In the fact-inspired Pride, Oscar-nominated Terrence Howard plays swimming coach, Jim Ellis.
Terrence Howard exploded onto the Hollywood scene this year after delivering strong performances in a number of film and TV productions. This year alone he has multiple nominations including an Academy Award and Golden Globe, and has received awards for Breakthrough Actor by the National Board of Review, Movieline and Gotham Awards.
He has also received the Rising Star Award from the Palm Springs International Film Festival, the Renaissance Artist Award from the Diversity Awards and the Career Achievement Award from the Chicago International Film Festival.
After a record-breaking year at the 2005 Sundance Film Festival, Terrence recently served as a drama juror at the 2006 festival.
Terrence started off 2005 with dynamic performances in Paul Haggis Academy Award winning film CRASH and in John Singletons HUSTLE & FLOW.
For his leading role in HUSTLE & FLOW, Terrence received an Academy Award, Golden Globe, Image Award and Independent Spirit Award nominations and won the Satellite Award for Best Actor. The song, which he performs in the film, received a Critics Choice Award and was the first rap song ever to receive an Academy Award. The cast also received a Screen Actors Guild nomination for Best Ensemble.
For the critically acclaimed CRASH, Terrence and the all-star cast including Sandra Bullock, Don Cheadle, Thandie Newton and Matt Dillon received a Screen Actors Guild Award for Best Ensemble, was nominated for a Gotham award and swept up an Oscar at the 2006 Academy Awards for Best Picture.
Keeping a powerful presence on the small screen as well, Howard was seen in the critically acclaimed HBO film LACKAWANNA BLUES based on Tony Award-winning Ruben Santiago-Hudsons autobiographical play and directed by George C. Wolfe. The cast, which includes Jeffrey Wright and S. Epatha Merkerson was nominated for an NAACP Image Award.
Howards 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. The chance encounter helped Howard break into feature films and soon he was cast in such films as MR. HOLLANDS OPUS.
Some of Howards memorable performances are of scene-stealing characters such as Cowboy in the Hughes brothers film DEAD PRESIDENT and as Quentin in Malcolm D. Lees film THE BEST MAN. The latter earning him a NAACP Image Award, Independent Spirit Award nomination and a Chicago Film Critics Award nomination.
Terrence recently completed filming Warner Brothers thriller THE BRAVE ONE, which he stars opposite Jodie Foster and THE HUNTING PARTY with Richard Gere and Jesse Eisenberg.
He will next be seen in AUGUST RUSH with Robin Williams and Freddie Highmore and The Weinstein Companys AWAKE with Jessica Alba and Hayden Christensen. In the spring, Terrence will begin production on IRON MAN opposite Robert Downey Jr., which is based off of the famed comic-book series.
Other film credits include John Singleton’s crime drama ANGEL EYES, HARTS WAR, FOUR BROTHERS, IDLEWILD and Jim Sheridan’s GET RICH OR DIE TRYIN.
A self-taught musician, Howard plays both the piano and the guitar and he can be seen displaying these musical talents opposite Jamie Foxx in 2004s RAY for which they both earned a SAG nomination.
A promising songwriter, Howards lyrics are soon to be acquired by some of todays biggest artists.
