Terrence Howard quotes:

The purpose of my life is being a father to my kids and being a husband to my wife.

The difference with Cleveland is that the racial tension was not a casual taste of it. It was outlandish.

Every little job becomes a dream, and you don't recall it anymore, and maybe you might have a deja vu moment, but it's like something you dreamed earlier.

I don't think President Obama has been that revolutionary in reaching out to ethnic communities. President Reagan did a lot for the black community that people don't realize.

Every one of us is an artist, and as an artist, you really can stroll into any venue that you want, as long as you take your time to learn the etiquette of that venue.

And right now I may just be living inside the heart of the body, and I one day hope to move to the brain.

We both can be the most beautiful and benevolent creatures on the planet, but then there's another side that can be as harsh and as ugly as the darkest thing you could imagine seeing.

So I show appreciation for the little gifts that have been handed to me.

I'm trying to make enough money where I can be financially independent and be able to go and just pursue that thing that everybody really needs, just pursue my family and the cause of my family.

My future's about trying to be a better man.

My life's experiences, I've always had, my uncle used to call it antenna. I know what's going to happen oftentimes before it happened when it's involving me

The only thing that really matters in the initial part of my career, the worst mistake I've ever made was try to do things to please the audience thinking how the audience is going to respond if I do this.

Every little job becomes a dream, and you don't recall it anymore, and maybe you might have a deja vu moment, but it's like something you dreamed earlier

The reason that I'm an actor, or an artist, is ultimately because I'm trying to paint a self-portrait, and the most complete and beautiful self-portrait that you can.

Every role you play is literally - and I've said this before - every single role that you play, the only way you can connect to that character is because that was a piece of you that was scattered around that yard, almost like we got caught up in some whirlwind

My life's experiences, I've always had, my uncle used to call it antenna. I know what's going to happen oftentimes before it happened when it's involving me.

As a child our dreams got scattered all about and all our future prospects got scattered to so many places, and we spend our lives trying to find the little pieces that make up our lives and make up the dreams that we had as a child that got blown away in the windstorm.

In every person we meet there's this little piece of God in them and that's who you talk to. And that's the only person that you allow to talk to you. When something else is speaking, you walk away from that. If it's not good, if it's not love, you walk away from it.

And I'm very surprised that all this stuff actually worked out to where I could have a career in film, gain the benefit of my education, and be thankful that I was able to break into my craft as an actor.

As a child our dreams got scattered all about and all our future prospects got scattered to so many places, and we spend our lives trying to find the little pieces that make up our lives and make up the dreams that we had as a child that got blown away in the windstorm

I want to be the condensation on the glass. I want to be that phenomenon that takes place between hot and cold.

I've always had a natural fear of the police, or abuse of their power.

Every artist has to grow, and has to challenge themselves with a new form of expression.

No, most of the decisions that I make with regard to taking roles, I just look for something that's challenging, something that I think I can accomplish, you know.

And when I stopped doing that and started thinking about what feels natural and what feels right to me and started pleasing myself, then it became good.

And, so yeah, I'll always want to work in independent films because you're not forced into a category or a formula

We call the Creator father, because we rely upon Him to protect us, guide us, feed us, keep us warm, to discipline us and all those things. I try to take my cue from the Creator, with regard to my children.

I am an engineer, but what I find important and necessary is that you just learn things as you go along.

Sometimes the only way to make palatable that which is appalling and apprehensive is to season it with some humor.

When you hear buzz around the beehive, you know they're making honey in there.

I like to watch mankind in its futile attempt to understand the unknown, when they don't even understand that which they know.

All the things we have to remember, and I've mentioned this before, is that we're all artists

But George Lucas is carrying about Black actors, about Black men, about Black history, which really incorporates and tells all of history. You can't take one race out without eliminating every other race if you're going to tell the story of the human race.

Dating black women will ruin your life

Don't just view me as an actor

Every artist has to grow, and has to challenge themselves with a new form of expression

Having gandchildren you see the world through much broader perspectives. And you're more aware of your actions your thoughts and how it will affect your family. And the families around your family. You have to be a lot more careful. But you also relax a little bit. Because, you know, you've done your duty. I've reproduced and my reproductions have reproduced.

I can't tell you if one day I'll be standing up there with an Oscar or directing, but I am going to be the best human being I possibly can

I don't believe in premarital sex. It enabled me to date three or four women at the same time, because as long as I wasn't having sex with them, I could always just walk away.

I don't have any love for this business or the game or for acting. This is my day job.

I found from working on the film that I am a bigot, at times. And that I am also a coward, at times.

I just wanted to be a scientist

I knew that one movie could either kill my career or give birth to it. It's the same thing with Nelson. If you fail at Nelson [movie about nelson Mandela], you don't get to comeback and say, 'Well, I was trying. Let me do it again.' There are no re-takes.

I like to watch mankind in its futile attempt to understand the unknown, when they don't even understand that which they know

I like women who look like me. Generally, you're attracted to women who look like you, because the most beautiful thing in nature is your own reflection.

If a relationship is built on sexuality, it won't last long.

If evolution works, why are monkeys still around?

If we [black people] do not show up and support the march towards cinematic equality, the march towards being on a level at - we don't even have to be higher than whites, but to be viewed in the same common thread of this is a professional, these are stories that people are interested in, instead of being fed the same old BS dogma that's been fed and the studios have used.

If you're not going to do your job, get out of here. Don't mess up my work. This is how I feed my family.

I'm damn near 37 years old, and I'm jumping up and down on the bed like my 10-year-old. I was a wild man

I'm trying to make enough money where I can be financially independent and be able to go and just pursue that thing that everybody really needs, just pursue my family and the cause of my family

In every person we meet there's this little piece of God in them and that's who you talk to. And that's the only person that you allow to talk to you. When something else is speaking, you walk away from that. If it's not good, if it's not love, you walk away from it

In the Twenties, it wasn't a remarkable thing for a singer to be an actor, or even to be involved in politics. If this is our roots, how can you blame the branches for following the course of the roots.

It's just me and my guitar, and the rhythm's from there, and the poetry of life.

I've always had a natural fear of the police, or abuse of their power

My father always said that if you want oranges, you have to go to where the oranges grow.

My future's about trying to be a better man

No, most of the decisions that I make with regard to taking roles, I just look for something that's challenging, something that I think I can accomplish, you know

The most important thing I can teach my kids is that you can't put your value in looks. Presence is based upon magnitude. You can pretend to have an air about you but it is quickly deflated, you cannot deflate presence. Presence walks into a room and surrounds and fills anything that's in that room without trying to demand it, it takes over. It can come from a smile. Like I said, love makes you beautiful. What is beautiful radiates.

The Oscar is the fantasy that you're afraid to believe in, but in the secrecy of your little dark room, you dream and wait for it.

The truth is, the personal ends up becoming part of your professional. As an actor, much of your work happens at home as you try things out on your family. Sometimes you stay in character unbeknownst to you and keep practicing.

There's a scripture in the Book of James which says, 'Become a doer of the word and not a hearer only.' A hearer is someone who looks into a mirror, walks away, and quickly forgets what sort of person he is.

There's also a part of me that's self-destructive, and another part that's a hero who's going to stand up for a principle.

There's no excuse to hit a woman... Ever. Not even in a movie role, because you might really like it. And then what?

There's nothing wrong with calling a spade a spade. Some things have to be exposed.

They say everybody gets 15 minutes. I hope I'm just inside the first minute and the next 14 go really slow.

Toilet paper - and no baby wipes - in the bathroom. If they're using dry paper, they aren't washing all of themselves. It's just unclean. So if I go in a woman's house and see the toilet paper there, I'll explain this. And if she doesn't make the adjustment to baby wipes, I'll know she's not completely clean.

When you feel betrayed by someone that you trust the most, as an actor, you look for something that's going to let you express some of your inner emotions and anger.

You just drop a character like this that and the other and it's done.

You keep knocking on the devil's door long enough and sooner or later someone's gonna answer you.