Terrence Howard
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| Terrence Howard | |
| Born | March 11, 1969 (age 38) Chicago, Illinois |
| Notable roles | Crash (2005) Hustle & Flow (2005) Pride (2007) |
Terrence Dashon Howard (born March 11, 1969) is an Academy Award-nominated American film and stage actor. 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 them Ray, Lackawanna Blues, Crash, Four Brothers, Hustle & Flow, Get Rich or Die Tryin', and Idlewild.
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[edit] Biography
[edit] Early life
Howard was born in Chicago, Illinois, and was raised in Cleveland, Ohio.[1] His grandmother, Minnie Gentry, was a stage actress, as were his mother, and uncles.[2] His parents were both multiracial, of African American and white descent; a fact that he has said led to experiences of racism throughout his childhood. His father, Tyrone Howard, was involved in what has been termed the Santa Line Slaying, serving 11 months in prison on manslaughter charges after stabbing another man in self-defense.[1] At the age of sixteen, Howard emancipated himself from his parents and was put on welfare; at eighteen, he moved to New York City to pursue an acting career.[1] He wanted to be a science teacher,[2] 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.[1] 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.[1]
[edit] Career
Howard's big film break came in his role 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 Ashanti's music video for her 2002 single "Foolish" and in Mary J. Blige's video for "Be Without You".
Howard has a long-standing reputation in the African-American community as a solid acting talent who often portrays provocative, even frightening characters, such as Cowboy in Dead Presidents or the memorable Quentin in The Best Man. Though he has recently gained popularity in films like Hustle & Flow (for which he also rapped), Crash, and Four Brothers, he stands out as a modest actor who insists on sharing the spotlight with his co-stars. In 2005, he received both Golden Globe and Oscar nominations for his role in Hustle & Flow (a role for which he was paid only $12,000)[1]. He subsequently appeared in the film Pride, playing Jim Ellis, a real-life schoolteacher who founded the first African-American swim team during the 1970s.[2] Howard trained with Ellis for several months in preparation for the role.[2]
Howard's upcoming roles include Spring Break in Bosnia, a comic thriller in which he will play a cameraman in Bosnia opposite Richard Gere and Jesse Eisenberg; The Brave One, a drama co-starring Jodie Foster; August Rush, a film also starring Robin Williams; Awake, a thriller with Jessica Alba; and Iron Man, in which he will play Jim Rhodes. Filming on Iron Man began in the spring of 2007.[2] 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.[2]
Howard has stated that he looks for characters that "teach him about himself" when chosing his film roles.[2] Howard has also worked as a film producer, receiving such a credit for the film Pride, and as of March 2007, is working on his first music album, having already recorded the first track, collaborating with singer Chris Brown.[2] Howard has described the album, containing Spanish guitar and R&B and scheduled for a fall 2007 release, as "urban country".[2]
[edit] Personal life
Howard, who lives outside Philadelphia,[1] was married to Lori McCommas, a white American Jewish woman, for 14 years.[3] The couple has three children: two daughters (Aubrey and Heavenly) 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.[2]
Howard is a self-taught guitarist and pianist.[2] He has described physics as his "main love" and has expressed interest in completing his education and obtaining a doctorate.[2]
[edit] Filmography
[edit] Films
| Year | Movie | Role |
|---|---|---|
| 1993 | Who's the Man? | Customer |
| 1995 | Lotto Land | Warren |
| 1995 | Dead Presidents | Cowboy |
| 1995 | Mr. Holland's Opus | Louis Russ |
| 1996 | Sunset Park | Spaceman |
| 1996 | Johns | Jimmy the Warlock |
| 1997 | Double Tap | Ulysses |
| 1998 | Butter | Dexter Banks |
| 1998 | Spark | Byron |
| 1998 | The Players Club | K.C. |
| 1999 | Valerie Flake | Hitchhiker |
| 1999 | Best Laid Plans | Jimmy |
| 1999 | The Best Man | Quentin |
| 2000 | Big Momma's House | Lester |
| 2000 | Love Beat the Hell Outta Me | Chris |
| 2001 | Investigating Sex | Lorenz |
| 2001 | Angel Eyes | Robby |
| 2001 | Glitter | Timothy Walker |
| 2002 | Hart's War | Lt. Lincoln A. Scott |
| 2003 | Biker Boyz | Chu Chu |
| 2003 | Love Chronicles | T-Roy |
| 2004 | Crash | Cameron Thayer |
| 2004 | Ray | Gossie McKee |
| 2005 | The Salon | Patrick |
| 2005 | Hustle & Flow | Djay |
| 2005 | Four Brothers | Lt. Green |
| 2005 | Animal | Darius Allen |
| 2005 | Get Rich or Die Tryin' | Bama |
| 2006 | Idlewild | Trumpy |
[edit] Upcoming Films
| 2007 | August Rush | Richard Jeffries |
| 2007 | Pride | Jim Ellis |
| 2007 | Awake | |
| 2007 | The Crusaders | Thurgood Marshall |
| 2007 | Spring Break in Bosnia | |
| 2007 | Perfect Christmas | Mr. Bah Humbug |
| 2007 | The Brave One | Mercer |
| 2008 | Factor X | |
| 2008 | Iron Man | Jim Rhodes |
| 2008 | Luke Cage | DiamondBack |
[edit] Television Movies
| Year | Movie | Role |
|---|---|---|
| 1992 | The Jacksons: An American Dream | Jackie |
| 1995 | The O.J. Simpson Story | Young A.C |
| 1998 | Mama Flora's Family | Lincoln |
| 2000 | King of the World | Cassius Clay |
| 2001 | Boycott | Ralph Abernathy |
| 2005 | Lackawanna Blues | Bill Crosby |
| 2005 | Their Eyes Were Watching God | Amos Hicks |
[edit] Television Series Starring
| Year | Show | Role |
|---|---|---|
| 1993 | Tall Hopes | Chester Harris |
| 1995 | Shadow-Ops' | Rio |
| 1996-1998 | Sparks | Greg Sparks |
| 2003 | Street Time | Lucius Mosley |
[edit] Awards and nominations
[edit] Awards
- 2000: NAACP Image Awards, Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Motion Picture (The Best Man)
- 2002: Black Reel Award, Network/Cable-Best Supporting Actor (Boycott)
- 2005: Black Movie Award, Best Actor (Hustle & Flow)
- 2005: Los Angeles Film Critics Association, New Generation Award
- 2006: NAACP Image Awards, Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Motion Picture (Crash)
[edit] Nominations
- 2000 Black Reel Award, Best Supporting Actor (Film) (The Best Man)
- 2005: Black Movie Award, Best Supporting Actor (Crash
- 2005: Critic's Choice Awards, Best Actor (Hustle & Flow)
- 2005: Critic's Choice Awards, Best Ensemble, (Crash)
- 2005: Golden Globe Award, Best Actor in a Motion Picture - Drama, (Hustle & Flow)
- 2006: Academy Award, Best Actor (Hustle & Flow)
[edit] Footnotes
- ^ a b c d e f g Koltnow, Barry. "A star emerges: Terrence Howard is finally in the spotlight", PopMatters, 2007-03-22. Retrieved on 2007-03-22.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l Cohen, Sandy. "Terrence Howard tries on more leading roles, a music career", Akron Beacon Journal, 2007-03-22. Retrieved on 2007-03-22.
- ^ http://www.findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m1264/is_4_36/ai_n15340948/pg_3
