Terrence Howard
American actor (born 1969)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Terrence Dashon Howard (born March 11, 1969) is an American actor performing on film and television. He has received a Screen Actors Guild Award as well as nominations for an Academy Award, a Golden Globe Award, and two Independent Spirit Awards.
Howard made his film debut in a minor role in the buddy comedy Who's the Man? (1993). In 1995 he had a minor role in Mr. Holland's Opus. He later was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Actor for his role as a pimp and drug dealer in Hustle & Flow (2005). He played James "Rhodey" Rhodes in the first Marvel Cinematic Universe film Iron Man (2008).
He played Quentin Spivey in the films The Best Man (1999) and The Best Man Holiday (2013) and the miniseries The Best Man: The Final Chapters (2022). On television, he portrayed Jackie Jackson in The Jacksons: An American Dream (1992), Al Cowlings in The O. J. Simpson Story (1995), Cassius Clay in King of the World (2000), and Ralph Abernathy in Boycott (2001). He won an NAACP Image Award for his role in Lackawanna Blues (2005). He starred as the lead character Lucious Lyon in the Fox musical drama series Empire from 2015 to 2020.
Howard made his Broadway debut playing Brick in the revival of the Tennessee Williams play Cat on a Hot Tin Roof (2008). His debut album, Shine Through It, was released in September 2008. In December 2022, Howard announced that he planned to retire from acting, but has since appeared in several films and television shows.[2]
Early life
Howard was born in Chicago, on March 11, 1969, to Tyrone and Anita (née Williams) Howard,[3] who were both of African and English ancestry.[4] His great-grandmother was actress Minnie Gentry. Howard was raised in Cleveland, Ohio, where he had a rocky childhood. He has claimed that he endured beatings from his physically abusive father,[citation needed] and that he saw his father stabbing another man in the Santa Line Slaying when Terrence was two years old.[5] His father was convicted of manslaughter and served 11 months in jail.[6] Howard's parents divorced upon his father's release. He was raised by his great-grandmother, who died at the age of 77 in 1993.[7]
Career
Howard made his big film break in 1995's Mr. Holland's Opus and Dead Presidents. He continued being cast in television and movie roles, and co-starred as Greg Sparks in the late-1990s short-lived television series Sparks with James L. Avery Sr. and Miguel A. Nunez Jr. Howard also appeared in The Best Man (1999), in Ashanti's music video for her 2002 single "Foolish", and in Mary J. Blige's video for "Be Without You". Howard also made an appearance on the TV series Family Matters and Moesha.
Howard has said that he looks for characters that "teach him about himself" when choosing his film roles.[8] For the 2005 film Hustle & Flow, Howard portrayed a pimp and aspiring rapper. He performed all the character's tracks, including "It's Hard out Here for a Pimp", which won the Academy Award for Best Original Song at the 78th Academy Awards. Howard has also worked as a film producer, as when he was credited for the 2007 film Pride. In 2008, Howard hosted the PBS series Independent Lens.
Howard was contracted to play Colonel James Rhodes in the 2008 film Iron Man. Howard was signed on before any of the other major actors and was the highest paid actor in the film. He was replaced by actor Don Cheadle in the film's sequels. Entertainment Weekly reported that Howard was offered a 50 to 80 percent pay cut for Iron Man 2, though it said that it was unclear whether Howard turned down the role or whether Marvel withdrew their offer.[9][10]
Howard released his debut adult alternative album, Shine Through It, in 2008 on Columbia/SME Records. He described the album as urban country, and either wrote or co-wrote all the songs on it.[11][12]
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In 2008, he made his Broadway debut, playing Brick in an all-African-American production of Cat on a Hot Tin Roof, directed by Debbie Allen. During rehearsals, he allegedly attacked and seriously injured musical composer Tex Allen (brother of the director). Allen said he suffered multiple injuries and in October 2008, Allen filed a $5 million lawsuit against Howard.[13] In 2010, Howard joined the cast of Law & Order: Los Angeles, playing Deputy District Attorney Joe Dekker. He alternated shows with Alfred Molina, who portrayed Deputy District Attorney Ricardo Morales.[14] The series was cancelled after one season. In 2011, Howard played Nelson Mandela in the film Winnie Mandela.
From 2015 to 2020, Howard starred on the television series Empire, playing Lucious Lyon, a hip-hop mogul who discovers he is dying and must ensure the survival of his music empire. He also appeared in the television series Wayward Pines portraying Sheriff Arnold Pope, a main character in the first season in 2015 and a guest character in the second and final season.[15]
On hosting the ninth annual Guys Choice Awards in 2015 Howard said, "I got the other guy on my side. Big Devil. Big D is my rolling buddy!".[16] At the ceremony he was also awarded Most Dangerous Man.
In February 2021, it was announced that Howard would star in British sci-fi/thriller film Beneath.[17] In February 2022, he was cast in the horror film Skeletons in the Closet.[18] Howard said in December 2022 that he had retired "for the most part" two years prior and that "this is the end for me".[2]
Howard once turned down a role portraying Marvin Gaye as he was worried he would have to kiss another man; Howard told Bill Maher in 2025, "That would fuck me. I would cut my lips off. If I kissed some man, I would cut my lips off."[19]
Personal life
Marriages
As of 2007[update], Howard lives outside Philadelphia in Lafayette Hill, Pennsylvania.[20] He has been married four times to three women, and has five children.[21][22]
Howard married his first wife, Lori McCommas, in 1993. They had three children together, two daughters and a son.[23] Howard has two grandchildren, a granddaughter and a grandson.[24][25] Howard and McCommas' divorce was filed in 2000 and finalized in 2001, but they remarried in 2005.[26] They subsequently filed for divorce a year later and finalized for a second time in 2007.[8][27]
Howard married his second wife, Michelle Ghent, in 2010. Ghent filed for divorce in February 2011.[28] Ghent filed for a restraining order in December 2011, accusing Howard of being physically abusive toward her. Their divorce was finalized in May 2013,[29] though the agreement was overturned in 2015 after a judge ruled Howard had signed it under duress of Ghent threatening to sell nude pictures of Howard and other personal information.[30]
Howard wed his third wife, model and restaurateur Mira Pak, in late 2013.[31] They have two sons, born 2015 and 2016.[32] The two divorced in 2015 and then were engaged to remarry in December 2018.[33]
Educational claims
Howard has stated that he "went to school for chemical engineering and applied materials".[34] Though he did not complete his engineering degree, Howard says he thinks of himself as an engineer and says he intends to return one day to complete the "three credits"[35] of which he claims he is currently short.[20][36][37][38] On February 26, 2013, Howard also said on Jimmy Kimmel Live! that he had earned a PhD degree in chemical engineering from South Carolina State University (SCSU) that year. Howard never attended SCSU, and SCSU does not confer doctorates in chemical engineering. Instead, Howard was awarded an honorary degree of "Doctorate of Humane Letters" (DHL) from SCSU after speaking at its commencement ceremony in 2012.[37]
Pseudoscientific theories
In a 2015 interview with Rolling Stone, Howard explained that he had formulated his own language of logic, which he called "Terryology", and which he was keeping secret until he had patented it. This logic language, he claimed, would be used to prove the statement "1 × 1 = 2".[39]
"How can it equal one?" he said. "If one times one equals one that means that two is of no value because one times itself has no effect. One times one equals two because the square root of four is two, so what's the square root of two? Should be one, but we're told it's two,[notes 1] and that cannot be."[39]
Howard blames his leaving the Pratt Institute over disagreements with a professor regarding this hypothesis.[39] Howard stated he dedicates up to 17 hours daily to creating sculptures from plastic fragments joined with copper wire or solder, which he claims demonstrate his mathematical model.[40]
In 2017, Howard published his "proof" of the claim that "1 × 1 = 2" on his Twitter account.[41] Concerns were raised about the logical consistency of Howard's thinking.[42]
In May 2024, Howard was a guest on The Joe Rogan Experience, where he attempted to debunk the Pythagorean theorem, claimed he can kill gravity, said he does not believe in the number zero, and claimed he remembers the events of the day he was born.[43]
Neil deGrasse Tyson posted a video to YouTube in June 2024 responding to Terryology.[44] Tyson stated that Howard's manifesto contained "assumptions and statements that are under-informed, misinformed, or simply false".[45]
Legal issues
Howard was arrested in August 2000 for assaulting a Continental Airlines flight attendant after refusing her request to return to his seat because the seat belt sign was on.[46] He was charged with assault and jailed overnight.[47]
Howard was also arrested in 2001 for a variety of charges related to a violent attack on his estranged first wife, including assault, terroristic threats, harassment, and stalking. According to police reports, he arrived at her house after an argument on the phone, forced entry into her home by breaking in doors, and chased her into the backyard where he punched her in the face twice. The violent attack ended when Howard's brother stepped in. In 2002, he pleaded guilty to disturbing the peace.[48]
On December 5, 2011, a judge granted Howard's then-wife Michelle Ghent a restraining order based on her claims that Howard had caused her physical injuries that required medical attention, once broke her computer in half, repeatedly threatened her, and stalked her by telephone and on the Internet.[49]
In August 2013, Ghent obtained a second restraining order against him after showing up in court with a black eye she said he gave her.[50]
In a September 2015 interview with Rolling Stone, Howard admitted to hitting his first wife in 2001, saying: "She was talking to me real strong, and I lost my mind and slapped her in front of the kids."[51]
Filmography
Film
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1993 | Who's the Man? | Customer | |
| 1995 | Lotto Land | Warren | |
| Dead Presidents | "Cowboy" | ||
| Mr. Holland's Opus | Louis Russ | ||
| 1996 | Sunset Park | "Spaceman" | |
| Johns | Jimmy, The Warlock | ||
| 1997 | Double Tap | Ulysses | |
| 1998 | Butter | Dexter Banks | |
| Spark | Byron | ||
| The Players Club | K.C. | ||
| 1999 | Valerie Flake | The Hitchhiker | |
| Best Laid Plans | Jimmy | ||
| The Best Man | Quentin Spivey | ||
| 2000 | Big Momma's House | Lester Vesco | |
| Love Beat the Hell Outta Me | Chris | ||
| 2001 | Angel Eyes | Robby | |
| Glitter | Timothy Walker | ||
| 2002 | Hart's War | Lieutenant Lincoln A. Scott | |
| Investigating Sex | Lorenz | ||
| 2003 | Love Chronicles | "T-Roy" | |
| Biker Boyz | "Chu-Chu" | ||
| 2004 | Crash | Cameron Thayer | |
| Ray | Gossie McKee | ||
| 2005 | The Salon | Patrick | |
| Hustle & Flow | Djay | ||
| Four Brothers | Lieutenant Green | ||
| Animal | Darius Allen | ||
| Get Rich or Die Tryin' | "Bama" | ||
| 2006 | Idlewild | "Trumpy" | |
| 2007 | Pride | Jim Ellis | |
| The Hunting Party | "Duck" | ||
| The Brave One | Detective Mercer | ||
| August Rush | Richard Jeffries | ||
| Awake | Dr. Jack Harper | ||
| The Perfect Holiday | Mr. Bah Humbug | ||
| 2008 | Iron Man | James "Rhodey" Rhodes | |
| Phillies World Series Champions DVD | The Narrator | ||
| 2009 | Fighting | Harvey Boarden | |
| The Princess and the Frog | James | Voice role | |
| 2011 | Little Murder (Ghost of New Orleans) | Drag Hammerman | |
| The Ledge | Hollis Lucetti | ||
| Winnie Mandela | Nelson Mandela | ||
| 2012 | Red Tails | Colonel A.J. Bullard | |
| On the Road | Walter | ||
| The Company You Keep | Cornelius | ||
| 2013 | Movie 43 | Coach Jackson | Segment: "Victory's Glory" |
| Dead Man Down | Alphonse Hoyt | ||
| House of Bodies | Starks | ||
| The Butler | Howard | ||
| Prisoners | Franklin Birch | ||
| The Best Man Holiday | Quentin Spivey | ||
| 2014 | Take Me to the River | Himself | |
| Sabotage | DEA Agent Julius "Sugar" Edmonds | ||
| Lullaby | Dr. Crier | ||
| St. Vincent | Zucko | ||
| 2016 | Term Life | Sheriff Braydon[52] | |
| Cardboard Boxer | Pope | ||
| 2019 | Gully | Mr. Christmas | |
| 2020 | Cut Throat City | The Saint | |
| 2021 | Triumph | Coach Cutting | |
| 2022 | The Walk | Lamont Robbins | |
| The System | Bones | ||
| 2023 | Showdown at the Grand | George Fuller | |
| 2024 | Skeletons in the Closet | Mark | |
| Shirley | Arthur Hardwick Jr. | ||
| Crescent City | Brian | ||
| TBA | The Movers | TBA |
Television
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1992 | All My Children | Justin | 2 episodes |
| The Jacksons: An American Dream | Jackie Jackson | 2 episodes | |
| 1993 | Tall Hopes | Chester Harris | Main Cast |
| 1994 | Living Single | Brendan King | Episode: "The Hand That Robs the Cradle" |
| Coach | Johnny Williams | Episode: "Blue Chip Blues" | |
| Family Matters | John | Episode: "Opposites Attract" | |
| Getting By | Herbert | Episode: "My Brilliant Career" | |
| Picket Fences | Malik | 2 episodes | |
| 1995 | The O. J. Simpson Story | Young A.C. | TV Movie |
| New York Undercover | Buster | Episode: "Buster and Claudia" | |
| 1996–1998 | Sparks | Greg Sparks | Main Cast |
| 1998–1999 | NYPD Blue | A.J. Foreman / Lonnie | 2 episodes |
| 2000 | King of the World | Cassius Clay | TV Movie |
| 2001 | Boycott | Ralph Abernathy | TV Movie |
| 2002 | Fastlane | Alton White | Episode: "Things Done Changed" |
| 2002–2003 | Soul Food | Benny Jones | 2 episodes |
| 2003 | Street Time | Lucius Mosley | Main Cast |
| 2005 | Their Eyes Were Watching God | Amos Hicks | TV Movie |
| Lackawanna Blues | Bill Crosby | TV Movie | |
| 2010–2011 | Law & Order: LA | Senior D.D.A. Jonah "Joe" Dekker | Main Cast |
| 2011 | Law & Order: Special Victims Unit | Episode: "Reparations" | |
| 2012 | Hawaii Five-0 | Billy | Episode: "I Ka Wa Mamua" |
| 2015–2020 | Empire | Lucious Lyon | Main Cast |
| 2015 | Lip Sync Battle | Himself | Episodes: "Terrence Howard vs. Taraji P. Henson" pts. 1 & 2 |
| 2015–2016 | Wayward Pines | Sheriff Arnold Pope | Main Cast (season 1) Recurring Cast (season 2) |
| 2017 | Philip K. Dick's Electric Dreams | George | Episode: "Real Life" |
| 2022 | The Best Man: The Final Chapters | Quentin Spivey | Miniseries, 10 episodes |
| 2024 | Fight Night: The Million Dollar Heist | Richard Wheeler | Miniseries, 8 episodes |
Theater
| Year | Title | Role | Venue | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2008 | Cat on a Hot Tin Roof | Brick | Broadhurst Theatre, Broadway | [53] |
Music videos
| Year | Title | Artist(s) | Album |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2002 | "Foolish" | Ashanti | Ashanti |
| 2005 | "Be Without You" | Mary J. Blige | The Breakthrough |
| 2015 | "Ghosttown" | Madonna | Rebel Heart |
| 2020 | "Never Alone" (Paul Oakenfold & Varun Remix) | Emmanuel Kelly | N/a |
Video games
| Year | Title | Voice role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2008 | Iron Man | USAF Lieutenant Colonel James Rhodes |
Awards, nominations and honors
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Discography
- Shine Through It (2008)
Notes
- Note: Mathematics does not say that the square root of two is two, but an irrational number of approximately 1.41.
