Happy Birthday Terrence Howard Born March 11, 1969 Terrence Dashon Howard is an American actor, singer-songwriter, and record producer. Having his first major roles in the 1995 films Dead Presidents and Mr. Holland's Opus, Howard broke into the mainstream with a succession of television and cinema roles between 2004 and 2006. He was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Actor for his role in Hustle & Flow.