Bryce Dallas Howard and Ron Howard.Photo:Emma McIntyre /VF20/Getty

BEVERLY HILLS, CALIFORNIA - FEBRUARY 09: (L-R) Bryce Dallas Howard and Ron Howard attend the 2020 Vanity Fair Oscar Party hosted by Radhika Jones at Wallis Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts on February 09, 2020 in Beverly Hills, California.

Emma McIntyre /VF20/Getty

Bryce Dallas Howard’s dad,Ron Howard, has always had her best interests at heart.

In an exclusive conversation with PEOPLE, theArgylleactress, 42, opens up about how her actor-director father, 69, and her mother,Cheryl Howard, would not allow her to act at a young age, unlike her famous dad did years before.

“I think if I had the chance to act younger, I would’ve taken it. But I wasn’t allowed to,” Bryce says. “My parents were very firm on that boundary, that they were not going to support anyone who wanted to be a child actor.”

Her parentsdidsupport their eager teen gaining experience working in other industries, she notes. “I started working as a waitress on the weekends at a deli, and it was fantastic,” she says. “Because I was 14, I needed to get a waiver from my parents to be on a payroll, and honestly, I was like, ‘This is great.’ "

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Bryce Dallas Howard and Ron Howard.Getty

Bryce Dallas Howard and Ron Howard

Looking back, Bryce says she is grateful that her parents encouraged her to find other avenues to earn a paycheck. “I’m really glad that they did that because when I did start acting, it took a while to make a living. To be able to be like, ‘Oh, okay. I can actually support myself with this,’ " she explains.

Bryce — who hastwo younger twin sisters, Jocelyn and Paige, and a younger brother named Reed— eventually attended the Tisch School of the Arts at New York University to pursue an acting career, and got her start in various theatrical productions.

In 2004, she was cast in M. Night Shyamalan’sThe Village, kicking off her steady success in film and television, including roles inSpider-Man 3,The Twilight Saga: Eclipse,The Help, Black Mirrorand the blockbusterJurassic Worldfilm series.

Bryce has also directed various projects, including the documentaryDads, her feature film directorial debut, along with episodes ofThe Mandalorian, The Book of Boba Fettand the upcomingStar Wars: Skeleton Crew.

Ron Howard and Bryce Dallas Howard.David Livingston/Getty

Director Ron Howard (L) and daughter actress Bryce Dallas Howard attend a benefit screening of Digital Jungle Pictures' “Broken Memories” at the Writers Guild Theater on November 14, 2017 in Beverly Hills, California.

Currently, Bryce says that she and her father Ron — who rose to fame as a child star playing Opie Taylor on the sitcomThe Andy Griffith Showfrom 1960 through 1968 — have a great relationship and “love to talk about the movies.”

“But it’s usually admiring people’s work and kind of gushing about things, or sharing crazy stories that turned around, or just fun things,” she adds.

“It’s so wonderful to get to be in an industry with family members, for me at least, because I’m not alone in it,” continues Bryce.

She even shadowed Ron as he shot the 2018 Star Wars filmSolo- though she had to talk him into it.

“He was not really into the idea,” Bryce tells PEOPLE, noting it was largely the same crew she had just worked with forJurassic World: Fallen Kingdom. “And my pitch was like, ‘Really? I know everyone. Please. I know everyone. I just finished working with everyone for the last six months. Please. I promise I’ll be invisible.’ "

For more about Bryce, pick up this week’s issue of PEOPLE.

source: people.com