Ron Howard earned his first-ever acting Emmy nomination Tuesday when he was recognized for his guest-starring role on “The Studio.”

Ron Howard seeks justice for Opie and Richie. As a child, the film mogul was best known for his role as Opie Taylor in the CBS sitcom The Andy Griffith Show, playing the son of Andy Griffith’s main character for eight seasons,

Being recognized for acting "never even crossed my mind because it was so beyond the realm of feasibility," Howard tells PEOPLE in an exclusive interview after learning of his Emmy nomination