Terrence Dashon Howard (born March 11, 1969) is an American actor. Known for his performances on film and television, he has received a Screen Actors Guild Award as well as nominations for an Academy Award, a Golden Globe Award, and two Independent Spirit Awards.
Howard made his film debut in a minor role in buddy comedy Who's the Man? (1993). He later was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Actor for his role as a pimp and drug dealer in Hustle & Flow (2005). He played James "Rhodey" Rhodes in the first Iron Man (2008) film. During his career he acted in films such as Biker Boyz (2003), Ray (2004), Crash (2004), Four Brothers (2005), August Rush (2007), Winnie Mandela (2011), Red Tails (2012), The Butler (2013), and Prisoners (2013). He also voiced James in the Disney animated film The Princess and the Frog (2009).
He played Quentin Spivey in the films The Best Man (1999) and The Best Man Holiday (2013) and the miniseries The Best Man: The Final Chapters (2022). On television, he portrayed Jackie Jackson in The Jacksons: An American Dream (1992), Al Cowlings in The O. J. Simpson Story (1995), Cassius Clay in King of the World (2000), and Ralph Abernathy in Boycott (2001). He won an NAACP Image Award for his role in Lackawanna Blues (2005). He starred as the lead character Lucious Lyon in the Fox musical drama series Empire from 2015 to 2020.
Howard made his Broadway debut playing Brick in the revival of the Tennessee Williams play Cat on a Hot Tin Roof (2008). His debut album, Shine Through It, was released in September 2008. In December 2022, he announced that he planned to retire from acting.
Source : Wikipedia
