Terrence Howard: Gorgeous Bad Boy

Impressive actor Terrence Howard has gorgeous eyes and he knows how to flirt with them. He can also use those eyes to turn your blood cold when he plays a bad guy as he does in the new musical drama Idlewild. Howard's character in Hustle and Flow actually made us believe that "It's Hard Out There For a Pimp". The actor impressed in the award-winning Crash and the Mark Wahlberg film Four Brothers and will soon be seen in August Rush with Robin Williams.

We'll say it. The boy is a perfectionist and knows how to dress to impress. At our interview, Terrence make the scene in a suit; natty gold tie, vest over crisp white shirt and topped it all off with a snappy 1930's style hat that, of course, looks hot in today's fashion world as well. He told us interesting stories about finding his character and helping then first time actor Big Boi, find his.

TeenHollywood: Is this character Trumpy the nastiest you've played?

Terrence: Right, on screen. You ask my kids, they'd say they'd rather have Trumpy as a father.

TeenHollywood: Is Trumpy named after Donald Trump?

Terrence: No, but he needs to be. Donald probably is that aggressive.

TeenHollywood: How did it feel to be so bad?

Terrence: To play a guy that has no conscience or has wider boundaries that he lives under, it's amazing. It's moral freedom.

TeenHollywood: As an actor, what did you base all his meanness on?

Terrence: Everything was about principal. Everything was about immediate response to command. He had a way about him. [He is thinking] You do not let me build your company for all these years and then fail to acknowledge my contribution by giving me the opportunity to run it. You do not do that. His feelings were hurt and when you hurt a child's feelings, the child responds. And when you hurt the child inside of a hurt man, a monster responds. It was born out of the neglect of those around him. That's how I justify him.

TeenHollywood: You play piano and guitar and write songs. Co-starring with Big Boi and Andre, did you ever want to jump on the mic and join in?

Terrence: No. When you see lions up there fighting, you don't jump in the cage. These cats, these guys are great. Andre and Macy Gray and Antwan, they've been at this for 15-odd years. They've mastered what they do. I will not come and trip them up. I don't even know how to hold the d**n mic properly, so I wouldn't even try and touch it.

TeenHollywood: You look good in those 1930's duds. What feeling did it evoke wearing '30s clothes?

Terrence: Well, the '30s, you're talking about truly the heyday of jazz. Jazz was about individuality but then you had that level of conformity [because] we were coming from the Victorian age where dress and presentation still meant everything. So you're looking for some form of expression, creative expression. That alone was informative.

TeenHollywood: And what about taking on the etiquette and mannerisms of that era?

Terrence: A man never spoke to a woman improperly even inside of a [brothel]. He never spoke to her by her common name. Everyone had a Miss or something in front of her name. They just demanded respect and respect was given to those who dressed properly. All those things as a character helps you because you know where you're dancing at. You know what type of dance is expected inside of a place. You don't go inside there doing the foxtrot when it's a waltz that's required. You knew where you belonged in those times. As an actor, when you give me all these things, the biggest thing about me is my wardrobe. The thing that's most expressive and most representative of me is the wardrobe that I'm wearing in that scene. So if you set that properly, it'll make my walk a lot easier. If I've got on stilts, then I know I need to be a little higher than everybody. I need to behave like that.

TeenHollywood: How did you come to the project?

Terrence: I dove in without reading the script because Andre 3000 was doing it and I was a huge fan of his. Bryan Barber [the director] had called and I was trying to get my music off at the time. I was like, 'Yeah, I'll do the movie' thinking 'I'm gonna get an opportunity to do some music' [he doesn't do any music in the film]. Rehearsal was literally the first time I saw the script because we finished Hustle and Flow on the 9th of August and, on the 11th, we were starting the rehearsals. Bryan was so hands on, that he was the gangster I was emulating. Everything was a smile, but there's something very deadly about his eyes. Because he knew that I wasn't so well versed in what he was trying to accomplish, I hadn't seen his videos, he didn't mind walking me through, hand holding me. But then he'd let the little kids run around when they wanted to. He's a really great teacher. But, there were a couple things that I saw that I would love to change in my performance.

TeenHollywood: Like what?

Terrence: Most of it. You know, you can do a move on a floor the first time you see it and it's okay, but man, if you could practice it. Slight nuances and changes. I mean, overall, it sold to me but as an actor, as a growing professional, it's like wow, dang, I wish I had made that other choice. I wish I had the time to consider the other choice.

TeenHollywood: Has your life changed since you started getting really noticed?

Terrence: I discovered strength inside myself. I discovered confidence. Just the ability to choose, it does change the way you think and therefore changes your choices in life. And now I'm hoping to be able to try to better delegate how I'm going to make these choices, so I can enjoy my life and not look at a film like Idlewild that's so beautifully and masterfully done and think 'dang, I wish I'd worked a little harder because I could have contributed a little bit more'. I want to be able to spend the two years that I had for Hustle and Flow to really map out a character well and be real proud of him.

TeenHollywood: Did you start out in the business with a 'tude?

Terrence: It wasn't my choice to remain patient. I wanted something that emotionally I wasn't ready for because I was a bit of a hothead. I grew up in a very rough part of life and it was a whole different thing culturally. Someone's disrespect was handled in a completely different manner. And so when I first came to the set, you know how rude people can be in this business. And everyone else has the common sense to just walk away or suck it up. I didn't know how to suck up nothing. And I wasn't about biting my tongue. So I made my road very hard for myself, until I learned how to maintain my integrity and at the same time keep the peace. Just because someone spits on you, you don't have to break their teeth.

TeenHollywood: What do you look for in a film project now?

Terrence: It's the people you're working with. Anybody can throw a party. Somebody's throwing a party around the corner, that's great, there's a party over there. But when they tell you that so and so's going to be there and you kinda like so and so, you're going to be at that party and it's going to be a good party. So I go to the party based on the people that are there. And the script is life.

TeenHollywood: Big Boi, says he was afraid of you in your first scene together. Why do you think that was?

Terrence: Well, see, most of the time when he's on stage, he's on stage by himself and he has this whole avenue of opportunities to do whatever he wants. He could focus on any audience member that's there to watch him perform and gain strength. But here he was this close to me [indicates inches]. I violated every sense of space that he had. In trying to maintain your composure, you cannot do it with somebody else telling you what to do. You have to be able to stand right there.

TeenHollywood: Was he not doing that?

Terrence: When he was trying to hand me that wad of money, his hand was going like this, it was shaking and we noticed that. I could've pretended like it didn't happen but I just brought it into the character. And after they said 'cut', I said, 'You're scared, aren't you? I'm going to run right over you now.' And he took a deep breath and said, 'We're here to fight. Let's play.' And he came [to the game]. Everybody has to be able to hold their own. And he did. And he found his comedic sense in his character. When he found himself afraid, he reverted back to what he used to do in other situations, what we all do. We make light of a heavy situation with humor. That's what makes a character real. And he stood up for it. I loved it.

TeenHollywood: He channeled his anger?

Terrence: He did, and it was beautiful. Most of my scenes were with him. I had so much with him and there's such an animosity between the two of us [as characters], but then afterwards we'd go into his trailer and sit up and talk about music because I was trying to get him to help me with my music. I terrorized him and then, 'Can you help me now?'

TeenHollywood: And did you get the music help from Big Boi?

Terrence: Oh yeah, I got the help of 'get it done'. Whatever you got to do, you've got to do it yourself. You've got to rely on your own skills, your own resources and your own drive. You've just got to get it done. You let other people come and say, 'Can I help?' but no, it's on you to accomplish your dreams.

TeenHollywood: There is a lot of dancing in the movie. Could you do what those dancers do?

Terrence: I could do it but I'd only do it once and then you'd have to take me to the hospital.

TeenHollywood: Is it still hard out there for a pimp?

Terrence: [laughs] It's a little easier now.

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Lynn Barker is a Hollywood-based entertainment journalist and produced screenwriter.