Is Terrence Howard retiring? The accomplished actor has been gracing our television and movie screens for decades now and has stood tall as one of the most enduring men in black Hollywood. Unfortunately, his career has had its share of bumps in the road. Howard has been a bit off the radar in recent years, popping up for the Best Man television series this year. Terrence Howard is letting fans in on his plans after concluding the franchise that helped launch his career.
Terrence Howard made his official debut in 1994 as Jackie Jackson in the Jackson family movie, The Jacksons: An American Dream. From there, he continued to work steadily, appearing in films like Dead Presidents, Mr. Holland’s Opus, and The Players Club. The Best Man was a high point for him early on, establishing him in a cast that included other bubbling stars like Nia Long, Taye Diggs, and Regina Hall in her film debut. Howard hit it big in the early ’00s and even scored a Best Actor nomination for his role in Hustle & Flow.
That movie would eventually win for best song and align him with actress Taraji P. Henson. Their on-screen chemistry would be revisited for the successful television franchise Empire on Fox. Howard was set to play a key role in the Marvel Cinematic Universe and starred in the first Iron Man film. Unfortunately, the studio offered him contract for the sequel that featured a pay cut, so Howard ended up walking away from the project. Instead, he focused more on television work, and in addition to Empire, he also appeared on Wayward Pines also on Fox.
Following his work with Fox and the end of Empire, Howard announced he was retiring from acting. It was reported at the time that Howard was tired of pretending and decided to step away from entertainment in September of 2019. Many felt this was for the best, considering rumors that Howard had a bad temper and was accused of alcoholism on sets. Howard did not stay away from acting, though, and since Empire wrapped, he was featured in Cut Throat City, Triumph, The Walk, and The System.
His IMDB shows that he currently has six projects coming up, including The Best Man television series titled The Final Chapters. During the premiere for it, Howard announced yet again that he would be retiring, stating this time that he’s given all he’s got to Hollywood. “This is the end for me. I don’t know if it’s the end for the rest of them,” he told new sources.
He admits that he’s considered retiring before, but some work pulled him back in, but advice from Sidney Poitier has him ready to hang it up again. “I retired two years ago, for the most part. I was done. I asked Sidney Poitier 10 years ago does he want to do any more work, and he said, ‘Why would I spend my last ten years doing an impersonation of myself?’ And that’s what I’ve gotten to.” Howard believes he’s given his best and is ready to be excited about the next generation.
Only time will tell if Terrence Howard sticks to retirement this time. Best Men series premieres on Peacock December 22nd.