Bryce Dallas Howard

Bryce Dallas Howard

Active - 1997 - Present  |   Born - Mar 2, 1981 in Los Angeles, California, United States  |   Genres - Drama, Action, Adventure

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Biography by AllMovie

Occasionally billed as Bryce Howard Dallas, this promising young talent is the daughter of director Ron Howard and actress Cheryl Howard. Rather than simply using her admittedly well-connected status to break into the acting world, Howard opted to study the craft at New York University's prestigious Tisch School of the Arts, and would continue to act at the Stella Adler Conservatory. After landing roles in several off-Broadway productions, Howard made her feature-film debut in director Alan Brown's Book of Love (2003), which premiered at the 2004 Sundance Film Festival as part of the drama competition. In 2004, Howard broke into the mainstream with her performance in M. Night Shyamalan's The Village, which also features Hollywood heavy-hitters William Hurt, Adrien Brody, and Joaquin Phoenix, among others. For Lars von Trier's Manderlay, Howard took over the role of Grace first played by Nicole Kidman in Dogville. In 2006 she reteamed with Shyamalan playing the title character in The Lady in the Water. That same year she was cast alongside Kevin Kline and Alfred Molina in Kenneth Branagh's adaptation of Shakespeare's As You Like It. She then scored the plum role of Peter Parker's love interest Gwen Stacy in Sam Raimi's Spider-Man 3. Howard would henceforth remain a consistent presence on screen, appearing in films like Terminator Salvation, The Twilight Saga: Eclipse, The Help, and 50/50.

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Factsheet

  • Named in part for Utah's Bryce Canyon (the actress is a redhead; the canyon is known for its red rocks) and Dallas, the city where she was conceived.
  • Attended Stagedoor Manor Performing Arts camp with Natalie Portman.
  • Went strictly by Bryce Dallas when first applying to drama school to avoid references to her famous father.
  • Did not see episodes of her father's hit sitcom Happy Days until the age of 24. Henry Winkler is her godfather.
  • Replaced Kirsten Dunst (in The Village) Nicole Kidman (in Manderlay) and Rachelle LeFevre (in The Twilight Saga: Eclipse) to play three of her most prominent roles.