Terrence Howard's great grandmother Minnie Gentry was a successful New York stage actress, Howard didn't venture onto the screen himself until the age of twenty. Raised in a multiracial Jehovah's Witness household, the young man studied chemical engineering at Pratt Institute before being discovered on the street in New York. This quickly lead to roles in movies as shown in this section:

Terrence Howard's Early life

Terrence Howard was born in Chicago, Illinois, and was raised in Cleveland, Ohio. His grandmother, Minnie Gentry, was a stage actress, as were his mother and uncles. His parents were both multiracial, of African American and white descent; he has said he experienced racism throughout his childhood. His father, Tyrell Howard, was involved in what has been termed the Santa Line Slaying, serving 11 months in prison on manslaughter charges after stabbing another man in self-defense. At the age of 16, Howard emancipated himself from his parents and was put on welfare; at 18, he moved to New York City to pursue an acting career.^[1]science teacher,^[2] though he had a low grade point average in high school and was admitted to the Pratt Institute in New York only after convincing them to give him a special entrance exam.^[1] Howard did not complete his education, as he had joined his brother on an audition for The Cosby Show and was cast in the role. Terrence is the father of three youngsters.