TERRENCE HOWARD (Cornelius) is best known for his Golden Globe and Academy Award nominated work in Hustle & Flow, as well as for his supporting role in Crash, for which he received a National Board of Review Award for Best Breakthrough Performance. Born in Chicago, IL, Howard began his acting career as Jackie Jackson in the ABC miniseries The Jacksons: An American Dream, which was quickly followed by several notable TV appearances on shows such as Living Single and NYPD Blue. He made his film debut in 1993 in Who's the Man? which he followed with the role of Cowboy in the period saga Dead Presidents. In 1995 Howard was noticed for his role as a star high school athlete in Mr. Holland's Opus, and soon after was offered a lead role in the UPN TV series Sparks. In 1999, Howard was honored with the NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Supporting Actor, an Independent Spirit Award nomination and a Chicago Film Critics Association Award nomination for his role as Quentin in The Best Man.

Prior to his participation in the all-star ensemble cast of Robert Redford's The Company You Keep, Howard's feature film credits include diverse roles in the Academy Award nominated Ray, Pride, The Brave One, August Rush, and Iron Man. He also appeared on Broadway with the legendary James Earl Jones in Debbie Allen's revival production of Tennessee Williams' Cat on a Hot Tin Roof.

A self taught musician, Howard plays both the piano and the guitar. He displays his musical talents in Ray as Ray Charles' one-time guitarist Gossie McKee, and in Hustle & Flow as the rapper Djay. For the movie, Howard performed all the tracks for his character, including "It's Hard Out Here For A Pimp," which won the Academy Award for Best Original Song.

Howard was recently seen in Law and Order: Los Angeles, where he won an NAACP award for best supporting actor in a drama series. Howard recently starred alongside Cuba Gooding Jr. and Bryan Cranston in George Lucas' Red Tails.

Howard will be seen playing Nelson Mandela alongside Jennifer Hudson in Winnie; and in On the Road alongside Garrett Hedlund and Viggo Mortensen. In 2013, Terrence will star alongside Colin Farrell and Noomi Rapace in the thriller Dead Man Down, as well as The Butler alongside Oprah Winfrey, Forrest Whitaker, Liam Neeson and Nicole Kidman, House of Bodies along with Queen Latifah and Peter Fonda, Lullaby alongside Garrett Hedlund, Jennifer Hudson and Fellini Black and White. Howard was also one of the many All Stars appearing in Movie 43 which included Gerard Butler, Emma Stone, Naomi Watts, Kate Winslet, Josh Duhamel, Elizabeth Banks, Uma Thurman and Hugh Jackman.

Terrence has become an Ambassador for Stand Up To Cancer and the Entertainment Industry Foundation (EIF). Howard has been very involved in cancer research, and done many public service announcements for the cause. Earlier this year South Carolina State University conferred an honorary doctorate upon Dr. Terrence Dashon Howard. He is the father of three.