In 1971, when he was two years old, Terrence Howard witnessed his father's murder. Prior to that event, young Terrence endured regular beatings from his physically abusive father. His parents divorced while Terrence was a toddler and his great-grandmother took him in. With such a tumultuous start to life, it's hard to believe he would go on to become one of the greatest actors of the 21st century....but that's exactly what happened.
Terrence Howard has made some timeless films...and a whole lotta dinero at the same time! From Ray, Crash, Get Rich or Die Tryin', and Four Brothers, to The Butler, The Players Club, The Brave One, and Sunset Park, Howard has dazzled viewers all across the globe. He's been acting for more than two decades.
Because of his artistic gifts, good looks, and high box office numbers, he's really lined his pockets. Read on to learn everything we know about Terrence Howard's career and wealth.
12 Howard's Estimated Net Worth Is Between $5-$35 million
According to Project Hatch, Terrence Howard has an estimated net worth of $35 million. On the other hand, according to Celebrity Net Worth, Howard presently has a net worth of $5 million. Wealthy Persons clocks Howard's net worth at $6 million. Whether $5 million. $6 million or $35 million, Terrence Howard has enough money to survive several pandemics! So, they'll be no stimulus checks in the actor's mailbox anytime, ever.
11 His Acting Debut Was In "The Jacksons: An American Dream"
Look, in the rear middle...who's that? Yup, you guessed it - a very young Terrence Howard with a very big fro! Howard's career launched timelessly enough when he depicted Jackie Jackson in the ABC miniseries, The Jacksons: An American Dream (1992).
On millions of tubes in the U.S., Howard danced and sang Jackson 5 tunes, and ultimately made a name for himself in Hollywood. If you're curious, Howard made his film debut in Who's the Man? the following year (1993).
10 Howard's First Major Movie Role Was In "Dead Presidents"
Yes, Howard's first movie gig was Who's The Man? However, his first major role in a film was in Dead Presidents (1995). In the feature film, Howard portrayed "Cowboy," a perm-haired, s**t-talking swindler. The 90's classic film was packed with future stars, such as Chris Tucker, Larenz Tate, and Bokeem Woodbine.
As far as "Cowboy" goes, he got his tail whooped with a pool stick by Anthony (Larenz Tate) inside the same pool hall that he cut Anthony's face in years earlier.
Related: We Won't See Jussie Smollett On The Empire Finale
9 Howard Released An Album On Columbia Records
Terrence Howard is Lucious Lyon, for real! Shine Through It is his debut (and sole) studio album. On September 1, 2008, the project was released in the UK. The LP contains 11 songs, all produced by Miles Mosley and himself.
The 11 cuts were written by Howard. Four were co-written by Miles Mosley and another joint was co-written by Ilsey Juber. The majority of the lyrics on the album were influenced by experiences in his past life, and some were inspired by his kids.
8 He's Been Nominated For An Academy Award
Hustle & Flow (2006), a film about an urban pimp that becomes an aspiring rapper, was untraditional to the point that pretty much no one thought it'd be Academy Award material. Well, it was...and then some!
Gangster Rap group, Three 6 Mafia, took home the Academy Award for Best Original Song for "Its Hard out Here for a Pimp," and the picture made Howard a nominee for Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role. To date, it's Howard's only Academy Award nomination.
Related: Why You'll Never See These 15 Stars In A Marvel Movie Again
7 Howard Admitted To Physically Abusing His First Wife
In a Rolling Stone interview in September 2015, Terrence Howard confessed to striking his first wife in 2001, stating: "She was talking to me real strong, and I lost my mind and slapped her in front of the kids."
The actor, who was ultimately charged for the assault, continued his take on the situation: "Her lawyer said it was a closed fist, but even slapping her was wrong." Always good to admit your wrongs - however, the report from the police contradicted Howard's statement. The police report noted that the actor "punched her twice with a closed fist."
6 He Believes "The Best Man" Forever Tarnished His Reputation
You may not be aware of this, but, Terrence Howard has a reputation for being difficult to work with. The stigma reportedly began on the set of The Best Man (1999). Despite the scuttlebutt, Howard claims that what the producers and execs deemed being "difficult" was actually just crafty acting.
Howard remarked: “Well, I was difficult, but only because I would not conform. During The Best Man, they kept saying about this one line, ‘This is a joke, so say it as a joke.’ I was like, ‘Y’all do what you want, but I’m not going to mutilate this moment." He continued: "But now they’ve set it up that Terrence is difficult, and so that has followed me.”
5 Howard Sued Fox Network Over Missing Checks
Terrence Howard’s company, Universal Bridges, has filed a lawsuit against 20th Century Fox Film Corporation for failing to pay the thespian money he claims is owed to him for his work on the popular TV series, Empire.
Matters between Howard and Fox did a 180-degree turn after Michelle Ghent, Howard’s ex-wife, tried to collect on $1.3 million unpaid to her. 20th Century Fox filed its own lawsuit against Universal Bridges and Howard, and it was revealed that Ghent served that company with legal papers urging 20th Century Fox to release all of Howard’s Empire monies to her. Howard's due payments are on pause until an outcome is determined in divorce court.
4 He Suffers From Synesthesia
Those who have synesthesia may taste words, see sounds, or feel an impression on their skin when they smell particular scents; they may also see abstract principles like time forecasted in the space around them. With that said, Terrence Howard alleges he has synesthesia.
"But I’m a little different," noted Howard. "I have synesthesia, so when I hear music, I see colors. And I hear numbers — I see they take shapes in front of me. And everyone … is born with synesthesia, up until about six months of age that’s when those areas of the brain that aren’t stimulated oftentimes go to sleep."
Related: 'Empire' Actress Leaves Crash Scene, Slapped With DUI
3 Howard Was Fired From The "Iron Man" Franchise
After starring in the first Iron Man, Terrence Howard was replaced in Iron Man 2 by Don Cheadle. Evidently, he wasn't cognizant that the agreement wasn’t “mutually binding.” For the Iron Man sequel, Howard was set to reap $8 million, which is a nice bump above the $4.5 million that he collected for the original one.
Howard elaborated: “It turns out that the person that I helped become Iron Man, when it was time to re-up for the second one, took the money that was supposed to go to me and pushed me out.”
2 He Uses His Own Math Theory Called "Terryology"
Terrence Howard does math completely differently than what's taught in schools - he calls it 'Terryology.' The shaping principle of Terryology is that 1x1 = 2. Howard broke it down: “If one times one equals one that means that two is of no value because one times itself has no effect. One times one equals two because the square root of four is two, so what’s the square root of two? Should be one, but we’re told it’s two, and that cannot be.”
1 Howard Says He's Done With Acting
Following the final season of Empire, Terrence Howard says that he is retiring from acting - primarily because he's tired of pretending. "Everyone keeps trying to tell me, 'Don’t say it’s forever,' but I’ve spent 37 years pretending to be people so that people can pretend to watch and enjoy what I’m doing," Howard explained.
"And after 37 years pretending to be people, I think it’s time just to be Terry for a while. I think I would like to spend the rest of my life doing something better for humanity, utilizing my brain for something other than memorizing someone’s lines."
Sources: Rolling Stone, Slideshare, YourBlackWorld, Vulture, The Loop, The Wrap
