Ron Howard Hoped to 'Rectify' How Often He Worked With This Collaborator. A Decade Later, Fans Are Holding Out Hope
- - Ron Howard Hoped to 'Rectify' How Often He Worked With This Collaborator. A Decade Later, Fans Are Holding Out Hope
Angela AndaloroJanuary 1, 2026 at 2:42 AM
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Ron Howard -
Ron Howard has kept a circle of collaborators whom he's worked with many times over his decades-long career
Michael Keaton has been one of these collaborators, working with Howard on several films
Howard has opened up about the working relationship and why it's one he'd like to revisit
Ron Howard has worked with many talents over the years.
As both an actor and a director, the 71-year-old has gotten the opportunity to work with some of Hollywood's brightest. Howard is one of the few talents who has been honored by the industry with not one, but two stars on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
It was 10 years ago, on Dec. 10, 2015, that the filmmaker was awarded his second star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. Among those who spoke about Howard's accomplishments was Michael Keaton. The duo worked together on Night Shift (1982), Gung Ho (1986), Clean and Sober (1988), The Paper (1994) and Inventing the Abbotts (1997).
Speaking with reporters at that ceremony, Howard expressed his desire to work with Keaton again.
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Ron Howard and Michael Keaton in 2015
"I've been so lucky in this business, I've worked with so many great people," Howard said.
"I have so few regrets, practically none, and one of them is just only that it's been far too long since Michael [Keaton] and I made a movie together, so I'm hoping to rectify that sooner rather than later."
Howard had opened up about Keaton and their collaborations in a 2013 celebration of his career with the British Academy Film Awards (BAFTAs).
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Ron Howard and Michael Keaton in 2009
"Michael Keaton is great, and I’m dying to work with Michael again. If I find the right role, he’ll be my first call. I’d love to," he began.
"Lowell Ganz – I mentioned, was one of the writers of Splash and had been one of the best and most significant contributors to Happy Days – had directed the pilot and some episodes of a show that Michael Keaton did with Jim Belushi [Working Stiffs]," he continued.
"We couldn’t get Bill Murray to be in Night Shift, we couldn’t get John Belushi to be in Night Shift, we couldn’t get Chevy Chase [or] any of those mega comedy stars at that moment to be in Night Shift. But the script was well-liked, the studio was willing to make it if we could cast it. Lowell Ganz said if we ever got around to just casting this movie, Michael Keaton would be great. I auditioned him and he just won the role, just like that."
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Ron Howard and Michael Keaton
Howard was able to get another of his frequent collaborators, Henry Winkler, to sign onto the film.
"I went to Henry and I said ‘you can play either role,’ and he said, 'I sort of feel like I’ve kind of been the guy with a million answers, I’d like to play the other guy Chuck.' That left the door open to cast Michael Keaton. He came in and did a chemistry test with Henry, they rocked, and Michael was lightning in a bottle, although the studio wanted to fire him for about a week," he laughed.
"Brian and I, who were scared enough that we were going to get fired, were just courageous enough to defend him and wait the studio out and soon they began to see just how explosive and funny he was."
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Michael Keaton and Ron Howard share a laugh
The Paper has enjoyed a recent resurgence, with people discovering the film while looking for information on Peacock's The Paper, successor to The Office. And while they are different things, it's resulting in a newfound audience for the 1994 film.
As for another collaboration? Both Howard and Keaton have been busy continuing their creative pursuits. Anything is possible!
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Source: “AOL Entertainment”
