Terrence Howard
| Terrence Howard | |
|---|---|
 Howard at the 2011 Toronto International Film Festival | |
| Born |
Terrence Dashon Howard March 11, 1969[1] Chicago, Illinois, U.S. |
| Occupation | Actor, singer-songwriter, record producer |
| Years active | 1992–present |
| Spouse(s) |
Lori McCommas (m. 1989–2007) Michelle Ghent (m. 2010–13) Mira Pak (m. 2013) |
| Children | 4 |
Terrence Dashon Howard (born March 11, 1969) is an American actor and singer. Having his first major roles in the 1995 films Dead Presidents and Mr. Holland's Opus, Howard broke into the mainstream with a succession of television and cinema roles between 2004 and 2006. He was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Actor for his role in Hustle & Flow. Howard has had prominent roles in many other movies including Winnie, Ray, Lackawanna Blues, Crash, Four Brothers, Get Rich or Die Tryin', Idlewild, August Rush, The Brave One and Prisoners. Howard played James Rhodes in Iron Man and reprised the role in the video game adaptation. However, he was replaced by Don Cheadle for the future films. He currently stars as the lead character Lucious Lyon in the television series Empire. His debut album, Shine Through It, was released in September 2008.
Early life
Howard was born in Chicago, Illinois, and raised in Cleveland, Ohio, the son of Anita Jeanine Williams (née Hawkins) and Tyrone Howard.[2][3][4] His maternal great-grandmother, Minnie Gentry, was a stage actress, as were his mother and uncles.[5][6] He experienced racism in his childhood.[7] His father was involved in what has been termed the Santa Line Slaying (1971),[8] serving eleven months in prison on manslaughter charges after stabbing another man to death(out of self defence).[2] 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 and worked at Pan American Airlines, where he would travel on his off days to attend auditions in search of that big break.[2] He wanted to be a science teacher, though he had a low GPA in high school and was admitted to the Pratt Institute in New York only after convincing them to give him a special entrance exam.[2][5] 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.[2]
Career
Howard first entered the entertainment world when he portrayed Jackie Jackson in The Jacksons: An American Dream, an ABC miniseries. 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". Howard made an appearance on the TV series Family Matters.
Howard has stated that he looks for characters that "teach him about himself" when choosing his film roles.[5] Howard has also worked as a film producer, receiving such a credit for the film Pride. In 2008, Howard hosted the PBS series Independent Lens.
For the 2005 movie Hustle & Flow, Howard performed all the tracks for his character, including "It's Hard Out Here for a Pimp", which won the Academy Award for Best Original Song at the 78th Academy Awards.
Howard was the highest-paid cast member of the 2008 film Iron Man. He did not appear in either of the follow-up sequels because it was reported that he would have had to take a 50 to 80 percent pay cut and was replaced by actor Don Cheadle.[9]
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 tracks on the album.[10][11]
In 2008, he made his Broadway debut, playing Brick in an all-African-American production of Tennessee Williams' 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 musical composer Tex Allen (brother of the director), who said he suffered multiple injuries as a result of being punched multiple times in the head and face. In October 2008, Allen filed a $5 million lawsuit against Howard.[12]
In October 2008, Howard made a guest appearance in the short film For All Mankind directed by Daniel L. Clifton, filmed on location in Conshohocken, Pennsylvania. In 2009, he starred in the movie Fighting.
It was reported on July 30, 2010, that Howard had joined the cast of the new Law & Order: Los Angeles installment of the Law & Order franchise, where he played Deputy District Attorney Joe Dekker. He alternated shows with Alfred Molina, who portrayed Deputy District Attorney Ricardo Morales.[13] The series was cancelled after one season. In 2011, Howard played Nelson Mandela in Winnie Mandela alongside Jennifer Hudson.
Since 2015, he stars on the Fox television series, Empire. The former was created by Lee Daniels and Danny Strong in which he plays a hip-hop mogul who discovers he is dying and must ensure the survival of his music empire. The cast includes Taraji P. Henson and Gabourey Sidibe. He was also part of the Fox series Wayward Pines, which ran for one season in 2015. The latter series was produced by M. Night Shyamalan and also included cast members Matt Dillon, Melissa Leo, and Juliette Lewis.
Personal life
Howard lives outside Philadelphia in Lafayette Hill, Pennsylvania.[2] He has been married four times to three women, and has four children and two grandchildren.[14]
Howard married his first wife, Lori McCommas, in 1989.[15] They have three children together: daughters Aubrey and Heaven, and son Hunter. Through Aubrey, Howard has two grandchildren, a granddaughter born in December 2012 and a grandson born in February 2015.[16] Howard and McCommas divorced in 2003, but remarried in 2005. They subsequently divorced for a second time in 2007.[5][17] McCommas was born Jewish but is raising their children as Jehovah's Witnesses.[18] In an interview with NPR, Howard stated he wanted to become a Jehovah's Witness as well.[19]
Howard married his second wife, commercial production employee Michelle Ghent. Ghent filed for divorce in February 2011.[20] Ghent filed for a restraining order in December 2011, accusing Howard of being physically abusive toward her. Their divorce was finalized in May 2013.[21]
Howard wed his third wife, model/restaurateur Mira Pak (also known as Miranda), in late 2013.[22][23] They have one son, Qirin Love (born May 15, 2015).[24]
Though he did not complete his engineering degree, Howard thinks of himself as an engineer and intends to return one day to complete the "three credits"[25] of which he is currently short.[2][26][27][28] Howard's account of his educational history has not been confirmed; Pratt Institute, which he says he attended, closed its engineering degree program in 1993.[29] On February 26, 2013, Howard said on Jimmy Kimmel Live! that he had earned a Ph.D. in chemical engineering from South Carolina State University that year. Although he was awarded a Doctorate of Humane Letters from SCSU in 2012, he never attended the university and never earned a degree in chemical engineering.[27]
In 2010, Howard was inducted as an honorary member into Phi Beta Sigma fraternity.[30]
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 would be used to prove his contention that "1 x 1 = 2".[31]
"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, and that cannot be."[31]
Howard blames his leaving Pratt over disagreements with a professor regarding this hypothesis. He also stated that he spends many hours a day constructing models of plastic and wire that he patented and claims to confirm his belief.[31]
Domestic violence incidents
In February 2009, it was reported on The Smoking Gun that Howard was arrested in 2001 for a variety of charges related to a violent attack on his estranged first wife, including simple assault, terrorist 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 twice in the face with a closed fist. The violent attack ended when Howard's brother stepped in. In 2002, he pleaded guilty to disturbing the peace.[32]
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."[33]
According to The Smoking Gun, Howard was also arrested for assaulting a Continental Airlines flight attendant after refusing her request to return to his seat because the seat belt sign was on.[34]
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.[35]
In August 2013, Howard's second wife, Michelle Ghent, obtained a second restraining order against him after showing up in court with a black eye she says he gave her. Howard has denied hitting her.[36]
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."[37]
Filmography
Film
TV movies
| Year | Title | Role | Other notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1992 | Jacksons: An American Dream, TheThe Jacksons: An American Dream | Jackie Jackson | |
| 1993 | Tall Hopes | Chester Harris | |
| 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 | |
| 2005 | 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 |
Television
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1994 | Family Matters | John | 1 episode |
| 1994 | Living Single | Brendan King | |
| 1994 | Coach | Johnny Williams | |
| 1995 | New York Undercover | Buster Goings | |
| 1996–98 | Sparks | Greg Sparks | |
| 2010–11 | Law & Order: LA | Senior D.D.A. Jonah "Joe" Dekker | Series regular |
| 2011 | Law & Order: Special Victims Unit | Senior D.D.A. Jonah "Joe" Dekker | Episode: "Reparations" |
| 2012 | Hawaii Five-0 | Billy | Episode: "I Ka Wa Mamua" |
| 2015–present | Empire | Lucious Lyon | Series regular Won—BET Award for Best Actor Nominated—Teen Choice Award for Choice TV Actor: Drama Nominated—Teen Choice Award for Choice TV: Villain Nominated—Teen Choice Awards for Choice TV: Chemistry |
| 2015 | Wayward Pines | Sheriff Pope | Series regular |
Video games
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2008 | Iron Man | USAF Lt. Col. James "Rhodey" Rhodes | Voice role |
Music Videos
| Year | Title | Artist | Length | Album | Official Video |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2015 | "Ghosttown" | Madonna | 5:28 | Rebel Heart | Ghosttown |
Discography
- Shine Through It (2008)
Awards and Nominations
| Year | Association | Category | Nominated work | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1999 | Independent Spirit Award | Best Supporting Male | The Best Man | Nominated |
| Black Reel Award | Best Supporting Actor | Won | ||
| Chicago Film Critics Association Awards | Best Supporting Actor | Nominated | ||
| 2000 | NAACP Image Award | Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Motion Picture | Won | |
References
- ↑ "Monitor". Entertainment Weekly (1250). Mar 15, 2013. p. 23.
- 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Koltnow, Barry (March 22, 2007). "A star emerges: Terrence Howard is finally in the spotlight". PopMatters. Retrieved March 22, 2007.
- ↑ "People: Johnny Depp passes Will Smith as top-earning actor". Denver Post. September 26, 2008.
- ↑ http://obituaries.triblive.com/listing/140443/Anita-J-Williams/
- 1 2 3 4 Cohen, Sandy (March 22, 2007). "Terrence Howard tries on more leading roles, a music career". Akron Beacon Journal. Archived from the original on October 12, 2007. Retrieved March 22, 2007.
- ↑ Haynes, Monica (September 27, 2008). "Obituary: Anita Williams / Mother of actor, recruiter at Pitt". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.
- ↑ "Howard Still Haunted By Racist Fight In Santa Line". October 8, 2005. Retrieved May 25, 2013.
- ↑ http://assets.rollingstone.com/assets/2015/media/209021/_original/1442006998/1035x1465-R1244_FEA_TV_Howard_C.jpg
- ↑ Entertainment (October 22, 2015). "Terrence Howard: 'Iron Man' responsible for 'killing my career'". NBC News.
- ↑ "Terrance Howard Biography". allmusic.com. Retrieved April 9, 2011.
- ↑ "'Shine Through It' Review". allmusic.com. Retrieved April 9, 2011.
- ↑ Thomson, Katherine (October 26, 2008). "Terrence Howard Sued For Alleged Beat Down". Huffington Post.
- ↑ Andreeva, Nellie (July 30, 2010). "Terrence Howard To Join 'Law & Order: LA'".
- ↑ "Terrence Howard Reveals His & Wife's Due Date, Welcomes New Grandson". theybf.com.
- ↑ "Howard Bought Ex-wife Her Dream Home In A Bid To Win Her Back". Contactmusic.com. November 3, 2008.
- ↑ Sarie. "TERRENCE HOWARD IS A GRANDPA". Black Celebrity Kids.
- ↑ Fiorillo, Victor (August 13, 2013). "Exclusive: Here’s Another Woman Butler Star Terrence Howard Punched". Philly. Retrieved January 2, 2015.
- ↑ Husband, Stuart (May 18, 2008). "Damn right I'm difficult". The Guardian (London). Retrieved May 25, 2010.
- ↑ "Terrence Howard: 'I Would Be a Witness'". NPR.org. May 22, 2007.
- ↑ Sangweni, Yolanda (February 2, 2011). "Terrence Howard and Michelle Ghent Call It Quits". Essence. Retrieved January 2, 2015.
- ↑ Takeda, Allison (May 10, 2013). "Terrence Howard Finalizes Divorce From Michelle Ghent After Two Years". Us Weekly. Retrieved January 2, 2015.
- ↑ Nathan, Sara; White, Chris (December 11, 2013). "EXCLUSIVE - 'I'll sleep when I'm dead': The racy model-turned-restaurant owner who married actor Terrence Howard after just a month". Daily Mail. Retrieved January 2, 2015.
- ↑ Lee, Esther (January 2, 2015). "Terrence Howard's Wife Miranda Is Pregnant! Actor Expecting Fourth Baby". Us Weekly. Retrieved January 2, 2015.
- ↑ Leon, Anya (June 15, 2015). "Terrence Howard Welcomes Son Qirin Love". People. Retrieved June 15, 2015.
- ↑ http://ireport.cnn.com/docs/DOC-938342
- ↑ "Terrence Howard Leads The Showtime Marching Band at Homecoming".
- 1 2 Huber, Jeff (April 12, 2013). "Terrence Howard Isn't A Doctor, He Just Plays One On TV". Chemical & Engineering News: Blog.
- ↑ "Hustle & Flow : An Interview with Terrence D. Howard and Producer Stephanie Allain".
- ↑ "History". Pratt Institute.
- ↑ "[PHOTO] Actor Terrence Howard at his Phi Beta Sigma induction". Progressive Greek.
- 1 2 3 Hedegaard, Erik (14 September 2015). "Terrence Howard's Dangerous Mind". Rolling Stone. Retrieved 17 September 2015.
- ↑ "Terrence Howard's Fists Of Fury", The Smoking Gun. February 17, 2009, Retrieved August 3, 2010
- ↑ "Martial Arts Expert Challenges Chris Brown to a Fight". Fox News. February 18, 2009.
- ↑ "MUG SHOTS: Terrence Howard '00", The Smoking Gun. August 1, 2000, Retrieved April 26, 2010
- ↑ "Terrence Howard’s Nasty Divorce: 11 Disturbing Claims in the Court File". The Daily Beast.
- ↑ "Oprah Winfrey The Butler Co-Star Terrence Howard Punched Woman In Diner - News - Philadelphia Magazine". Philadelphia Magazine.
- ↑ "Page 5 of Terrence Howard's Dangerous Mind - Rolling Stone". Rolling Stone.
External links
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Wikiquote has quotations related to: Terrence Howard |
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Wikimedia Commons has media related to Terrence Howard. |
- General
- Terrence Howard at the Internet Movie Database
- Terrence Howard at the Internet Broadway Database
- Terrence Howard UK music website
- Artist of the Month: Terrence Howard at Hyena Productions
- All African-American production of Cat on a Hot Tin Roof website
- Interviews
- Terrence Howard interview by Adam Tanswell, 'Iron Man' December 2008
- Terrence Howard interview by Pete Lewis, 'Blues & Soul' September 2008
- Howard interview, August 2005, Bullz-Eye.com
- Howard interview, July 2005, New York Metro
- Howard interview, May 2005, About.com
- Terrence Howard interview on the Tavis Smiley show
- 2007 NPR interview, "Terrence Howard: 'I Would Be a Witness'"
- Stuart Husband, Damn right I'm difficult (Interview), The Observer, May 18, 2008
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