Terrence Dashon Howard (born March 11, 1969) is an Academy Award-nominated American actor. Having 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 his roles in movies includes Ray, Lackawanna Blues, Crash, Four Brothers, Hustle & Flow, Get Rich or Die Tryin', Idlewild, The Brave One. Howard co-starred in Iron Man and reprised the role in the video game adaption. He was replaced in this role in the sequel Iron Man 2, by Academy Award nominee Don Cheadle (his Crash co-star). Howard was born in Chicago, Illinois and raised in Cleveland, Ohio. At 18, he moved to New York City to pursue an acting career. He had auditioned for The Cosby Show and was cast in the role and later, Howard had a principal role in a short-lived CBS sitcom, Tall Hopes. He went on to portray 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 with television and movie roles and co-starred as Greg Sparks in the late-1990s television series Sparks. 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 also made an appearance on the TV series Family Matters. Howard has also worked as a film producer for the movie Pride. In 2008, Howard hosted the PBS' series Independent Lens. Also in 2008, he made his Broadway debut, playing Brick in an all-African-American production of Tennessee Williams' Cat on a Hot Tin Roof, directed by Debbie Allen. Later that year, Howard made a guest appearance in the short film For All Mankind directed by Daniel L. Clifton and in 2009, he starred in the movie Fighting. In 2010, Howard joined the cast of the new Law & Order: Los Angeles installment of the Law & Order franchise, wherein he will play Deputy District Attorney Joe Dekker. Terrence ventured into the music industry with his debut pop album, Shine through It, heavily inspired by popular soul singers such as Marvin Gaye and Curtis Mayfield, was released in September 2008. Howard, who lives outside Philadelphia in Lafayette Hill, He has three children from a previous marriage: two daughters (Aubrey and Heaven) and a son (Hunter).
Movie | Giving Thanks | Calvin Turner | 2025 |
Movie | The Movers | 2025 | |
Movie | A Look Through His Lens | Self | 2024-01-06 |
Series | Fight Night: The Million Dollar Heist | Richard 'Cadillac' Wheeler | 2024-09-05 |
Movie | Skeletons in the Closet | Mark | 2024-01-24 |
Movie | Crescent City | Brian Sutter | 2024-08-16 |
Movie | Shirley | Arthur Hardwick Jr. | 2024-03-15 |
Movie | The System | Bones | 2022-10-28 |
Movie | Triumph | Coach Cutting | 2021-04-30 |
Movie | Gully | Mr. Christmas | 2021-06-04 |
Series | Las increíbles aventuras de un Hada Madrina | Genio | 2020-12-20 |
Movie | Cut Throat City | The Saint | 2020-07-31 |
Movie | Terrence Howard's Fright Club | 2018-05-24 | |
Series | Philip K. Dick's Electric Dreams | George | 2017-09-17 |
Movie | Cardboard Boxer | Pope | 2016-09-16 |
Movie | Term Life | Sheriff Braydon | 2016-04-29 |
Series | Wayward Pines | Arnold Pope | 2015-05-14 |
Series | Lip Sync Battle | Himself | 2015-04-02 |
Series | Empire | Lucious Lyon | 2015-01-07 |
Movie | St. Vincent | Zucko | 2014-10-09 |
Movie | Take Me to the River | Himself - Host | 2014-03-11 |
Movie | Lullaby | Dr. Crier | 2014-06-13 |
Movie | Sabotage | Julius 'Sugar' Edmonds | 2014-03-28 |
Movie | Movie 43 | Coach Jackson (segment "Victory's Glory") | 2013-01-24 |
Movie | Dead Man Down | Alphonse | 2013-03-08 |
Movie | Prisoners | Franklin Birch | 2013-09-19 |
Movie | The Best Man Holiday | Quentin | 2013-11-15 |
Movie | The Butler | Howard | 2013-08-16 |
Movie | House of Bodies | Starks | 2013-04-19 |
Movie | The Company You Keep | FBI Agent Cornelius | 2012-12-20 |
Movie | Red Tails | Col. A.J. Bullard | 2012-01-19 |
Movie | On the Road | Walter | 2012-05-22 |
Movie | Bob Ross: The Happy Painter | Self | 2011-12-03 |
Movie | Little Murder | Drag Hammerman | 2011-01-08 |
Movie | Winnie Mandela | Nelson Mandela | 2011-09-16 |
Movie | The Ledge | Hollis Lucetti | 2011-05-06 |
Movie | Magic in the Bayou: The Making of a Princess | Self | 2010-03-10 |
Series | Law & Order: LA | Deputy D.A. Jonah Dekker | 2010-09-29 |
Movie | Fighting | Harvey Boarden | 2009-04-24 |
Movie | The Princess and the Frog | James (voice) | 2009-12-08 |
Movie | B.B. King | Live | Self | 2009-01-29 |
Movie | I Am Iron Man | Self | 2008-09-30 |
Movie | Iron Man | Rhodey | 2008-04-30 |
Movie | 2008 Philadelphia Phillies: The Official World Series Film | narrator | 2008-12-16 |
Movie | Motherland Afghanistan | Narrator | 2007-02-14 |
Movie | Pride | Jim Ellis | 2007-03-23 |
Movie | The Perfect Holiday | Bah Humbug | 2007-12-12 |
Movie | Awake | Dr. Jack Harper | 2007-11-28 |
Movie | The Hunting Party | Duck | 2007-09-03 |
Movie | August Rush | Richard Jeffries | 2007-11-21 |
Movie | The Brave One | Detective Mercer | 2007-09-12 |
Movie | Idlewild | Trumpy | 2006-08-25 |
Movie | Lackawanna Blues | Bill Crosby | 2005-02-12 |
Movie | Their Eyes Were Watching God | Amos Hicks | 2005-03-06 |
Movie | The Salon | Patrick | 2005-01-13 |
Movie | Four Brothers | Lt. Green | 2005-08-11 |
Movie | Animal | Darius Allen | 2005-05-01 |
Movie | Get Rich or Die Tryin' | Bama | 2005-11-09 |
Movie | Crash | Cameron Thayer | 2005-05-06 |
Movie | Hustle & Flow | Djay | 2005-07-22 |
Movie | Ray | Gossie McGee | 2004-10-29 |
Series | Jimmy Kimmel Live! | Unknown | 2003-01-26 |
Movie | Biker Boyz | Chu Chu (as Terrence Dashon Howard) | 2003-01-31 |
Series | Soundstage | Unknown | 2003-06-03 |
Movie | Love Chronicles | T-Roy | 2003-06-30 |
Series | The Ellen DeGeneres Show | Unknown | 2003-09-08 |
Series | E! Live from the Red Carpet | Himself | 2002-01-13 |
Movie | Hart's War | Lt. Lincoln A. Scott | 2002-02-15 |
Series | Fastlane | Unknown | 2002-09-18 |
Movie | Intimate Affairs | Lorenz | 2002-04-18 |
Movie | Glitter | Timothy Walker | 2001-09-21 |
Movie | Boycott | Ralph Abernathy | 2001-02-24 |
Movie | Angel Eyes | Robby | 2001-05-18 |
Movie | Love Beat the Hell Outta Me | Chris | 2000-06-30 |
Movie | Big Momma's House | Lester Vesco | 2000-05-31 |
Series | Soul Food | Unknown | 2000-06-28 |
Movie | Muhammad Ali: King of the World | Cassius Clay | 2000-01-10 |
Movie | The Best Man | Quentin | 1999-10-22 |
Movie | Valerie Flake | Hitchhiker | 1999-01-22 |
Movie | Best Laid Plans | Jimmy | 1999-04-09 |
Movie | Spark | Byron | 1998-01-16 |
Movie | Butter | Dexter Banks (as Terrence Dashon Howard) | 1998-10-13 |
Series | Mama Flora's Family | Lincoln | 1998-11-08 |
Movie | The Players Club | K.C. | 1998-04-08 |
Movie | Double Tap | Ulysses | 1997-09-05 |
Series | Sparks | Greg Sparks | 1996-08-26 |
Movie | Johns | Jimmy the Warlock | 1996-12-10 |
Movie | Sunset Park | Spaceman | 1996-04-26 |
Movie | Dead Presidents | Cowboy | 1995-09-29 |
Movie | Mr. Holland's Opus | Louis Russ | 1995-12-29 |
Movie | The O.J. Simpson Story | Young A.C. | 1995-01-31 |
Series | New York Undercover | Unknown | 1994-09-08 |
Movie | Who's the Man? | Customer | 1993-04-23 |
Series | Tall Hopes | Chester Harris | 1993-08-25 |
Series | Late Night with Conan O'Brien | Unknown | 1993-09-13 |
Series | Living Single | Unknown | 1993-08-29 |
Series | The Tonight Show with Jay Leno | Unknown | 1992-05-25 |
Series | The Jacksons: An American Dream | Jackie Jackson (adult) | 1992-11-15 |
Series | Family Matters | Unknown | 1989-09-22 |
Series | LIVE with Kelly and Mark | Unknown | 1988-09-05 |
Movie | Righting Wrongs | Defense Attorney | 1986-11-27 |
Series | The Oscars | Terrence Howard | 1953-03-19 |
Series | Today | Unknown | 1952-01-14 |