Bryce Dallas Howard grew up in a Hollywood family, and while that may have helped pave the way for the beginning part of her career, her standout movie and TV roles have proven that she is a capable actor in her own right, Howard surname aside. The eldest of prolific movie and TV director Ron Howard’s four children, Bryce Dallas Howard has been acting since she was 8, first appearing in her father’s 1989 comedy Fatherhood for a brief cameo. She later had non-speaking roles in her dad’s other movies, Apollo 13 and How the Grinch Stole Christmas.
Her time on her father’s sets must have inspired a love for acting because, around 2004, Howard began appearing in more than just her dad’s productions, making a name for herself in small roles that became increasingly more significant over the years. In the 2020s, Howard has also shown a knack for directing, but she still allows for herself plenty of opportunities to continue acting. Howard has entrenched herself in franchise movies and television, with her productions often earning big box offices, but she has a few smaller, but no less fascinating, parts as well.
10
Spider-Man 3 (2007)
Bryce Dallas Howard Plays Gwen Stacy
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8.4/10
Spider-Man 3
PG-13
ActionAdventure Sci-Fi
The third film in Sam Raimi’s Spider-Man trilogy, Spider-Man 3 sees the Marvel hero face some of his most iconic enemies. Peter Parker’s life is turned upside down by the arrival of an alien symbiote, even as his former friend Harry Osborn prepares to assume the mantle of the Green Goblin and his uncle’s killer gains superpowers after escaping from prison. Starring Tobey Maguire as Spider-Man alongside Kirsten Dunst, James Franco, Topher Grace, and Thomas Haden Church.
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Release Date
May 4, 2007
Runtime
139 minutes
Cast
Tobey Maguire
, James Franco
, Topher Grace
, Bryce Dallas Howard
, Kirsten Dunst
, Rosemary Harris
, J. K. Simmons
, Thomas Haden Church
, James Cromwell
Director
Sam Raimi
Budget
$258-350 million
Bryce Dallas Howard’s first entry into IP, Spider-Man 3, is the final film of the Sam Raimi Spider-Man trilogy, which began with high hopes, rose even higher with the sequel, and then sputtered with the third film. Still, there is plenty to love about Tobey Maguire’s final (at the time) ride as Peter Parker. Howard plays Gwen Stacy, an important character in the comics who is introduced somewhat suddenly in the third film, as a foil to Mary Jane (Kirsten Dunst).
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How Spider-Man 3 Rewrites Reduced Bryce Dallas Howard’s Gwen
Bryce Dallas Howard played Gwen Stacy in 2007’s Spider-Man 3, but here’s how rewrites gradually reduced her role in the story which was almost bigger.
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She’s a bit of an underwritten character and her fate is much different than in the legendary Spider-Man comic storyline. Howard does a fantastic job with what she’s given, however. Despite being the “other” woman, Howard manages to make it clear that Gwen is smitten but is in no way interested in breaking up Mary Jane and Spider-Man. She’s sweet and kind but also mortified when she figures out Peter Parker is using her.
9
Lady In The Water (2006)
Bryce Dallas Howard Plays Story
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Lady In The Water
PG-13
DramaFantasyMystery
Lady In The Water is a 2006 fantasy thriller directed by M. Night Shyamalan. The story follows Cleveland Heep, played by Paul Giamatti, who discovers a mysterious young woman named Story, portrayed by Bryce Dallas Howard, living in the pool of his apartment complex. As he uncovers her fantastical origins, Heep and his neighbors must protect her from malevolent forces and help her return to her world.
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Release Date
July 20, 2006
Runtime
110 Minutes
Cast
Paul Giamatti
, Bryce Dallas Howard
, Jeffrey Wright
, Bob Balaban
, Sarita Choudhury
Director
M. Night Shyamalan
Budget
70000000.0
Lady in the Water is where some M. Night Shyamalan fans would say the director’s track record began to get a little too spotty to blindly trust, but it’s still filled with the creative ideas and unnerving scares that he infuses in even the most poorly executed of his movies. In Lady in the Water, a superintendent at an apartment complex in Philadelphia (Paul Giamatti) finds a water nymph living in his pool, who he names Story (Bryce Dallas Howard).
The superintendent and the other residents band together to protect Story from the frightening mythical beast set on taking her back to their world. Howard’s portrayal of Story is one of the best parts of Lady in the Water. Her ability to be ethereal and child-like, but not be off-putting and unknowable is critical to making the character work. It’s a fantastical film that crosses genres, and Howard can act in all of them.
8
Jurassic World (2015)
Bryce Dallas Howard Plays Claire Dearing
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6.8/10
Jurassic World
PG-13
Sci-Fi
The Jurassic World Ultimate Collection includes the 6 movies in the immensely popular dinosaur franchise. It begins with paleontologists Alan Grant and Ellie Sattler and mathematician, Ian Malcolm, as they tour an island theme park that is populated by dinosaurs that were created from prehistoric DNA. The dinosaurs eventually break free, creating the havoc that is explored in the 6 films. You can buy all 6 movies right now for $60 for Prime Day.
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Release Date
June 12, 2015
Runtime
124 minutes
Cast
Bryce Dallas Howard
, Chris Pratt
, Omar Sy
, Jake Johnson
Director
Colin Trevorrow
Budget
$150 million
With Jurassic World, Bryce Dallas Howard fully embraced the world of franchise movie-making and showed that she could headline a billion-dollar action movie that was also a return to a series dormant for over a decade. Jurassic World takes place years after Jurassic Park III and the park has been rebuilt and is functional for the first time ever. The head of operations at the new facility is Claire Dearing (Bryce Dallas Howard), an overworked executive with little time for children, romance, or friends.
The escape of the park’s latest attraction, the Indominus Rex, spells doom for the park and anyone unlucky enough to get in its way.
Of course, like in any good Jurassic Park or World movie, the dinosaurs don’t stay cooped up for long. The escape of the park’s latest attraction, the Indominus Rex, spells doom for the park and anyone unlucky enough to get in its way. Howard has the biggest arc of any character in the film, going from a capable, but icy, boardroom employee to a resourceful, caring, and bold action heroine, making the change feel natural.
7
Rocketman (2019)
Bryce Dallas Howard Plays Sheila Dwight
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8.5/10
Rocketman
R
BiographyDramaFantasyMusic
A biopic about legendary British rockstar Elton John, Rocketman is a somewhat romanticized chronicle of John’s life, from his childhood and turbulent homelife to his first foray into music and how stardom effected him. The film is centered around John’s journey to sobriety, with the narrative framed by John telling his life story in an AA meeting during his time in rehab. Taron Egerton stars as John, with a cast that includes Richard Madden, Jamie Bell, and Bryce Dallas Howard.
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Release Date
May 31, 2019
Runtime
121 Minutes
Cast
Bryce Dallas Howard
, Tate Donovan
, Jamie Bell
, Gemma Jones
, Charlie Rowe
, Stephen Graham
, Jess Radomska
, Taron Egerton
, Richard Madden
Director
Dexter Fletcher
Budget
$40 Million
Bryce Dallas Howard plays Sheila Dwight in the Elton John biopic, Rocketman. Sheila is Reginald “Elton John” Dwight’s (Taron Egerton) mother in 1950s Britain, and an unaffectionate mother at that, very much in contrast to Reginald’s grandmother, Ivy (Gemma Jones). Sheila cares little for what’s going on with her family and her extramarital affairs eventually drive Reginald’s father, Stanley (Steven Mackintosh), to abandon the family.
Sheila feels the closest to the real person in the movie, and Howard plays her with a raw intimacy, warts and all, while also making sure the human sides of the character come out as well. It’s a brave performance that requires Howard to be unlikeable, physically transform, and also speak with a British accent. She manages all the spinning plates of the role to create something truly memorable that feels like one of her most honest performances.
6
50/50 (2011)
Bryce Dallas Howard Plays Rachael
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50/50
R
ComedyDocumentaryDrama
50/50 is a comedy-drama directed by Jonathan Levine, featuring Joseph Gordon-Levitt as Adam, a young man diagnosed with a rare form of cancer. The film explores Adam’s journey through treatment and his relationships with his best friend Kyle, played by Seth Rogen, and his therapist Katherine, played by Anna Kendrick.
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Release Date
September 30, 2011
Runtime
100 minutes
Cast
Joseph Gordon-Levitt
, Seth Rogen
, Anna Kendrick
, Bryce Dallas Howard
, Anjelica Huston
, Serge Houde
Director
Jonathan Levine
50/50 comes from the talented producing duo of Evan Goldberg and Seth Rogen and features a helping of their expected comedy, but buries it in one of their more moving and heart-wrenching stories. Joseph Gordon-Levitt stars as Adam Lerner, a 27-year-old who learns he has a tumor in his spine and is given a 50/50 chance of survival. Bryce Dallas Howard plays Rachael, an artist and Adam’s girlfriend who initially promises to help him through his cancer treatment.
As Adam’s needs grow, Rachael begins to lose interest and is eventually caught cheating on her boyfriend.
As Adam’s needs grow, Rachael begins to lose interest and is eventually caught cheating on her boyfriend. It’s not the most deeply written part, but Howard does not play Rachael as a fair-weather girlfriend. She’s someone who is thrust into a situation she never signed up for and while she does not handle its end well, the slow-developing anxiety and frustration feels human and believable.
5
Pete’s Dragon (2016)
Bryce Dallas Howard Plays Grace Meacham
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Pete’s Dragon
PG
DramaFantasyAdventure
Pete’s Dragon is an action-adventure fantasy movie that takes the classic Disney film and reimagines it for a new era. The story follows young orphan Pete and his best friend Elliot, a massive green dragon who lives in a forest in the Pacific Northwest. When a forest ranger’s daughter happens upon the young Pete, she discovers the stories surrounding the dragon line up with recent incidents, leading her to search for the truth while trying to find Pete’s origins.
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Release Date
August 12, 2016
Runtime
103minutes
Cast
Karl Urban
, Wes Bentley
, Robert Redford
, Bryce Dallas Howard
, Oona Laurence
, Oakes Fegley
Director
David Lowery
Budget
$65 million
Pete’s Dragon is arguably one of the best Disney live-action adaptations they’ve made and it co-stars Bryce Dallas Howard as Grace Meacham, a forest ranger who marries Jack Magary (Wes Bentley), a windowed lumberjack. Based on the 1977 musical film of the same name, Pete’s Dragon follows Pete Healy (Oakes Fegley), a young orphan who stumbles upon a dragon in the Pacific Northwest, much to the confusion and worry of the nearby town.
Howard’s Grace is a loving, fun, and charming figure in the film, fitting in perfectly with the fantastical, friendly, but occasionally dark tone of the series. It’s the type of film that Howard is able to work very well in, almost feeling like a version of a Ron Howard movie. She moves from worried to intrepid to caring easily, and it always feels like she’s taking the subject matter seriously.
4
The Village (2004)
Bryce Dallas Howard Plays Ivy Elizabeth Walker
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9/10
The Village
PG-13
DramaMysteryThriller
Directed by M. Knight Shyamalan, The Village is set in a small Pennsylvania village in the 1800s. Residents of the village live in fear of sinister creatures living in the woods around them, leading them to be very isolationist, not allowing people to leave. The film follows a young couple who attempt to leave the village in order to procure medical supplies from the surrounding towns. Bryce Dallas Howard and Joaquin Phoenix star as the couple, Ivy and Lucius, with a further cast that includes Adrien Brody, William Hurt, Sigourney Weaver, and Brendan Gleeson.
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Release Date
July 30, 2004
Runtime
108 minutes
Cast
Bryce Dallas Howard
, Joaquin Phoenix
, Adrien Brody
, William Hurt
, Sigourney Weaver
, Brendan Gleeson
Director
M. Night Shyamalan
Budget
$60million
The first M. Night Shyamalan movie Bryce Dallas Howard starred in and a breakout role for the actor, The Village is Shyamalan’s sixth feature film. At this point, Shyamalan’s movie is overshadowed by its twist, but everything that comes before is as haunting and unique as almost anything he’s put on screen. The Village is set in a remote village in 19th-century Pennsylvania. There, the inhabitants live in holy fear of monstrous creatures that live in woods beyond their borders.
Howard plays Ivy Elizabeth Walker, the visually impaired daughter of a village elder. Ivy is bold, despite her impairment, and hates that she has to live in fear of the creatures she cannot see. It’s a difficult performance from Howard, who is not vision impaired, and she does an excellent job of portraying Ivy’s terror while still making it seem like her character has never had the use of her eyes.
3
As You Like It (2006)
Bryce Dallas Howard Plays Rosalind
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As You Like It
PG
ComedyDramaRomance
As You Like It (2006): Directed by Kenneth Branagh, this adaptation of Shakespeare’s comedy is set in 19th-century Japan and follows Rosalind and Orlando’s romantic journey amidst political rivalry and exile in the Forest of Arden.
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Release Date
September 1, 2006
Runtime
127 minutes
Cast
Kevin Kline
, Romola Garai
, Bryce Dallas Howard
, Adrian Lester
, Janet McTeer
, Alfred Molina
, David Oyelowo
, Jimmy Yuill
, Brian Blessed
, Richard Briers
, Takuya Shimada
, Richard Clifford
, Patrick Doyle
, Gerard Horan
, Nobuyuki Takano
, Paul Chan
, Alex Wyndham
, Jade Jefferies
, Jotham Annan
, Jonathan Broadbent
, Justin Hoong-Fai Chan
, Iain Stuart Robertson
, Youki Yamamoto
, Kenneth Branagh
Director
Kenneth Branagh
Expand
Based on the Shakespeare play of the same name, As You Like It is a TV movie directed by Kenneth Branagh, and the setting is moved to a late 19th-century European colony in Japan after the Meiji Restoration. Bryce Dallas Howard co-stars as Rosalind, a young woman who flees from her uncle’s court and finds safety in a forest where she meets a revolving door of characters who come to offer insights and advice.
William Shakespeare’s As You Like It is set in an unnamed duchy in France.
Howard earned a Golden Globe nomination for her performance as Rosalind in the Best Actress in a Made-for-TV Film or Miniseries category. There are many meta-qualities to Branagh’s film, including an ending that sees Howard play herself as she gets ready for the role. It would take someone like Howard, used to the trappings of a film set, to understand the directorial vision of a movie like As You Like It, making her just the right fit for the role.
2
Black Mirror (2011-Present)
Bryce Dallas Howard Plays Lacie Pound (1 Episode, 2016)
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7.5/10
Black Mirror
AnthologyDramaScience FictionThriller
Black Mirror is a sci-fi anthology TV series that shows the dark side of life and technology. The series was created by Charlie Brooker, with the first season premiering on British Channel 4 in 2011. Black Mirror is notable for its dark, satirical edge that provides social commentary, particularly in continuously evolving technology. Each episode has a different cast, location, and even reality as it further explores the themes of technological advancement and its potential positives and repercussions of overreliance on it.
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Release Date
December 4, 2011
Cast
Bryce Dallas Howard
, Hayley Atwell
, Anthony Mackie
Seasons
5
Showrunner
Charlie Brooker
Bryce Dallas Howard stars in Black Mirror season 3, episode 1, “Nosedive”, and she was one of the first major American stars to appear in the show, which has since been filled with them. “Nosedive” is set in a society where people use eye implants and mobile devices to rank each other’s social scores, which can easily affect their socioeconomic status. It’s one of the more frighteningly realistic Black Mirror episodes, but also one of the happier ones.
Howard plays Lacie Pound, a sweet young woman who needs to increase her ranking to move into a better apartment. A chance invite to a wedding by her successful and popular friend leads Lacie on a journey that helps her realize she doesn’t care what other people think about her. It’s an affecting performance from Howard, who is pathetic and inspiring as a woman desperate for attention and love, but learns that purchased adulation is meaningless. Howard is at her best playing sad, wounded characters, which is probably why she earned a SAG nomination for her performance.
1
The Help (2011)
Bryce Dallas Howard Plays Hilly Holbrook
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8/10
The Help
pg-13
Drama
Based on Kathryn Stockett’s 2009 novel, The Help chronicles the lives of two black maids in 1963 Mississippi through the lens of an aspiring white journalist attempting to write a book about them. Emma Stone stars as Eugenia Phelan, with Viola Davis and Octavia Spencer as Aibileen Clark and Minny Jackson. The further ensemble cast includes Bryce Dallas Howard, Allison Janney, and Sissy Spacek.
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Release Date
August 10, 2011
Runtime
146minutes
Cast
Emma Stone
, Viola Davis
, Octavia Spencer
, Jessica Chastain
, Bryce Dallas Howard
Director
Tate Taylor
Budget
$25 million
The Help, based on the 2009 novel of the same name, recounts the relationship between the young, white, aspiring journalist Eugenia “Skeeter” Phelan (Emma Stone) and her relationship with two black maids, Aibileen Clark (Viola Davis) and Minny Jackson (Octavia Spencer), during the Civil Rights Movement in 1963 Jackson, Mississippi. Bryce Dallas Howard plays Hillary “Hilly” Walters Holbrook, a spiteful, racist socialite.
Her role balances the more treacly parts of The Help, and she’s ferocious in her hate and anger.
It’s a fantastic performance from Howard, who is one of the more despicable characters in the movie. Her role balances the more treacly parts of The Help, and she’s ferocious in her hate and anger. It’s a rare performance for a movie star to give, but Howard gives herself over to the role. The Help would be far less effective without Bryce Dallas Howard and it’s a dramatic tone she should consider doing more often.