Terrence Howard

Early life

Howard was born in Chicago, on March 11, 1969, to Tyrone and Anita (née Williams) Howard, who were both of African and English ancestry. His great-grandmother was actress Minnie Gentry. Howard was raised in Cleveland, Ohio, where he had a rocky childhood. He has claimed that he endured beatings from his physically abusive father, and that he saw his father stabbing another man in the Santa Line Slaying when Terrence was two years old. His father was convicted of manslaughter and served 11 months in jail. Howard's parents divorced upon his father's release. He was raised by his great-grandmother, who died at the age of 77 in 1993.

Career

Howard made his big film break in 1995's Mr. Holland's Opus and Dead Presidents. He continued being cast in television and movie roles, and co-starred as Greg Sparks in the late-1990s short-lived television series Sparks with James L. Avery Sr. and Miguel A. Nunez Jr. Howard also appeared in The Best Man (1999), in Ashanti's music video for her 2002 single "Foolish", and in Mary J. Blige's video for "Be Without You". Howard also made an appearance on the TV series Family Matters and Moesha.

Howard has said that he looks for characters that "teach him about himself" when choosing his film roles. For the 2005 film Hustle & Flow, Howard portrayed a pimp and aspiring rapper. He performed all the character's tracks, including "It's Hard out Here for a Pimp", which won the Academy Award for Best Original Song at the 78th Academy Awards. Howard has also worked as a film producer, as when he was credited for the 2007 film Pride. In 2008, Howard hosted the PBS series Independent Lens.

Howard was contracted to play Colonel James Rhodes in the 2008 film Iron Man. Howard was signed on before any of the other major actors and was the highest paid actor in the film. He was replaced by actor Don Cheadle in the film's sequels. Entertainment Weekly reported that Howard was offered a 50 to 80 percent pay cut for Iron Man 2, though it said that it was unclear whether Howard turned down the role or whether Marvel withdrew their offer.

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 songs on it.

In 2008, he made his Broadway debut, playing Brick in an all-African-American production of Cat on a Hot Tin Roof, directed by Debbie Allen. During rehearsals, he allegedly attacked and seriously injured musical composer Tex Allen (brother of the director). Allen said he suffered multiple injuries and in October 2008, Allen filed a $5 million lawsuit against Howard. In 2010, Howard joined the cast of Law & Order: Los Angeles, playing Deputy District Attorney Joe Dekker. He alternated shows with Alfred Molina, who portrayed Deputy District Attorney Ricardo Morales. The series was cancelled after one season. In 2011, Howard played Nelson Mandela in the film Winnie Mandela.

From 2015 to 2020, Howard starred on the television series Empire, playing Lucious Lyon, a hip-hop mogul who discovers he is dying and must ensure the survival of his music empire. He also appeared in the television series Wayward Pines portraying Sheriff Arnold Pope, a main character in the first season in 2015 and a guest character in the second and final season.

On hosting the ninth annual Guys Choice Awards in 2015 Howard said, "I got the other guy on my side. Big Devil. Big D is my rolling buddy!". At the ceremony he was also awarded Most Dangerous Man.

In February 2021, it was announced that Howard would star in British sci-fi/thriller film Beneath. In February 2022, he was cast in the horror film Skeletons in the Closet. Howard said in December 2022 that he had retired "for the most part" two years prior and that "this is the end for me".

Howard once turned down a role portraying Marvin Gaye as he was worried he would have to kiss another man; Howard told Bill Maher in 2025, "That would fuck me. I would cut my lips off. If I kissed some man, I would cut my lips off."

Personal life

Marriages

, Howard lives outside Philadelphia in Lafayette Hill, Pennsylvania. He has been married four times to three women, and has five children.

Howard married his first wife, Lori McCommas, in 1993. They had three children together, two daughters and a son. Howard has two grandchildren, a granddaughter and a grandson. Howard and McCommas' divorce was filed in 2000 and finalized in 2001, but they remarried in 2005. They subsequently filed for divorce a year later and finalized for a second time in 2007.

Howard married his second wife, Michelle Ghent, in 2010. Ghent filed for divorce in February 2011. Ghent filed for a restraining order in December 2011, accusing Howard of being physically abusive toward her. Their divorce was finalized in May 2013, though the agreement was overturned in 2015 after a judge ruled Howard had signed it under duress of Ghent threatening to sell nude pictures of Howard and other personal information.

Howard wed his third wife, model and restaurateur Mira Pak, in late 2013. They have two sons, born 2015 and 2016. The two divorced in 2015 and then were engaged to remarry in December 2018.

Educational claims

Howard has stated that he "went to school for chemical engineering and applied materials". Though he did not complete his engineering degree, Howard says he thinks of himself as an engineer and says he intends to return one day to complete the "three credits" of which he claims he is currently short. On February 26, 2013, Howard also said on Jimmy Kimmel Live! that he had earned a PhD degree in chemical engineering from South Carolina State University (SCSU) that year. Howard never attended SCSU, and SCSU does not confer doctorates in chemical engineering. Instead, Howard was awarded an honorary degree of "Doctorate of Humane Letters" (DHL) from SCSU after speaking at its commencement ceremony in 2012.

Pseudoscientific theories

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, he claimed, would be used to prove the statement "".

Howard blames his leaving the Pratt Institute over disagreements with a professor regarding this hypothesis. Howard stated he dedicates up to 17 hours daily to creating sculptures from plastic fragments joined with copper wire or solder, which he claims demonstrate his mathematical model.

In 2017, Howard published his "proof" of the claim that "" on his Twitter account. Concerns were raised about the logical consistency of Howard's thinking.

In May 2024, Howard was a guest on The Joe Rogan Experience, where he attempted to debunk the Pythagorean theorem, claimed he can kill gravity, said he does not believe in the number zero, and claimed he remembers the events of the day he was born.

Neil deGrasse Tyson posted a video to YouTube in June 2024 responding to Terryology. Tyson stated that Howard's manifesto contained "assumptions and statements that are under-informed, misinformed, or simply false".

Legal issues

Howard was arrested in August 2000 for assaulting a Continental Airlines flight attendant after refusing her request to return to his seat because the seat belt sign was on. He was charged with assault and jailed overnight.

Howard was also arrested in 2001 for a variety of charges related to a violent attack on his estranged first wife, including assault, terroristic 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 in the face twice. The violent attack ended when Howard's brother stepped in. In 2002, he pleaded guilty to disturbing the peace.

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.

In August 2013, Ghent obtained a second restraining order against him after showing up in court with a black eye she said he gave her.

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."

Filmography

Film

Television

Theater

Music videos

Video games

Awards, nominations and honors

Discography

• Shine Through It (2008)

Notes

References

References

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2. Melendez, Miguel A.. (December 8, 2022). "Terrence Howard Plans to Retire, Says He's 'Given the Very Best' as an Actor". CBS Studios Inc..
3. "Terrence Howard: Actor (1969–)". [[A&E Networks]].
4. Samuels, Alison. (August 20, 2013). "Terrence Howard, Star of 'The Butler,' Is an Actor With a Dark Past". [[The Daily Beast]].
5. (17 September 2015). "Terrence Howard Reveals Witnessing His Father Stab A Man To Death". [[Vibe (magazine).
6. (14 September 2015). "Terrence Howard Talks Father's Role in 1971 Killing, Revolutionary Math Ideas". [[People (magazine).
7. (May 11, 2018). "Gentry, Minnie Lee Watson".
8. Dawn, Randee. (6 March 2013). "Terrence Howard: 'Iron Man' responsible for 'killing my career'". [[NBC News]].
9. Sperling, Nicole. (November 4, 2008). "'Iron Man 2': Why Terrence Howard was recast".
10. "Terrence Howard Biography". allmusic.com.
11. "'Shine Through It' Review". allmusic.com.
12. Thomson, Katherine. (October 26, 2008). "Terrence Howard Sued For Alleged Beat Down". [[Huffington Post]].
13. Andreeva, Nellie. (July 30, 2010). "Terrence Howard To Join 'Law & Order: LA'".
14. Witowich, Matt Webb. (March 3, 2016). "Wayward Pines Season 2 Gets Premiere Date; Terrence Howard Among Encores". TVLine.com.
15. Bell, Carrie. "Taraji P. Henson and Terrence Howard on hosting Spike's Guys Choice Awards: 'We are pretty hilarious!'".
16. (February 1, 2021). "Academy Award-nominee Terrence Howard Joins Cast of Beneath".
17. (February 14, 2022). "Terrence Howard & Cuba Gooding Jr Lead Cast In Horror 'Skeletons In The Closet'".
18. "Terrence Howard Turned Down A Lee Daniels-Directed Marvin Gaye Biopic Because He "Could Not" Kiss A Man: "I Would Cut My Lips Off"". Deadline.
19. (2015-02-11). "Terrence Howard Reveals His & Wife's Due Date, Welcomes New Grandson".
20. (20 August 2024). "Terrence Howard's 5 Kids: All About His Daughters and Sons". [[People (magazine).
21. Zaumer, Emily. (December 25, 2018). "Terrence Howard Engaged to Ex-Wife Mira Pak Over 3 Years After Their Divorce". [[People (magazine).
22. Sarie. "TERRENCE HOWARD IS A GRANDPA". Black Celebrity Kids.
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25. (August 13, 2013). "Exclusive: Here's Another Woman Butler Star Terrence Howard Punched". Philly.
26. (November 23, 2012). "Terrence Howard & Ex Settle Bitter Divorce Battle".
27. Takeda, Allison. (May 10, 2013). "Terrence Howard Finalizes Divorce From Michelle Ghent After Two Years". Us Weekly.
28. Sargent, Jordan. (August 24, 2015). "Court Decides Terrence Howard's Ex-Wife Blackmailed Him Over Small Dick".
29. Lee, Esther. (January 2, 2015). "Terrence Howard's Wife Miranda Is Pregnant! Actor Expecting Fourth Baby". Us Weekly.
30. (August 12, 2016). "Terrence Howard Welcomes Son Hero". People.
31. Henderson, Cydney. (December 25, 2018). "'Empire' star Terrence Howard proposes to ex-wife Mira Pak, three years after divorce". [[USA Today]].
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33. Miletic, Marina. "Terrence Howard Lies about having a Ph.D. in Chemical Engineering on Jimmy Kimmel Live".
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35. (17 September 2015). "Terrence Howard believes one times one equals two". The Independent.
36. Howard, Terrence. "This is the proof to the World of Science and Mathematics that 1x1=2".
37. Pomeroy, Ross. (September 26, 2019). "What the Heck Is Terrence Howard Talking About?". Real Clear Science.
38. Del Rey, Michelle. (May 21, 2024). "Terrence Howard claims he can 'kill gravity' in wild Joe Rogan interview. It's only one of his bizarre beliefs".
39. Seibert, Dustin J.. (June 19, 2024). "Neil deGrasse Tyson, The Famed Black Astrophysicist, Responds To Terrence Howard's Crazy 'Math' Theory". [[The Root (magazine).
40. (18 June 2024). "Neil deGrasse Tyson Slams Terrence Howard's Claims He 'Attacked' Scientific Research: 'Valley Of False Confidence'". Enstarz.
41. (August 1, 2000). "Terrence Howard '00".
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43. (February 17, 2009). "Terrence Howard's Fists Of Fury".
44. Fernandez, Maria Elena. (January 9, 2012). "Terrence Howard's Nasty Divorce: 11 Disturbing Claims in the Court File". [[The Daily Beast]].
45. (August 13, 2013). "Oprah Winfrey The Butler Co-Star Terrence Howard Punched Woman In Diner". Philadelphia Magazine.
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51. "The 11th Annual Screen Actors Guild Awards".
52. "The 12th Annual Screen Actors Guild Awards".
53. "The 20th Annual Screen Actors Guild Awards".
54. Huber, Jeff. (April 12, 2013). "Terrence Howard Isn't A Doctor, He Just Plays One On TV". Chemical & Engineering News: Blog.
55. Cohen, Sandy. (March 22, 2007). "Terrence Howard tries on more leading roles, a music career". Akron Beacon Journal.
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57. Howard, Terrence. (July 2005). "Hustle & Flow". BlackFilm.
58. "Terrence Howard Leads The Showtime Marching Band at Homecoming".
59. "History". [[Pratt Institute]].