"I love you so much Dad, more than words can say 🥹❤️," the actress captioned the sweet photo. "Happy Birthday @realronhoward ...

Ron Howard, who played Opie on "The Andy Griffith Show" as a child, said he recently found out that he and former co-star Don Knotts are distant cousins.

On Feb. 15, Ron Howard shared a sweet photo on Instagram ... He was just 5 years old when he was cast as the son of Griffith’s Andy Taylor, the beloved sheriff of Mayberry.

Ron Howard, who started his career in show business playing the son of Andy Griffith's sheriff character on the 1960s sitcom, said he recently found out he and Knotts are distant cousins.