Bryce Dallas Howard Says Dad — and Former Child Star — Ron Howard Forbade Her from Acting as a Kid (Exclusive)

Bryce Dallas Howard’s dad, Ron Howard, always had her best interests at heart.

In an exclusive interview with PEOPLE, Argyll actress, 42, talks about how her actor-director father, 69, and her mother, Cheryl Howard, didn’t let her act at a young age, unlike her famous father years before.

“I think I would have used her if I had the chance to play younger. But I wasn’t allowed to,” says Bryce. “My parents were very firm about that line, that they wouldn’t support anyone who wanted to be a child actor.”

Her parents did to support their teenagers eager to gain experience working in other industries, she notes. “I started working as a weekend waitress at a deli and it was fantastic,” she says. “Because I was 14, I had to get a waiver from my parents to be on the payroll, and honestly, I was like, ‘This is great.’ ”

“I just wanted to work in the world, and then I worked in an allergy control center on an assembly line in a factory, and then as a babysitter, a babysitter, a dog walker and all that,” she adds.

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Looking back, Bryce says she’s thankful her parents encouraged her to find other ways to earn a living. “I’m really glad they did that because when I started acting, it took me a while to make a living. To be able to say, ‘Oh, okay. I can actually support myself with this,'” she explains.

Bryce — who has two younger twin sisters, Jocelyn and Paige, and a younger brother named Reed — eventually attended New York University’s Tisch School of the Arts to pursue an acting career, beginning in various theater productions.

In 2004, she got a role in M. Night Shyamalan’s film Villagewith which she achieved constant success in film and television, including roles in Spider-Man 3, The Twilight Saga: Eclipse, Help, Black Mirror and blockbuster Jurassic World film series.

Bryce has also directed various projects, including a documentary dadher feature directorial debut, along with episodes The Mandalorian, The Book of Boba Fett and upcoming Star Wars: Skeleton Crew.

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Currently, Bryce says she and her father Ron — who rose to fame as a child star playing Opie Taylor on the sitcom The Andy Griffith Show from 1960 to 1968 — have a great relationship and “like to talk about movies.”

“But it’s usually admiring someone’s work and making stuff up, or sharing crazy stories that have turned, or just fun stuff,” she adds.

“It’s so wonderful to be in the industry with family members, at least for me, because I’m not in it alone,” Bryce continues.

She even accompanied Ron on the set of the 2018 Star Wars movie Solo – although she had to persuade him.

“He didn’t really like the idea,” Bryce tells PEOPLE, noting that it’s mostly the same crew she just worked for Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom. “And my proposal was like, ‘Really? I know everyone. Please. I know everyone. I just finished working with everyone for the last six months. Please. I promise to be invisible.’ ”

For more on Bryce, check out this week’s issue of PEOPLE.

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Source: HIS Education