Terrence Howard

Born: March 11, 1969

Birthplace: Chicago, IL

Zodiac Sign: Pisces

Terrence 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 short-lived 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.

For the 2005 film Hustle & Flow, Howard portrayed an aspiring rapper. He performed all the tracks characters tracks himself, 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, receiving such credit for the 2007 film Pride. In 2008, Howard hosted the PBS series Independent Lens.

Howard was contracted to play Colonel Rhodes in the 2008 film Iron Man. Howard was signed on before any of the other significant actors and became the highest-paid actor in the movie. Actor Don Cheadle replaced him 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 was unclear whether Howard turned down the role or whether Marvel withdrew their offer.

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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.

In 2010, Howard joined the Law & Order: Los Angeles cast, playing the character Deputy District Attorney Joe Dekker. He alternated shows with Alfred Molina, who portrayed Deputy District Attorney Ricardo Morales. The series was canceled after one season. In 2011, Howard played Nelson Mandela in the film Winnie Mandela.

Howard has starred in 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 seasons.