Terrence Howard

Terrence Howard was an Oscar-nominated actor who was best known for his roles in films like "Hustle & Flow" (2005) and "Iron Man" (2008), as well as his starring role on the Fox hip hop drama series "Empire" (Fox, 2015- ). Born in Chicago and raised in Cleveland, Howard grew up in a somewhat troubled household. His father was physically abusive and when Terrence was two his dad was convicted of manslaughter for stabbing a man after he cut in line to see Santa Claus at a Cleveland Department Store. His father would go on to serve 11 months in prison. Howard's parents divorced shortly after his father arrived home from prison so young Terrence would spend much of his time being raised by his great grandmother. Howard's great grandmother just happened to be a respected New York stage actress by the name of Minnie Gentry, who introduced Howard to acting when he was a young boy. As it would happen, Howard would later go on to be discovered by a casting agent while walking the streets of New York, thus setting his fledgling acting career into motion. Howard nabbed his first major role in 1992 when he played Jackie Jackson on the ABC miniseries "The Jacksons: An American Dream" (ABC, 1992). From there he would go on to appear in guest spots on shows like "Living Single" (Fox, 1993-98), "Coach" (ABC, 1989-1997), and "Family Matters" (ABC, 1989-1998). Then in 1995 Howard nabbed his first big break when he appeared in the Oscar-nominated film "Mr. Holland's Opus" (1995). Howard continued nabbing film roles over the next several years, most notably "The Best Man" (1999), "Hart's War" (2002), and "Crash" (2004). In 2005 Howard played an aspiring rap star in the music drama "Hustle & Flow." The film was widely acclaimed and earned Howard his first Oscar nod. Howard's next big role came in 2008 when he played Rhodey in the superhero film "Iron Man." Howard continued appearing in films over the next several years, before returning to television in 2015 as the star of the Fox hip hop drama "Empire." The series was a hit with audiences, and even further cemented Howard's status as one of the most versatile actors of his generation. The sixth season of "Empire" premiered in September of 2019, with Howard reprising his role as Luscious Lyon.