Award-winning actor Terrence Howard will discuss his career and his passion for storytelling during an appearance at the Twin Cities Film Festival (TCFF) this month. Howard will be the annual festival’s “Spotlight Event” on October 28 and will also receive the inaugural TCFF Indie Vision Legacy Award.
From his first role as Jackie Jackson in the ABC miniseries “The Jacksons: An American Dream” to his recent iconic television role as Lucius Lyon on “Empire” (2015-20), Howard has played many unforgettable characters both in film and television and garnered multiple award nominations, including a Best Actor Oscar nod for his starring role in “Hustle & Flow.” He also won two NAACP Image Awards, as well as two BET Awards for Best Actor.
Speaking last week to the MSR, Howard expressed pride in his body of work but also his frustration with Hollywood.
“The most challenging one was doing Nelson Mandela in Winnie Mandela [2011],” recalled Howard as he explained his frustration on getting everyone involved in the production on board. “You need everybody to participate in it in order” for the project to be successful, he noted.
Nonetheless, Howard said his portrayal of the late South African leader “was the most challenging job, and I think it may have been the best work that I’ve ever done. It’s the one that I know that I’ve worked the hardest and was most gratified when I was able to accomplish it for myself.”
Despite its runaway success, “’Empire’ was its own challenge, in the fact that they [network executives and others] did not want the success that we had garnered—28 million viewers in [our] second season,” continued the actor.
Howard said what most disturbed him was how behind-the-scenes issues were created to drive a wedge between him and co-star and friend Taraji P. Henson, as well as “keeping the narrative that Black people aren’t worth anything.
“We spent so much time trying to salvage the show,” admitted Howard on “Empire,” which last aired in April 2020. “They were deliberately trying to destroy [the show] because it was not in their best interest. They wanted to keep us all separated so that we would battle against each other,” he said.
Howard was also a member of a star-studded cast when he played Quentin Spivey in “The Best Man” films. “I enjoyed that,” said Howard. “I didn’t like the series so much,” Howard said of the 10-episode streaming series on Peacock last year. “But what we did with the characters and with the writing, and working together, that was something that I’m always going to be forever proud of.”
Howard stressed that his focus is always on the craft and he will defend it at all costs. “Nobody’s really fighting for integrity. Nobody’s standing up for anything,” he lamented.
The 2023 TCFF runs from Oct. 19 to Oct. 28 and will take place at ShowPlace ICON theaters in St. Louis Park. It annually features a wide array of films, shorts, and documentaries. This year, TCFF also has a special series on women-produced films, films by Black filmmakers, BIPOC films, and content made by LGBTQ+ filmmakers during the two-week festival.
The festival will also show Howard’s new film “Showdown at the Grand” on October 27. His “In Conversation” spotlight event will be held on October 28.
Howard’s film is about a movie theater owner trying to keep his business alive and away from corporate developers. Howard said he believes festivalgoers will relate to it.
“Being able to come there and share this idea of community, that’s the entire point of ‘Showdown,’” said Howard of his upcoming visit to the Twin Cities. “I’m standing behind this film, and I think {the Twin Cities audience] can really appreciate it because it’s part of that traditional background and all that is being taken away.”
For more about TCFF, including ticket information and film schedules, go to twincitiesfilmfest.org.