Ron Howard opens up about his legendary Hollywood career, his 50-year marriage and more in PEOPLE's new cover story The director's latest film,Eden, is out now, plus he reflects on the 30th anniversary ofApollo 13,starring Tom Hanks "We didn't have any idea it would have that kind of outsized commercial and awards success," Howard says ofApollo 13 AsRon Howardapproached his 50th wedding anniversary this past June, he wondered how to mark the day with his wife,Cheryl. He thought about donating a bench to the park in Burbank, Calif., where, as smitten teenagers, he recalls, "Cheryl and I hung out and dated and necked." Ever the director, he then came up with a better idea: "I got the idea of an old-fashioned sort of love seat where couples could sit and talk and smooch a little bit." On June 7, 2025, 50 years to the day he married the red-haired girl from English class, the couple donated the Ron and Cheryl Howard kissing chair. "My brother [Clint Howard, 66] drove by not long ago, snapped a picture with his iPhone. It was a couple kissing in the kissing chair. He said, 'Hey, it's working.' " In this week's cover story, Howard, 71, opens up to PEOPLE about his legendary career, his most thrilling films —including his latest,Eden—and what he really thought on his wedding day as a 21 year old in a sky-blue tux when he wed his high school sweetheart. "I was just so sure," Howard says. (His best man was hisHappy DayscostarHenry Winkler, who recalls, "I caught the garter.") Celeste Sloman Howard's friendTom Hanksmarvels at the director's unique Hollywood arc. "With his entire life in films, he has seen absolutely everything that can and will go on — good, bad, hilarious, catastrophic — and remains unfazed," says Hanks, 69. "'Wow zowie, what a racket,' he once said to me. I've been quoting him since." As a freckle-faced kid of six, Howard brought a sweet innocence toThe Andy Griffith Show, then became a teen star on the hit '70s sitcomHappy Days, before deciding to strike out on his own, overcoming skeptics and becoming one of Hollywood's most versatile and adventurous and genre-hopping filmmakers. Howard's enthusiasm for storytelling has remained a constant: From the surprise hitSplashin 1984 to the spellbindingApollo 13 —now celebrating its 30th anniversary with a Sept. 19release in IMAX for one week only— to his latestEden,starringJude Law,Vanessa Kirby,Sydney SweeneyandAna de Armas, a true-life 1930s survival thriller about a small European colony on a remote island in the Galapagos. "It's a labor of love," says Howard ofEden,in theaters now. "It's experimental. A bit of a lark. Everybody said let's just go for eight weeks and bring this crazy story to life." Celeste Sloman Howard first learned the power of a true story withApollo 13, and notes, "That was my first film based on true events which I thought would limit my creativity." It was quite the opposite. "We didn't have any idea it would have that kind of outsized commercial and awards success," he says. Still, there were some surprises along the way. At a recent screening at the Jacob Burns Film Center in Pleasantville, N.Y., Howard revealed, "Jim Lovell (thefamous astronaut played by Hanks in the film) really wantedKevin Costnerto play him because Costner looked a little like him, and Costner was just absolutely on fire.Dances with Wolveswas the biggest thing and Costner wasn't interested, wasn't available. It was sort of a non-starter." Howard went with Hanks, and the rest is history. Celeste Sloman The story of how Lovell's mom came to be played by Howard's mom Jean (who was also an actress) is now part of the family lore. One day after reading theApollo 13script, his dad, Rance, also an actor, called and said, "You know, your mother would make a great Mrs. Lovell." Ron wasn't so sure and said, "She's not really old enough" but offered to audition her at their home. As he recalls, "I said, 'Mom, you don't really look old enough for Mrs. Lovell.' " She told him, "Oh, well, you can add some wrinkles and we'll get the right glasses and I'll mat my hair down." The reading went well but Howard had his doubts. "I don't know, mom, the age thing is bothering me," he told her. Then, he recalls with a laugh, "She literally turned away and took her false teeth out and said, 'Will this help?' I said, 'Okay, mom, you got it.' " His enthusiasm for storytelling continues to fuel his work with producing partner Brian Grazer, with whom he formed Imagine Entertainment 40 years ago. Says Howard, "I just get a huge kick out of it." Just as he continues to with his longtime pal Winkler, 79. "We just clicked as acting partners," says Howard. "We became great friends and he was — and is — kind of like a big brother to me. Donnie Most, Anson Williams, Henry Winkler and I have sort of an ongoing text thread, so there's just a kind of running dialogue, updating what's going on." Adds Winkler, "Every time I see him, it's like there is no time lost. We just pick up right as if I saw him yesterday." Take PEOPLE with you!Subscribe to PEOPLE magazineto get the latest details on celebrity news, exclusive royal updates, how-it-happened true crime stories and more — right to your mailbox. Read the original article onPeople