Terrence Howard
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| Terrence Howard | |
|---|---|
| Image:Terrence Howard, USAF.jpg Terrence Howard in an F-16 Fighting Falcon simulator | |
| Birth name | Terrence Dashon Howard |
| Born | March 11 1969 Chicago, Illinois |
| Occupation | Actor |
| Years active | 1992–present |
| Spouse(s) | Lori McCommas (1989-2003) Lori McCommas (2005-) |
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; he has said he experienced 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 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.[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 made his big film break in 1995s 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 "Best Man" (1999), in Ashanti's music video for her 2002 single "Foolish" and in Mary J. Blige's video for "Be Without You".
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] In 2006, Howard was invited to join the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.[3] In 2007, He 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] The same year, he starred in The Hunting Party, a comic thriller in which he played a cameraman in Bosnia opposite Richard Gere and Jesse Eisenberg; The Brave One, a drama co-starring Jodie Foster; August Rush, also starring Robin Williams; and Awake, a thriller with Jessica Alba. In 2008, he will co-star in Iron Man, playing Jim Rhodes. "I feel like Sidney Poitier and Jackie Robinson", he told CraveOnline in regards to his responsibility to successfully portray the character's integrity as an ethnic superhero.[4] 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 choosing his film roles.[2] Howard has also worked as a film producer, receiving such a credit for the film Pride. Howard is currently the host of PBS' award-winning series, Independent Lens.
In 2008 he will make his Broadway debut as Brick in an all-African-American production of Tennessee Williams's Pulitzer Prize-winning drama Cat on a Hot Tin Roof, directed by Debbie Allen. He will star alongside stage veterans James Earl Jones (Big Daddy), Phylicia Rashad (Big Mama) and Anika Noni Rose (Maggie).
[edit] Personal life
Howard, who lives outside Philadelphia in Lafayette Hill, Pennsylvania,[1] was married to Lori McCommas for 14 years.[5] 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.[2] Howard was raised as a Muslim. His wife is a Jehovah's Witness,[6] in which she is raising their children. He is a self-taught guitarist and pianist.[2] Howard has described physics as his "main love" and has expressed interest in completing his education and obtaining a doctorate.[2]
[edit] 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 78th Annual Academy Awards' 'Best Original Song' award, 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. As of March 2007, Howard is working on his first 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] Filmography
[edit] Films
| Year | Movie | Role |
|---|---|---|
| 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 | |
| 2000 | Big Momma's House | Lester |
| 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 | Biker Boyz | Chu Chu |
| Love Chronicles | T-Roy | |
| 2004 | Crash | Cameron Thayer |
| Ray | Gossie McKee | |
| 2005 | The Salon | Patrick |
| Hustle & Flow | Djay | |
| Four Brothers | Lt. 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 |
[edit] Upcoming films
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2008 | Fighting | Harvey Boarden | post-production |
| Iron Man | Jim Rhodes | post-production | |
| Factor X | pre-production | ||
| The Crusaders | Thurgood Marshall | in-production |
[edit] Television movies
| Year | Movie | Role |
|---|---|---|
| 1992 | The Jacksons: An American Dream | Jackie |
| 1995 | The O.J. Simpson Story | Young A.C |
| 2000 | King of the World | Cassius Clay |
| 2001 | Boycott | Ralph Abernathy |
| 2005 | Lackawanna Blues | Bill Crosby |
| Their Eyes Were Watching God | Amos Hicks |
[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] References
- ^ 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.oscars.org/press/pressreleases/2006/06.07.01a.html
- ^ Terrence Howard is Bad Now!
- ^ http://www.findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m1264/is_4_36/ai_n15340948/pg_3
- ^ http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=10320391
[edit] External links
- Terrence Howard at the Internet Movie Database
- Terrence Howard at MySpace
- 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
- Terrence Howard is Bad Now!
- 2007 NPR interview, "Terrence Howard: 'I Would Be a Witness'"
- Terrence Howard interview, Sports Interview Magazine
- All African-American production of Cat on a Hot Tin Roof websitear:تيرينس هاوارد
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