Cricket legend Jason Gillespie reveals the bizarre sequence of events that led to him turning a legendary American TV and movie star into a cricket fan

Australian cricket great Jason Gillespie has opened up on the bizarre sequence of events that led him to turn a legendary American TV and movie director into a cricket fan.

The 50-year-old, who won 370 Test match caps for Australia, recounted the moment that he met legendary filmmaker Ron Howard during the 2005 Ashes Series.

Howard is widely regarded as one of the greats of the film and television industry, having received multiple Academy Awards, Emmy Awards and Golden Globes during his 60-year career.

Howard is perhaps best known for his role as Richie Cunningham in the US sitcom Happy Days. He left the show in 1980 to focus on production and would go on to direct some iconic films, including Apollo 13, Cinderella Man and A Beautiful Mind.

Gillespie’s revelation came about while he was speaking with broadcaster Mark Howard on his The Howie Games podcast.

The cricket and footy commentator asked the ex-Yorkshire and South Australia coach whether there were any celebrities who have had a positive impression on him during his cricketing journey.

And he recalled two high-profile figures who have stood out during his career, the first being Ron Howard.

‘You remember the actor Ron Howard?’ he asked the broadcaster on the podcast.

‘Yeah, Happy Days!’ the Mark Howard responded. ‘And a famous director! Directed that incredible Formula One film about [Nicky] Lauda and [James] Hunt [Rush].’

Gillespie then proceeded to recount the bizarre string of events, which included Australia’s team physio during the 2005 Ashes Series, of how he converted Ron Howard into a massive cricket fan.

‘He was directing Cinderella Man, which Russell Crow was in,’ Gillespie said.

‘Before the ’05 Ashes, Rusty [Crow], had hurt his shoulder and they had employed Errol Alcott [the Australian team’s physio] to fix his shoulder – so Errol was doing 10-hour days.

‘Every day that Russell couldn’t film, was costing them money. So Errol got compensated quite well to fix Rusty’s shoulder. Obviously, Errol became friends with Ron Howard and got Ron some tickets to the Test match.

‘So we’ve got Ron Howard sitting on the balcony and I’ve been dropped, Ritchie Cunningham! I was a massive Happy Days fan growing up, right, so I’m sitting on the balcony and I’m just chatting to Ron as if we’re old mates. I’d been dropped from the Test side, but there was a silver lining as I got to sit at the Oval for a whole session and I’m talking to Ron Howard.

‘He wants to know about cricket because he sees a lot of synergy as his great love is baseball.’

Gillespie then recounted how the pair shared their knowledge about baseball and cricket, with Howard telling the cricketer that he reminds him of a baseballer who played for the Arizona Diamondbacks called Randy Johnson.

‘We just had a great old chin wag – I don’t actually remember getting a photo with him and I don’t think I had the guts to say to him how much of a fan of Happy Days I was – because I watched it religiously as a kid!’ Gillespie added.

Australia would go on to draw that Test, with England subsequently holding out to win the series 2-1.

But Ron Howard wasn’t the only celebrity the former Pakistan coach was left star-struck by during the ’05 Ashes.

‘Hugh Jackman came into the dressing room at Lord’s. I was just thinking: “That’s Hugh Jackman”, he said on the podcast.

‘I walk up to introduce myself and [I go]: “Hi Hugh, my name’s Jason Gillespie”.

The Wolverine star is a huge cricket fan, having revealed last year that one of his favourite ever cricketers is Indian star Rohit Sharma, who recently retired from Test cricket.

However, upon entering the Aussie changing room during the Ashes series, Gillespie said Jackman was just as star-struck to meet some of his cricketing heroes than they were meeting a Hollywood superstar.

‘He’s just looked at me, shaken my hand and gone: “I know who you are”, and he starts reeling off some of my stats. And I’m thinking: “How cool is that?”

‘Just the loveliest, most humble, grateful person – he was like a kid in a candy store. The great Hugh Jackman, in the changing rooms, at Lord’s, he was – ah mate – he was getting photos with all the boys.

‘He was so happy and so grateful to be in the dressing room. All of us are pretty much the same going: “That’s Hugh Jackman, that’s pretty cool”.