To Be True". Paper. Paper Publishing Company. Archived from the original on October 11, 2012. Retrieved May 24, 2011.
^Lipworth, Elaine (June 28, 2010), "Twilight: Bryce Dallas Howard interview", The Daily Telegraph, London, archived from the original on June 14, 2018, retrieved April 4, 2018, Howard was so keen to kick off her acting career that she left New York University before completing her degree – something she now regrets.
^Number of entries is noted at the end of the completed film at Imagination (December 4, 2012). when you find me. YouTube. Archived from the original on June 3, 2016.
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