Born into the entertainment industry as the daughter of Oscar-winning director, Ron Howard, Bryce Dallas Howard has managed to carve her name into cinematic history. With roles in iconic franchises like The Twilight Saga and Jurassic World, Howard has been mesmerizing fans since the early 2000s. In addition to acting, Howard has followed in her father's footsteps, moving behind the camera as a director (most recently in Season 2 of The Mandalorian).
Her classic acting style brings grace and elegance back to the silver screen. Howard brings a sense of softness to every character she portrays — even the authoritative ones. Her latest work, Argylle, is set to hit theaters in 2024. In the meantime, these are some of her top performances to date.
Updated July 2023: If you're a Bryce Dallas Howard fan, you're in luck. This article has been updated with additional content and entries by Danilo Raul.
15 Hereafter
Clint Eastwood did something great with this screenplay written by Peter Morgan. In Hereafter, the interconnected stories of George and Marie Le May and their psychic rapport make for an enthralling narrative exploring multiple subjects, such as fear, loss, and sorrow.
Bryce Dallas Howard portrays Melanie, a girl sharing a cooking class with George (Matt Damon). In a moment of distress, he reveals his abilities to Melanie, who seeks help to contact his late father. She gets a message from his departed dad asking forgiveness for the terrible things he did to her as a child. While the scene seems to imply the defunct father abused, Melanie breaks into tears and leaves the class. It's a powerful moment showcasing the complexity of grief.
14 Gold
Gold is an excellent movie loosely based on a real story of events that took place in 1993, when the Bre-X mining scandal blew up, as a massive gold deposit was discovered in the jungles of Indonesia. The film, directed by Stephen Gaghan and written by Patrick Massett, casts Bryce Dallas Howard as Kay, the longtime girlfriend of Kenny Wells (Matthew McConaughey).
While her role is minor, she's the human anchor placed in the story to remind Wells of the thin ice he walks with his shady deals and the dangerous game he's set up with geologist Michael Acosta (Édgar Ramírez). Key has an on-and-off relationship, and at some point in the story, he deems her lost after watching her flit with other men from afar. She's the character Kenny returns to after the scheme of Acosta is revealed.
13 As You Like It
As You Like It is one of Bryce Dallas Howard's lesser-known roles. The film is an adaptation of a play of the same name by William Shakespeare set in 19th-century Japan as a visual aesthetic choice by director Kenneth Branagh. In the movie, Dallas plays the role of Rosalind, a spirited young woman banished by her younger brother for being rebellious and later forced into exile by her uncaring uncle. She disguises herself as a man to escape to the Forest of Arden to run away from her fate. HBO and the BBC Network co-produced this small but visually stunning feature. Howard's acting stands out for being charming, determined, and witty.
12 Manderlay
Lars von Trier is a creepy man. He's one of the most respected avant-garde filmmakers of the modern era. Most of his films barely break even, yet he remains active and comes up with new story ideas told across multiple films, always with the best talent in showbiz. Manderlay is the second film in the USA - Land of Opportunities trilogy. The story is written and directed by von Trier and continues the tale started in Dogville.
Bryce Dallas Howard takes on the role of Grace Margaret Mulligan, who arrives at the plantation town of Manderlay, a place where the slave trade lives 70 years after the end of the civil war. Grace decides to stay on the plantation to help the residents transition into the new societal structure of the 1930s. Still, she seems continually disturbed by the findings of a notebook containing something named "Mam's Law."
11 The Twilight Saga: Eclipse
In the 2010 installment of The Twilight Saga: Eclipse, Howard took on the role of Victoria, which was previously occupied by Rachelle Lefevre. Set on a warpath of revenge for the killing of her lover, James, in the first film, Victoria is determined to find and kill Bella. She rampages through the forest surrounding the quiet Washington town of Forks, but she is ultimately defeated by the Cullen gang. Howard does a fantastic job playing a supernatural villain who drinks blood.
10 Pete's Dragon
Pete's Dragon is a fantasy adventure about an orphaned boy named Pete who becomes best friends with Elliot, the giant, green dragon. Premiering in 2016, it's actually a remake of Disney's live-action/animated movie of the same name from 1977.
Howard plays Grace, a forest ranger with a big heart who ends up taking care of Pete, taking on a motherly role. Although Pete's Dragon is a children's movie and a lot lighter than similar roles she's held like that of the Jurassic World franchise, it's obvious that Howard thrives in adventurous, even wholesome roles like this. It's a very sweet, heartwarming story about finding your family and Howard's soft, kind performance really sells.
9 Rocketman
Rocketman is a biographical musical about the life and career of global phenomenon Elton John. Rocketman is bright and flashy, full of color, glitz, and glamour, a lot like Elton John himself. From the incredible wardrobe pieces to the visuals and performances, it's a fun movie that you simply can't peel your eyes away from.
Howard plays Elton's mom, Sheila, in the movie, and it's a vastly different role from a lot of her previous work. It's less wholesome and sweet and teeters closer to villain territory. Sheila's character is a very cold, "tough love" type of mother, who is often less than supportive, especially in the times when her son needed her most — like during the scene where Elton comes out to his mother, and she says he's choosing a life of loneliness. Howard said there were some scenes — Elton's coming out, specifically — that were hard to film as Sheila because that just isn't who she is. However, it showcased her range as an actor and made it clear that there really isn't any role she can't handle.
8 50/50
50/50 is a great movie, and it feels like maybe it never got the hype it deserved and people don't talk about it enough. It's about a man named Adam (Joseph Gordon-Levitt) who receives a cancer diagnosis and grapples with the fact that he has a 50/50 chance of surviving — hence the movie name. Along with Gordon-Levitt, 50/50 has a great cast including Seth Rogen, Anjelica Huston, Anna Kendrick, and of course, Howard.
Gordon-Levitt's performance is the main standout here. His delivery of a man navigating such bleak news is so raw and believable, it's sometimes hard to watch. But Howard's supporting role is quite strong, too. She plays Rachael, Adam's romantic interest. Rachael tells Adam she'll help take care of him, driving him to treatments and supporting him during his chemotherapy. However, she's often late to pick him up and gets uncomfortable during his chemo sessions.
Unfortunately, she's less-than-supportive during Adam's time of need and only makes things worse when he catches her cheating on him. It's another villainy role for Howard, and while these types of performances are the minority in her repertoire, she really packs a punch.
7 Terminator Salvation
Starring alongside Christian Bale and Sam Worthington, Howard steps into the role of Kate Connor in the 2009 sci-fi film, Terminator Salvation. This character was first introduced in the third film as the daughter of Robert Brewster, who was the supervisor for Skynet. Married to John Connor in this adaptation, Kate has grown from a veterinarian to a physician. Howard's ability to portray a character who is accustomed to loss and grief is evident in her depiction of Kate.
6 Spider-Man 3
In yet another blockbuster franchise, Howard plays Gwen Stacy in the 2007 superhero film, Spider-Man 3, alongside Tobey Maguire. This was the highest-grossest installment in the franchise until 2019, but that wasn't enough to impress film critic Roger Ebert, who called it a mess. As Peter Parker's lab partner, Gwen is introduced as a sweet girl who could be a potential girlfriend for him in the future. What's even more impressive is that Howard was pregnant during filming, and she was performing her own stunts.
5 Black Mirror
In episode one "Nosedive" of season three for Black Mirror, Howard plays a woman named Lacie who is obsessed with her social rating. Looking to lead a more luxurious lifestyle, she is on a mission to raise her score from 4.2 to 4.5. Unfortunately, she endures several mishaps that cause her rating to plummet. After tanking to below 1.0, she is arrested. However, she realizes that now she can speak freely and be herself. Howard's portrayal of a socially-declining young woman is not only an example of her acting range, but it also parallels the real-life struggles young people face due to social media pressure.
4 The Help
Based on the novel by Kathryn Stockett, the 2011 period drama film, The Help, boasts a glorious cast that includes Howard alongside Viola Davis, Octavia Spencer, and Jessica Chastain. Playing socialite, Hilly Holbrook, Howard explores the mindset of a rich, white woman living in Jackson, Mississippi, in the 1960s. Hilly's passive-aggressive nature shows her to be two-faced and manipulative. She is a very different character from Howard's repertoire, but she is very believable in the role.
3 The Lady in the Water
In the 2006 fantasy thriller, The Lady in the Water, Howard plays M. Night Shyamalan's heroine, Story. Found in an apartment complex swimming pool, Story explains to the main character, Cleveland Heep, that she is a Narf or naiad/nymph spirit who is fleeing from an attack by a Scrunt. On a mission to find the Writer who will create a book that saves humanity, she is in constant danger and nearly dies several times. Her delicate nature is both her strength and weakness, and Howard's portrayal of this gentle, ethereal being is spot-on.
2 The Village
In her first major motion picture, Howard plays Ivy Walker in the 2004 thriller, The Village. As another creation from the mind of M. Night Shyamalan, Ivy is a blind girl who lives deep in the forest in a conservative community. Starring alongside Adrian Brody, Joaquin Phoenix, and Sigourney Weaver, Howard is able to hold her own as the main character. In an attempt to save the life of the young man she loves, Ivy heads off into the forest to find medical supplies. There, she comes face-to-face with the monsters the village elders have been warning everyone about. However, things are not as they seem once the red cloak is removed.
1 Jurassic World
Rebooting the Jurassic Park franchise in the 2015 sequel, Jurassic World, Howard joins the team as Claire Dearing, the operations manager of the new theme park. Hosting her nephews who have come for a visit, Claire quickly shows the audience that she is very busy with the unveiling of a new hybrid dinosaur known as the Indominus Rex.
Things go haywire, and this vicious beast escapes its paddock to run amok across the island. Claire and raptor trainer, Owen Grady, set out to find her nephews and take down the rogue dinosaur with the help of T-Rex, the raptors, and a Mosasaurus. In this reboot, Howard is able to showcase her athletic skills as she outruns T-Rex in heels, as any hardworking woman would.