Terrence Dashon Howard
(born March 11, 1969) is an American actor, singer, and rapper. [1] Having appeared in film and on television since the late 1980s, Howard had his first major role in the 1995 film Mr. Holland's Opus
, which subsequently led to a number of roles in films and high visibility among African American audiences. Howard broke into the mainstream with a succession of well-reviewed television and film roles between 2004 and 2006. Among his roles in movies includes Ray
, Lackawanna Blues
, Crash
, Four Brothers
, Hustle & Flow
, Get Rich or Die Tryin'
, Idlewild
, The Brave One
. Howard co-starred in Iron Man
and reprised the role in the video game adaption, though due to reprise his role in Iron Man II,
was replaced by Academy Award nominee Don Cheadle (his Crash
co-star) in October 2008. [2]
His debut pop album, Shine through It
, heavily inspired by popular soul singers such as Marvin Gaye and Curtis Mayfield, was released in September 2008.
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TERRENCE HOWARD TICKETS
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Early life
Howard was born in Chicago, Illinois and raised in Cleveland, Ohio, the son of Anita Williams and Tyrone Howard.
His great-grandmother,
Minnie Gentry, was a stage actress, as were his mother and uncles.
His parents were both
biracial, of
African American and
Caucasian descent; he experienced
racism throughout his childhood. His father was involved in what has been termed the
Santa Line Slaying, serving 11 months in prison on
manslaughter charges after stabbing another man.
At the age of 16, Howard emancipated himself from his parents and was put on
welfare; at 18, he moved to
New York City to pursue an acting career.
He wanted to be a
science teacher,
though he had a low grade point average in
high school and was admitted to the
Pratt Institute in New York only after convincing them to give him a special entrance exam.
Howard did not complete his education, as he had joined his brother on an audition for
The Cosby Show
and was cast in the role.
Though he did not obtain a degree,
Howard claims to be an engineer.
[6] Howard had a principal role in a short-lived
CBS sitcom,
Tall Hopes
.
Career
Howard first entered the entertainment world when he portrayed a young adult
Jackie Jackson in
The Jacksons: An American Dream
, an
ABC miniseries, now frequently shown as a
feature-length movie. Three years later, he made his big film break in 1995's
Mr. Holland's Opus
. He continued being cast in television and movie roles and co-starred as "Greg Sparks" in the late-1990s television series
Sparks
with
James L. Avery, Sr. and
Miguel A. Nunez Jr. Howard also appeared in
The Best Man
in 1999, in
Ashanti's music video for her 2002 single "Foolish" and in
Mary J. Blige's video for "Be Without You"(her hit song on The Breakthrough Album). Howard also made an appearance on the TV series Family Matters.
Howard1" /> It has also been announced that Howard will re-team with
Hustle & Flow
director
Craig Brewer for a film based on the life of
Country Music legend
Charley Pride.
Howard has stated that he looks for characters that "teach him about himself" when choosing his film roles.
Howard has also worked as a film producer, receiving such a credit for the film
Pride
. As of 2008, Howard hosts the
PBS' series
Independent Lens.
In 2008, he made his
Broadway debut, playing Brick in an all-
African-American production of
Tennessee Williams's
Cat on a Hot Tin Roof
, directed by
Debbie Allen and also starring
James Earl Jones (Big Daddy),
Phylicia Rashad (Big Mama) and
Anika Noni Rose (Maggie). During rehearsals he allegedly attacked and seriously injured a musical composer Tex Allen. Mr. Allen claimed to have suffered multiple injuries as a result of being being punched multiple times in the head and face and in October 2008 filed a 5 million dollar lawsuit against Howard.
[7] On September 1, 2008 he released the album "Shine Through It" in the UK.
In October 2008, Howard made a guest appearance in the movie "For All Mankind" directed by Daniel L. Clifton, filmed on location in Conshohocken PA.
In 2009 he starred in the movie "Fighting."
Personal life
Howard, who lives outside
Philadelphia in
Lafayette Hill, Pennsylvania,
[8] was married to
Lori McCommas for 14 years.
[9] The couple has three children: two daughters (Aubrey and Heaven) and a son (Hunter). Howard and his wife divorced in 2003 and remarried again in 2005, but have since separated. Press reports have since noted that Howard is "trying to reunite" with his wife, and that he has stated that he is "chasing after" her.
[10] His wife was born Jewish but is raising their children as
Jehovah's Witnesses.
[11] In an interview with
NPR, he explains his desire to become one of Jehovah's Witnesses, although he was raised a Muslim.
[12]
In February 2009 it was reported on the
The Smoking Gun that Howard was arrested in 2001 for a variety of charges related to a violent attack on his estranged wife, including simple 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 back yard where he punched her twice in the face with a closed fist. The violent attack ended when Howard's brother stopped it. In 2002 he plead guilty only to disturbing the peace.
[13]
Howard is a self-taught
guitarist and
pianist.
Howard has described
physics as his "main love" and has expressed interest in completing his education and obtaining a
doctorate.
These issues came to light after he reportedly downplayed singer
Chris Brown's 2009 arrest for attacking his girlfriend
Rihanna. When Howard was asked about the allegations of
domestic violence against Brown, he told a reporter from Hollywood.tv "It's just life, man. Chris is a great guy. He'll be all right, and Rihanna knows he loves her, you know? They'll be all right."
[14]
Music
Although Howard was not a music artist, he performed in several tracks for
Hustle and Flow
. The song "It's Hard Out Here For A Pimp" was written by
Three 6 Mafia and produced by DJ Paul. It won the
Academy Award for Best Original Song at the
78th Academy Awards, and it is also available in a version by Three 6 Mafia. The songs "Hustle And Flow (It Ain't Over)" and "Whoop That Trick", were composed by
Al Kapone. All three tracks were performed by Terrence Howard, and they can be heard in the
Hustle & Flow Soundtrack
. Howard had been working on his first album since March 2007. The album, titled
Shine Through It
, was released on September 1, 2008.
Filmography
Films
| Year
| Movie
| Role
| Other notes
|
| 1992
| The Jacksons: An American Dream
| Adult Jackie Jackson
|
|
| 1993
| Who's the Man?
| Customer
|
|
| 1995
| LottoLand
| 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
| Hitchhiker
|
|
| Best Laid Plans
| Jimmy
|
|
| The Best Man
| Quentin
| NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Motion Picture
Nominated — Black Reel Award for Best Supporting Actor
Nominated — Chicago Film Critics Association Award for Most Promising Actor
Nominated — Independent Spirit Award for Best Supporting Male
|
| 2000
| Big Momma's House
| Lester Vesco
|
|
| Love Beat the Hell Outta Me
| Chris
|
|
| 2001
| Investigating Sex
| Lorenz
|
|
| Angel Eyes
| Robby
|
|
| Glitter
| Timothy Walker
|
|
| 2002
| Hart's War
| Lt. Lincoln A. Scott
|
|
| 2003
| Love Chronicles
| T-Roy
|
|
| Biker Boyz
| Chu Chu
|
|
| 2004
| Crash
| Cameron Thayer
| Black Reel Award for Best Supporting Actor
Black Reel Award for Best Ensemble Cast
Florida Film Critics Circle Pauline Kael Breakout Award
NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Motion Picture
National Board of Review Award for Breakthrough Performance by an Actor
Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture
Vancouver Film Critics Circle Award for Best Supporting Actor
Nominated — Black Movie Award for Outstanding Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role
Nominated — Broadcast Film Critics Association Award for Best Supporting Actor
Nominated — Chicago Film Critics Association Award for Best Supporting Actor
Nominated — Gotham Award for Best Ensemble Cast
Nominated — Washington D.C. Area Film Critics Association Award for Best Supporting Actor
|
| Ray
| Gossie McKee
| Nominated — Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture
|
| 2005
| The Salon
| Patrick
|
|
| Lackawanna Blues
| Bill Crosby
| NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Actor in a Television Movie, Mini-Series or Dramatic Special
Nominated — Black Reel Award for Best Supporting Actor
|
| Hustle & Flow
| Djay
| Austin Film Critics Association Award for Breakthrough Artist
BET Award for Best Actor
Black Movie Award for Outstanding Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role
Black Reel Award for Best Actor
Broadcast Film Critics Association Award for Best Song
Satellite Award for Best Actor – Motion Picture Musical or Comedy
Washington D.C. Area Film Critics Association Award for Best Breakthrough Performance
Nominated — Academy Award for Best Actor
Nominated — Black Reel Award for Best Ensemble Cast
Nominated — Broadcast Film Critics Association Award for Best Actor
Nominated — Chicago Film Critics Association Award for Best Actor
Nominated — Golden Globe Award for Best Actor – Motion Picture Drama
Nominated — Gotham Award - Breakthrough Award
Nominated — NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Actor in a Motion Picture
Nominated — Independent Spirit Award for Best Male Lead
Nominated — Online Film Critics Society Award for Best Actor
Nominated — Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture
Nominated — Washington D.C. Area Film Critics Association Award for Best Actor
|
| Four Brothers
| Lt. Green
| Nominated — Black Reel Award for Best Ensemble Cast
|
| Animal
| Darius Allen
|
|
| Get Rich or Die Tryin'
| Bama
|
|
| 2006
| Idlewild
| Trumpy
|
|
| 2007
| Pride
| Jim Ellis
| Nominated — NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Actor in a Motion Picture
|
| The Hunting Party
| Duck (journalist)
|
|
| The Brave One
| Detective Mercer
|
|
| August Rush
| Richard Jeffries (child counselor)
|
|
| Awake
| Dr. Jack Harper
|
|
| The Perfect Holiday
| Mr. Bah Humbug
|
|
| 2008
| Iron Man
| Lt. Col James Rhodes (Air Force officer)
| Nominated — Black Reel Award for Best Supporting Actor
|
| Phillies World Series Champions DVD
| Narrator
|
|
| 2009
| Fighting
| Harvey Boarden
|
|
| The Princess and the Frog
| James
| voice only
|
| Red Tails
| Col. A.J. Bullard
|
|
Television movies
| Year
| Movie
| Role
| Other notes
|
| 1992
| The Jacksons: An American Dream
| Jackie
|
|
| 1994
| Family Matters
|
|
|
| 1995
| The O.J. Simpson Story
| Young A.C
|
|
| 2000
| King of the World
| Cassius Clay
|
|
| 2001
| Boycott
| Ralph Abernathy
| Black Reel Award for Best Supporting Actor
Nominated — NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Actor in a Television Movie, Mini-Series or Dramatic Special
|
| 2005
| Their Eyes Were Watching God
| Amos Hicks
|
|
Discography
References
- Movie Stars Who Sing
- Terrence Howard: ‘’Iron Man’’ Replacement "Was the Surprise of a Lifetime"" ''TV Guide''. October 22, 2008. Retrieved on October 22, 2008.
- http://www.denverpost.com/celebritybuzz/ci_10565816
- Obituary: Anita Williams / Mother of actor, recruiter at Pitt
- [1]
- [1]
- http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2008/10/26/terrence-howard-sued-for_n_137907.html
- A star emerges: Terrence Howard is finally in the spotlight
- http://www.findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m1264/is_4_36/ai_n15340948/pg_3
- Terrence Howard tries on more leading roles, a music career
- Interview: Iron Man star Terrence Howard on music, movies and making mayhem | Film | The Observer
- NPR: Terrence Howard: 'I Would Be a Witness'
- [1]
- http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,495744,00.html