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Whenever reading through the list of elite African-American actors in Hollywood, you tend to come across names such as Denzel Washington, Samuel L. Jackson, Eddie Murphy, Will Smith, Morgan Freeman, Laurence Fishburne, and other common names in that category. But an actor that is often overlooked for his excellence on the big screen is Terrence Howard, who has starred and co-starred in a number of classic films, such as Hustle and Flow alongside the rapper Ludacris. Born in Chicago, Illinois, Howard made his mark as an elite actor in the early 1990s and has only honed his skills to greater perfection. Here are ten of the highest-grossing movies showcasing Terrence Howard.
The Best Man Holiday
Released in 2013 as the second part in a two-part movie series, The Best Man Holiday is a romantic comedy film following the lives of a group of close friends as they settle into their turbulent lives: some as married and committed partners, some focused on careers, while others are preparing for parenthood. All of the original characters reprised their roles, which included Lance Sullivan (Morris Chestnut), Harper Stewart (Taye Diggs), Mia (Monica Calhoun), Robyn (Sanaa Lathan), Jordan (Nia Long), Candace (Regina Hall), and Quentin (Terrence Howard). Quentin plays the unsettled college friend to his buddies who all seem to have their lives together. But when it comes to passions and past rivalries, some things don't change. The film's box office grossing exceeded the original, earning $72.8 million.
Four Brothers
With only ten years since his first major movie role in 1995, Howard starred in one of the most iconic films of his career as Lieutenant Green in the 2005 action film, Four Brothers. Greatness recognizes greatness, and Howard's lineup of cast characters is only a testament to his greatness as an actor. The film highlights the lives of four foster brothers, Bobby Mercer (Mark Wahlberg), Angel Mercer (Tyrese Gibson), Jeremiah Mercer (Andre 3000), and Jack Mercer (Garrett Hedlund) who learn of the murder of their beloved foster mother, Evelyn Mercer (Fionnula Flanagan). Unsure as to why someone would kill a quiet old lady, their violent search for the killer points them to a criminal kingpin named Victor Sweet (Chiwetel Ejiofor), while simultaneously attracting the attention of the Detroit Police.
Crash
Directed by Paul Haggis in 2004, Howard stars in the socially challenging and emotionally triggering crime drama, Crash. The film can be viewed as a type of social observational study, as it challenges the topics of race, class, family, and gender in Los Angeles post 9/11. The movie features an expansive cast of actors, including Don Cheadle, Matt Dillon, Brendan Fraser, Ryan Phillipe, Sandra Bullock, Thandiwe Newton, Ludacris, Larenz Tate, and yours truly, Terrence Howard. Despite its intentionally controversial nature, the film managed to gross a healthy $101.2 million at the box office.
Mr. Holland's Opus
Mr. Holland's Opus can be considered Howard's first major film and served as his breakout role, as he is displayed as a much younger, seemingly innocent role of himself. Howard portrays an eager student named Louis Russ, who is a part of the music band orchestra in Mr. Glenn Holland's (Richard Dreyfuss) class. Mr. Holland takes a "temporary" position as a music teacher while he waits to write the timeless piece of music buried deep inside of him. Almost without recognizing it, he comes to love his teaching job as he is making a positive impact on his students. Other celebrities who starred in the film include William H. Macy, Alicia Witt, Glenne Headley, and Damon Whitaker. The film grossed $106.3 million. Not bad for Howard's first film.
Prisoners
Decorated with another ensemble of elite actors, Terrence Howard lights up the big screen again in the 2013 thriller, Prisoners. Howard plays one of the film's main characters, Franklin Birch, whose daughter, Joy Birch (Kyla Drew Simmons), is one of the two victims of a kidnapping at Thanksgiving. The other victim is Anna Dover (Erin Gerasivomich), the daughter of Keller Dover (Hugh Jackman). Detective Loki (Jake Gyllenhall) is assigned to the case and must make his way through a maze of deception to find the person who is responsible for the kidnappings. On a budget of $46 million, the movie grossed a total of $113.4 million at the box office.
Ray
Jamie Foxx will forever be remembered for portraying the legendary musician, Ray Charles, in the 2004 film called Ray. In the autobiographical motion picture, Foxx captures the turbulent personal and professional life of the soulful singer. From his struggling addiction to heroin and alcohol, to his promiscuous lifestyle as a musician which leads to a divorce with his wife, Della Bae Robinson (Kerry Washington); Ray captures the good and bad. Terrance Howard played the character of Gossie McGee, a guitarist with Ray's band, The McSon Trio, along with bass player Milton S. Garret. Regina King also displayed a stunning performance as Ray's mistress and backup singer, Margie Hendricks. The musical drama grossed a total of $124 million at the global box office.
Big Momma's House
In a majority of his movies, Howard plays either the protagonist or one who poses no threat. But in the 2000 release of Martin Lawrence's Big Momma's House, he executes his role as Lester Vesco, the dangerously obsessive ex-boyfriend of Sherry Price (Nia Long) who hunts down Sherry and her son, Trent Pierce (Jascha Washington) after escaping from prison. While on the other hand, Martin Lawrence plays dress up as everyone's favorite Southern grandma, Big Momma, as an undercover cop disguise. Other exceptional actors cast in the movie include Paul Giamatti, and Cedric The Entertainer. The franchise's first installment grossed $173.5 million at the box office, while the entire movie trilogy grossed close to $392 million in global box office earnings.
Lee Daniels' The Butler
Then in the 2013 historical drama, The Butler, Howard barely managed to scrape a scene in the movie. He explains in an interview with Paste Magazine how he and Cuba Gooding Jr. both read their scripts to audition for the part of the lead character, Cecil Gaines. The part eventually went to Forest Whitaker while Cuba got the role of the other butler, Carter Wilson. Daniels finally told Howard that he had a part for him that was rather insignificant, but he needed to "ugly him up" for the role. Despite his lack of presence, the film featured a cast of great celebrities such as Oprah Winfrey, Robin Williams, David Oyelowo, and John Cusack and grossed a whopping $177 million at the international box office.
The Princess And The Frog
The Hustle and Flow actor has also starred in an animation film. In 2009, Walt Disney Pictures produced the fantasy film, The Princess and The Frog, which featured a wide variety of actors and actresses. The animation picture was meant to be a remake of the classic fairytale of the princess whose kiss turned a grotesque frog into prince charming. Terrence Howard plays the role of James, the father of Tiana (Anika Noni Rose), who is mistaken for a princess by Prince Naveen (Bruno Campos). The Prince was turned into a frog by a witch doctor named Dr. Facilier (Keith David). After kissing Anika, she also turns into a frog. They must now seek the help of Mama Odie (Jenifer Lewis), a powerful voodoo priestess, to break the spell. The enchanting film grossed a generous $270.9 million at the box office.
Iron Man
Howard's most lucrative movie, and disappointingly, his only appearance in the franchise, was the 2008 release of Marvel's Iron Man. His character, Col. James "Rhodey" Rhodes, is presented as Tony Stark's (Robert Downey Jr.) military sidekick. His role blended well with the atmosphere of the movie, but before Iron Man 2 was even in discussion, the decision was already made to sack Howard. With names like Gwenyth Paltrow, Jeff Bridges, and Paul Bettany, the film was a bombshell of great talent. However, Looper revealed the reasons for Howard's firing by Marvel Cinematic Studios as on-set conflict as well as financial disagreements. Yet and still, the first film of the movie series grossed $585 million at the box office, making it Howard's highest single-movie payday.
Sources: Deadline, Film Jabber, Back Stage, Villians.com, Paste Magazine, Looper