Feature: The Best of Terrence Howard

Terrence Howard is one of those
actors that can fit into any role and any genre in a seemingly effortless
manner. With far-reaching talent and contagious charisma, he can easily go from
portraying a hard-core pill-popping pimp to a loving husband and father of two,
convincingly demonstrating his flawless acting skills. Having starred in more
than 80 films and TV shows, the Oscar-nominated actor is one of the busiest
workers in Hollywood. Howard’s latest on-screen appearance was in director
David Ayer’s Sabotage, opposite Arnold Schwarzenegger, as DEA agent Julius
‘Sugar’ Edmonds. A nail-biting action thriller about a special operations team
hunted by a ruthless assassin, Sabotage is coming to Blu-ray, DVD and digital platforms on 15th September 2014 by Lionsgate
Home Entertainment
.
To celebrate the release, we are
taking a look at Terrence Howard’s extensive roster of films and picking out
the 10 best movies that have defined his career so far:
IRON MAN (2008)


A stranger to no genre, Terrence
Howard dipped his feet into the superhero pond when he signed up for the role
of Lt. Colonel James “Rhodey” Rhodes alongside Robert Downey Jr. in Iron Man. Howard was director Jon
Favreau’s first choice for the role as he felt that the actor would make a
great War Machine (Rhodes’ superhero alter ego) in possible sequels.
Unfortunately for Howard fans, in Iron
Man 2
and Iron Man 3 he was
replaced by Don Cheadle.
  
THE BRAVE ONE (2007)

In this Jodie Foster-helmed
thriller, Terrence Howard plays the part of Sean Mercer – the detective who is
on Foster’s character Erica Bain’s feet as she goes around town avenging her
fiancé’s brutal murder. Acclaimed by critics and audiences alike, The Brave One greatly benefited from the
perfect on-screen chemistry between Foster and Howard, even though their
characters were on the two opposite sides of the law.
AUGUST RUSH (2007)


Terrence Howard once again
demonstrated the many sides of his talent when he signed up for the small but
pivotal role of Richard Jeffries in director Kirsten Sheridan’s musical drama August Rush. Sharing the screen with
Keri Russell, Jonathan Rhys Meyers and Robin Williams, Howard gave a
memorable performance that fit perfectly with the film’s poetic and sentimental
undertones.
THE BEST MAN (1999)


What started out as a little
romantic comedy turned into a cult classic with an enormous following amassed
over the years. Terrence Howard partners with an all-star cast, featuring Taye
Diggs, Nia Long, Morris Chestnut, and Regina Hall creating an unforgettable
comedy of errors written and directed by Malcolm D. Lee. The fan demand for a
sequel grew so strong that, almost 15 years after its release, The Best Man Holiday hit cinemas around
the world, reuniting everyone from the original cast.
RAY (2004)

Ray tells the real-life story of legendary musician Ray Charles,
starring Jamie Foxx in the title role, as well as audience-favourites Kerry
Washington and Regina King. Terrence Howard portrays Gossie McGee – a friendly
guitarist who helps Charles find a place to live. It was a small but important
role for Howard as the movie received great recognition from critics, including
a nomination for Best Motion Picture at the 2005 Academy Awards.
CRASH (2004)

Another film with an all-star
cast, Crash follows a number of
intertwining stories all having to do with the high levels of racial tension
that belie life in Los Angeles. Terrence Howard plays the role of Cameron
Thayer – an African-American man whose relationship with his wife (played by
Thandie Newton) becomes strained following his failure to intervene while she is
being molested by a racist cop. Crash
is one of the most critically acclaimed movies of the past decade and recipient
of Oscars for Best Motion Picture and Best Original Screenplay.
LEE DANIELS’ THE BUTLER (2013)


More recently, Terrence Howard
appeared in this Lee Daniels-directed biographical picture about Cecil Gaines’
long-lasting tenure as a butler at the White House. While the movie’s leading
roles were trusted into the hands of Forest Whitaker and Oprah Winfrey,
Howard’s turn as, well, Howard – the neighbour who is interested in pursuing
more than just friendship with Gaines’ wife – managed to catch the attention of
critics who praised his performance as a highlight of the movie.
HUSTLE & FLOW (2005)


Arguably Terrence Howard’s most
prominent role to-date, Hustle & Flow
revolves around a Memphis pimp named DJay (Howard) whose dream is to become a
successful hip-hop emcee. What may initially seem like your typical
rise-and-fall story certainly manages to grab the viewer’s attention through
the cleverly written script, magnificent directing and flawless performance by
Howard in the leading role. Following the release of the film, the actor
received a string of awards and nominations, including Oscar and Golden Globe
nods.
SABOTAGE (2014)


It is definitely not easy sharing the screen with one of the biggest action stars in the history of cinema (Arnold Schwarzenegger) and two of the most attractive guys in Hollywood right now (Joe Manganiello and Josh Holloway). However, Terrence Howard manages to fit just fine within that group and shines as Julius ‘Sugar’ Edmonds in his latest big screen appearance. As a member of the Schwarzenegger-run elite DEA task force gone rogue, Howard finds himself as one of the targets of an unknown murderer on the loose. With so much testosterone and action talent in one place, Sabotage promises a thrilling experience.

Sabotage comes
out on Blu-ray, DVD and digital
platforms
on 15th
September 2014 by Lionsgate Home Entertainment

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