Ron Howard Reflects on Making 'Apollo 13' Following the Film's 25th Anniversary (Exclusive)
Ron Howard looks back at the acclaimed film in celebration of its milestone anniversary and reflects on his particularly personal connection to the cast.In the film, Howard cast his own mother, Jean Speegle Howard, to play the mom of astronaut Jim Lovell (played by Tom Hanks). However, the filmmaker was worried about casting her until he was encouraged by his father to give her a shot.«I'm so happy my dad twisted my arm,» Howard told ET's Nischelle Turner during a recent video chat interview. «I really didn't think Mom was old enough to do it, and I was also just frankly nervous about it because I knew what a pivotal role it was.