Born March 11, 1969 in Chicago, Terrence Dashon Howard grew up in the projects in Cleveland and as a boy was nicknamed “No Nation” because his skin was much fairer than his fellow schoolmates.  The handsome, black-haired, green-eyed, 6’2” Terrence graduated from the Pratt Institute with a degree in chemical engineering and is working towards a Masters in physics.  He is also a self-taught musician and songwriter who plays piano and guitar.  Somewhere along the way he discovered acting and for the past 20 years he has been honing his craft and trying to pay his bills.  He is by no means an overnight success but got his start on The Cosby Show after being discovered in New York City and did a lot of television before landing a role in 1995’s “Mr. Holland’s Opus”.  He garnered attention for his role as Cowboy in “Dead Presidents” the same year and since then has appeared in “Best Laid Plans”, “The Best Man”, “Big Momma’s House”, “Angel Eyes”, “Glitter”, “Hart’s War”, “Biker Boyz”, the sensational “Crash”, “Ray”, “Hustle & Flow”, “Four Brothers” and “Get Rich or Die Tryin’”.

A little over a year ago Terrence was living in his garage in Philadelphia after his wife, whom he married twice and is the mother of his three children, kicked him out.  When asked, he told Craig Ferguson that as he’s currently single, he’s looking for a woman who will him give a hard time; be a Mom, wife, sister, friend and someone who will love him like a kid, unconditionally, even when he messes up.  Craig’s reply was “Yeah, good luck with that!”  It is Terrence’s soft-spoken sincerity, humility and the way his eyes water slightly when he talks about love and finally allowing himself to “get out of his own way” that melted my heart when I saw him on the talk shows.  While discussing “Crash” with Craig he said that “Crash gave us an opportunity to see the problems within ourselves.  It didn’t answer any questions, it just asked all the right questions and people have to ask them of themselves.” He believes that “bigotry hides under political correctness” and that if you “change your thinking you’ll change your choices, which will change your life”.  You see why I’m falling in love.

When Terrence spoke with Oprah on her special Oscar Nominee show they talked about the amazing year he’s had and the fact that when he was notified that he had been nominated for Best Actor in “Hustle & Flow”, he cried like a school girl.  He had spent over six weeks in a real pimp’s house in preparation for that part and brought a profound humanity and empathy to his character.  He really cried in the church scene and still cries every time he sees it.  Terrence admitted that he didn’t write an acceptance speech for the Oscars because “if God leads me to that moment I’d like to let the God in me speak”.  “God has carried me to this place.”  In March’s Hollywood Issue of Vanity Fair, Terrence was referred to as “The Gentleman” and I can see why.

Oprah also spoke to Terrence about his love of country music (his favourites are Kenny Rogers and Tim McGraw) and the fact that he really wants to play Charley Pride because he loves him.  Terrence has finished filming “Idlewild” (with André Benjamin and Macy Gray) and “Awake” (with Hayden Christiansen and Jessica Alba) and his next project is called “August Rush” which is the story of an orphan and musical prodigy played by Freddie Highmore of “Finding Neverland” and “Charlie and the Chocolate Factory”.  Terrence plays the social worker who interviews him and ends up chasing him through the city trying to find him as he goes on a journey in search of his dream.  Also starring in “August Rush” is Robin Williams - who Terrence jumped at the chance to work with as he’s been his favourite actor since he was a child - Jonathan Rhys Myers and Keri Russell.  I can’t wait to see it!

Terrence Howard may not have won the Academy Award this year, but I won’t be the least bit surprised if he does in the future because God is looking out for him.