Starting with small roles in TV shows, Terrence Howard got his big break with the 1995 war drama Dead Presidents. However, his career flourished after his incredible performance in the Oscar-nominated film Hustle and Flow and the television series Empire. Haward also joined the MCU as he featured alongside Robert Downey Jr. in the first Iron Man. However, the actor claims that he could have got a great start on the popular sitcom The Cosby Show.
He shared that he did every possible thing to get a part in the show. However, things did not go as planned, as his appearance in the TV show was canceled at the last moment.
Terrence Howard’s Horrible Experience With Bill Cosby
Before landing the Oscar-nominated role in the 2005 film Hustle & Flow, Terrence Howard would have gotten a head start on his acting career with Bill Cosby’s iconic TV show. He shared that he got the opportunity to feature on the show after a meeting with the casting director. However, despite all his efforts, things did not go as planned for him.
The Crash actor shared that he begged the casting director to meet him. And all his efforts paid up when he started filming for one of the episodes. He shared that he was so excited that he told all his friends that he would be appearing in The Cosby Show.
However, to his disappointment, all his scenes were cut from the episode last minute. “They cut me out at the last minute,” he shared. Howard claimed that he was furious and decided to confront Cosby for cutting his scenes from the show. However, it didn’t turn out in his favor, as the casting agent never took his calls again.
Terrence Howard’s Feud With the Iron Man Star
The 2008 Robert Downey Jr.’s film introduced Terrence Howard as Rhodey, aka War Machine. However, the character was recast with Don Cheadle in the Iron Man sequel, and he has portrayed the character since in the MCU. The recasting allegedly happened due to his conflicts over salary with the studio.
With the massive success of Iron Man, Downey Jr.’s salary was reportedly hiked to $10 million, along with a cut of the back-end profits. And his co-star was disappointed when the Avengers star did not take a stand for him. The Iron Man actor claimed that he helped the Dolittle star land the iconic role in the 2008 film, and instead of taking a stand for him, he took the money he deserved and pushed him out of the film.
Howard, who was the highest-paid actor in the 2008 film, claimed that he had a deal for three films with the studio and was expected to receive a certain amount for every film. However, followed by the release of Iron Man, he was told that he would receive one-eighth of what he was initially offered for the sequel.
Howard shared that the studio claimed that the sequel did not particularly need Rhodey’s character to be successful. And when Howard called the Sherlock Holmes actor, he did not take his calls. “And I called my friend that I helped get the first job, and he didn’t call me back for three months,” the Pride actor said. Robert Downey Jr. denied having any part in his exit from the Iron Man sequel.
Source: CheatSheet
