Terrence Howard's love for acting came naturally, through summers spent with his grandmother, New York stage actress Minnie Gentry. He later began his acting career on The Cosby Show after being discovered on a New York City street by a casting director. Soon, he followed with several notable TV appearances on shows such as Living Single, NYPD Blue and Soul Food. He became well known for his lead role in the UPN TV series Sparks.

Howard broke onto the big screen with his riveting performance in Mr. Holland's Opus. Howard's most memorable performances to date are of scene-stealing characters such as "Cowboy" in the Hughes brother's film Dead Presidents and as "Quentin" in Malcolm D. Lee's Independent film The Best Man. The latter earning him a NAACP Image Award, Independent Spirit Award nomination and a Chicago Film Critics Award nomination.

A self taught musician, Howard plays both the piano and the guitar. You can see Terrence display his musical talents opposite Jamie Foxx in this year's breakout film Ray. A promising songwriter, Howard's lyrics are soon to be acquired by some of today's biggest artists.

In addition to his musical talents, Howard also has a strong interest in science.
Idlewild (2006): $40,000
Hustle & Flow (2005): $12,000

Has a degree in Chemical Engineering. He was released from jail on August 18 2000 after spending a night there in Cleveland. He allegedly grabbed a flight attendant's wrist (Cleveland-bound flight from Toronto) and yelled at her to get out of his way when she told him to remain in his seat while the plane's seat belt sign was on. He was reportedly taking his 3-year-old daughter, Heavenly, to the bathroom. Another passenger assisted the flight attendant, who was not seriously hurt. On arrival in Cleveland, Howard was charged with assault and jailed overnight, but the charge was dismissed when the local prosecutor said he lacked jurisdiction and the incident was a federal matter. [August 2000] Was in Ashanti's first video, Foolish. Grew up in Cleveland. At the age of 3, he witnessed his father stab a man in self-defense. His father served 5 years for manslaughter. Great-grandmother, Minnie Gentry, was an actress in New York. Went to Pratt institute to study chemical engineering. Invited to join AMPAS in 2006.