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Terence Howard Profile |
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Birth Date: March 11, 1969
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Birth Place: Chicago, Illinois, USA
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Birth Name: Terrence Dashon Howard
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Height: 6'1"
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Biography |
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.
Howard was born in Chicago, Illinois, and was raised in
Cleveland, Ohio. His grandmother, Minnie Gentry, was a stage
actress, as were his mother, and uncles. 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. 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. 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.
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). 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. Howard
trained with Ellis for several months in preparation for the
role.
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. 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 chosing his film roles. 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. Howard has described
the album, containing Spanish guitar and R&B and scheduled
for a fall 2007 release, as "urban country".
Howard, who lives outside Lafayette Hill, PA Philadelphia,
was married to Lori McCommas, a white American Jewish woman,
for 14 years. 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.
Howard is a self-taught guitarist and pianist. He has
described physics as his "main love" and has expressed
interest in completing his education and obtaining a
doctorate. |
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Other Information |
Has a degree in Chemical Engineering.
He was released from jail on August 18 2000 after spending a
night there in Cleveland. He allegedly grabbed a flight
attendant's wrist (Cleveland-bound flight from Toronto) and
yelled at her to get out of his way when she told him to
remain in his seat while the plane's seat belt sign was on.
He was reportedly taking his 3-year-old daughter, Heavenly,
to the bathroom. Another passenger assisted the flight
attendant, who was not seriously hurt. On arrival in
Cleveland, Howard was charged with assault and jailed
overnight, but the charge was dismissed when the local
prosecutor said he lacked jurisdiction and the incident was
a federal matter. [August 2000]
Was in Ashanti's first video, Foolish.
Grew up in Cleveland.
At the age of 3, he witnessed his father stab a man in
self-defense. His father served 11 months for manslaughter.
Great-grandmother, Minnie Gentry, was an actress in New
York.
Went to Pratt institute to study chemical engineering.
Invited to join AMPAS in 2006.
Attended the third annual Dubai International Film Festival
in the United Arab Emirates in late December 2006 along with
Oliver Stone, Mos Def and Richard Gere.
Has two daughters and one son: Aubrey, Hunter and Heavenly.
He has 10 siblings. |
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