Bryce Dallas Howard's 10 Best Movies & TV Shows Ranked

Bryce Dallas Howard grew up in a Hollywood family, and while this may have helped pave the way for her early career, her standout film and TV roles have proven her to be a capable actress in her own right, the Howard surname aside. . The oldest of prolific film 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. Paternity for a brief cameo. She later had non-speaking roles in her father's other films, Apollo 13 and How the Grinch Stole Christmas.

His time on his father's sets must have inspired a love of acting because around 2004 Howard began appearing in more than just her father's productions, becoming known in small roles that became increasingly significant over the years.. In the 2020s, Howard has also shown a talent for directing, but still allows himself many opportunities to pursue acting. Howard has established herself in film and television franchises, with her productions often earning big box office receipts, but she also has some smaller but no less fascinating roles.

10

Spider-Man 3 (2007)

Bryce Dallas Howard plays Gwen Stacy

Bryce Dallas Howard's first entry into IP, Spider-Man 3is Sam Raimi's last film Spider-Man the trilogy, which began with high hopes, soared even higher with the sequel and then fizzled with the third film. Still, there's a lot to love about Tobey Maguire's final (at the time) outing as Peter Parker. Howard plays Gwen Stacy, an important character from the comics who is suddenly introduced in the third film, as a foil to Mary Jane (Kirsten Dunst).

She is a somewhat underwritten character and her fate is very different from the legendary Spider-Man comic plot. Howard does a fantastic job with what she offers, though. Despite being the “other” woman, Howard manages to make it clear that Gwen is in love, but is in no way interested in separating Mary Jane and Spider-Man. She is sweet and kind, but is also mortified when she finds out that Peter Parker is using her.

9

Lady in the Water (2006)

Bryce Dallas Howard plays a story

Lady in the water is where some M. Night Shyamalan fans would say the director's track record has started to get a little spotty to trust blindly, but it's still filled with the creative ideas and unnerving scares he infuses into even the most poorly executed films. In Lady in the watera Philadelphia apartment complex superintendent (Paul Giamatti) finds a water nymph living in his pool, whom he names Story (Bryce Dallas Howard).

The superintendent and the other residents band together to protect Story from the frightening mythical beast hellbent on taking her back to her world. Howard's portrayal of Story is one of the best parts of Lady in the water. Its ability to be ethereal and childlike, but not off-putting and unknowable, is critical to make the character work. It's a fantastic film that crosses genres, and Howard can perform in all of them.

8

Jurassic World (2015)

Bryce Dallas Howard plays Claire Dearing

With Jurassic WorldBryce Dallas Howard fully embraced the world of franchise filmmaking and showed that he could headline a billion-dollar action film that was also a return to a series that had been dormant for over a decade. Jurassic World happens years later Jurassic Park III and the park has been rebuilt and is functional for the first time. The new facility's chief operating officer is Claire Dearing (Bryce Dallas Howard), an overworked executive with little time for children, romance or friends.

Of course, as with any good Jurassic Park or World movie, dinosaurs don't stay trapped for long. The escape of the park's newest attraction, the Indominus Rex, spells doom for the park and anyone unlucky enough to get in its way. Howard has the greatest arc of any character in the film, going from a capable but icy boardroom employee to a resourceful, caring, and daring action heroine, making the change feel natural.

7

Rocket Man (2019)

Bryce Dallas Howard plays Sheila Dwight

Bryce Dallas Howard plays Sheila Dwight in the Elton John biopic, Rocket Man. Sheila is the mother of Reginald “Elton John” Dwight (Taron Egerton) in 1950s Britain, and an unaffectionate mother, much in contrast to Reginald's grandmother Ivy (Gemma Jones). Sheila cares little about what is happening to her family and her extramarital affairs end up leading Reginald's father, Stanley (Steven Mackintosh), to abandon the family.

Sheila feels closer to the real person in the film, and Howard plays her with a raw intimacy, warts and all, while ensuring that the character's human sides come through as well.. It's a gutsy performance that requires Howard to be obnoxious, transform physically, and also speak with a British accent. She manages all the revolving 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 Rachel

50/50 comes from the talented producing duo Evan Goldberg and Seth Rogen and features a portion of their expected comedy, but buries it in one of their most poignant and moving stories. Joseph Gordon-Levitt stars as Adam Lerner, a 27-year-old who discovers he has a spinal tumor and has a 50/50 chance of survival. Bryce Dallas Howard plays Rachael, an artist and Adam's girlfriend who initially promises to help him with his cancer treatment.

As Adam's needs increase, Rachael begins to lose interest and ends up getting caught cheating on her boyfriend. It's not the most deeply written part, but Howard doesn't play Rachael as a fair-weather girlfriend. She's someone who's thrust into a situation she never signed up for, and while she doesn't handle the end well, the anxiety and frustration that slowly builds feels human and believable.

5

Pete's Dragon (2016)

Bryce Dallas Howard plays Grace Meacham

Pete's Dragon is without a doubt one of the best Disney live-action adaptations they've done and it co-stars Bryce Dallas Howard as Grace Meacham, a park ranger who marries Jack Magary (Wes Bentley), a window lumberjack. Based on the 1977 musical film of the same name Pete's Dragon follows Pete Healy (Oakes Fegley), a young orphan who encounters a dragon in the Pacific Northwest, much to the confusion and concern of the neighboring town.

Howard's Grace is a loving, fun, and charming figure in the film, perfectly matching the fantastical, friendly, but occasionally dark tone of the series. It's the kind of film Howard can work on really well.almost looking like a version of a Ron Howard film. She goes from worried to intrepid to thoughtful with ease, and always seems like she's taking the matter seriously.

4

The Village (2004)

Bryce Dallas Howard plays Ivy Elizabeth Walker

M. Night Shyamalan's first film, 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 film is overshadowed by its twist, but everything that comes before is as frightening and unique as almost everything he's put on screen. The village is set in a remote village in 19th century Pennsylvania. There, the inhabitants live in fear of monstrous creatures that live in the forests beyond their borders.

Howard plays Ivy Elizabeth Walker, the visually impaired daughter of a village elder. Ivy is bold despite her disability and hates having to live in fear of creatures she cannot see. It's a difficult performance from Howard, who has no vision problems, and she does an excellent job of portraying Ivy's terror while also making it seem like her character never used her eyes.

3

As You Like It (2006)

Bryce Dallas Howard plays Rosalind

Based on Shakespeare's play of the same name, How do you like 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 her uncle's court and finds safety in a forest where she meets a revolving door of characters who come to offer ideas and advice.

Howard received a Golden Globe nomination for her performance as Rosalind in the Best Actress in a Movie Made for TV or Miniseries category. There are many meta-qualities to Branagh's film, including an ending in which Howard plays herself as she prepares for the role. It would take someone like Howard, accustomed to the trappings of a movie set, to understand the director's vision for a film like How do you likemaking her the right person for the role.

2

Black Mirror (2011-present)

Bryce Dallas Howard plays Lacie Pound (1 episode, 2016)

Bryce Dallas Howard stars Black Mirror season 3, episode 1, “Nosedive,” and she was one of the first major American stars to appear on the show, which has been full of them ever since. “Nosedive” is set in a society where people use eye implants and mobile devices to rate each other's social scores, which can easily affect their socioeconomic status. It's one of the most frighteningly realistic Black Mirror episodes, but also one of the happiest.

Howard plays Lacie Pound, a sweet young woman who needs to increase her rating to move into a better apartment. A chance invitation to a wedding from her popular and successful friend takes Lacie on a journey that helps her realize that she doesn't care what other people think of her. It's a moving performance from Howard, who is pathetic and inspiring as a woman desperate for attention and love but learns that acquired adulation is meaningless. Howard is at her best playing sad, hurting characters, which is probably why she received a SAG nomination for her performance.

1

The Help (2011)

Bryce Dallas Howard plays Hilly Holbrook

The helpBased on the 2009 novel of the same name, it chronicles the relationship between young aspiring white journalist Eugenia “Skeeter” Phelan (Emma Stone) and her relationship with two black employees, 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 and racist socialite.

It's a fantastic performance from Howard, who is one of the most despicable characters in the film. Its role balances the most delicate parts of the The helpand she is fierce in her hatred and anger. It's a rare performance for a movie star, but Howard throws himself into the role. The help would be much less effective without Bryce Dallas Howard and it's a dramatic tone she should consider using more often.