Ron Howard has revealed one of the biggest surprises while making his new documentary about legendary photographer Richard Avedon was discovering the man who helped transform fashion photography had been a poor student.

The Oscar-winning director, 72, spoke at a special screening of his Netflix documentary Avedon, which explores the life and career of the American photographer, who died aged 81 in 2004.

The film examines how Richard moved from commercial fashion photography to documenting civil rights, the Vietnam War and political upheaval, while building a reputation for portraits of some of the world's most recognisable figures.

Ron told Page Six: "It was kind of interesting to me that he was such a terrible student, had been a merchant marine, and then wound up becoming this remarkable figure in the fashion world."

The filmmaker, whose directing credits include Apollo 13, A Beautiful Mind and The Da Vinci Code, explained that Richard had not initially been the subject he intended to explore.

However, as he researched the photographer's life, he became increasingly interested in the contrast between his commercial success and his willingness to pursue politically sensitive projects.

Ron added: "I was just impressed by him and found him so charismatic and entertaining and even courageous."

The director, who first became famous as an actor playing Opie Taylor in The Andy Griffith Show and Richie Cunningham in Happy Days, went on to explain why he considered Richard's career choices courageous.

Ron said: "He was so commercially successful, was afforded so many opportunities, and yet devoted so much of his time to career risks by pursuing issues that were important to him and the nation at that time."

He added: "Civil rights, Vietnam, the institutional bigotry - he began to use his camera to try to cover and reveal hypocrisy among leadership."

Richard established himself as one of the most influential photographers of the 20th century, becoming known for his stark portraits, minimalist backgrounds and ability to capture movement and expression.

His work appeared in major fashion publications, including Harper's Bazaar and Vogue, while his commercial assignments included campaigns for Versace and Calvin Klein.

Among his most famous advertising projects were the Calvin Klein jeans campaigns featuring Brooke Shields, now 61, which attracted widespread attention and controversy.

Richard also photographed figures including Marilyn Monroe, Audrey Hepburn, the Beatles, Jacqueline Kennedy and John F. Kennedy, creating images that became closely associated with their public identities.

One of the projects that particularly interested Ron was In the American West, a series of portraits commissioned by the Amon Carter Museum of American Art in Texas.

For the project, Richard travelled across 17 states photographing ordinary Americans, including labourers and people experiencing hardship, rather than the celebrities and fashion models with whom he had become associated.

The photographs were taken using a large-format camera, with subjects typically positioned against a plain white background.

Ron also told Page Six the project represented a significant departure from the photographer's established career in New York.

He said: "Thousands of miles from New York, which was the epicenter of his power and his productivity, and yet he felt more compelled to go out there and stretch his talent and take some risks. I admire that."

Richard's interest in political and social issues also led him to photograph members of the Chicago Seven, who were prosecuted following demonstrations against the Vietnam War.

He travelled to Saigon to document the conflict and its consequences, adding reportage to a career that had initially been dominated by fashion and celebrity portraiture.

His influence extended into Hollywood, where the character played by Fred Astaire in the 1957 musical Funny Face was loosely inspired by him.

Richard worked as a visual consultant on the film, which also starred Audrey Hepburn and featured a fashion photographer as one of its central characters.

The new documentary includes interviews with Richard's son John, models Lauren Hutton and Twiggy, fashion designer Calvin Klein and journalist Tina Brown.

It also draws on previously unseen photographs, behind-the-scenes recordings and material from Richard's personal archive.

The film premiered at the Cannes Film Festival in May 2026 before arriving on Netflix on 11 November. It was produced by Imagine Documentaries and Fifth Season in association with the Richard Avedon Foundation.

The release comes alongside renewed interest in Richard's work, including an exhibition at Gagosian's Beverly Hills gallery featuring more than 120 photographs of Hollywood figures.

The exhibition, Richard Avedon: Hollywood, includes portraits of Elizabeth Taylor, Ronald Reagan, Marilyn Monroe and other prominent figures, and runs until 19 December.

For Ron, Avedon follows a series of documentaries examining influential cultural figures, including The Beatles: Eight Days a Week, Pavarotti and Jim Henson Idea Man.

His earlier work as a director includes the Oscar-winning A Beautiful Mind, while his more recent projects have included Thirteen Lives and Eden.

The special screening of Avedon took place at New York's Paris Theatre, after which guests attended a gathering at nearby Bergdorf Goodman.

Among those attending were Vogue's Chloe Malle, fashion designer Vera Wang, journalist Amy Fine Collins and Richard's grandson Michael Avedon, who has followed his grandfather into photography.