One of our favorite actors turned 55 today. To celebrate Terrence Howard’s legacy, check out a gallery highlighting some of the most hilarious and memorable performances of his career.

Terrence Dashon Howard was born in Chicago, Illinois but was raised in Cleveland, Ohio. His physically abusive father was convicted of manslaughter and had to serve 11 months in jail. Upon his release, Howard’s parents divorced. Terrence ended up living with his great-grandmother Minnie Gentry, who was a talented actress. A year before Gentry passed away in 1993, Howard first entered the entertainment industry when he portrayed Jesse Jackson in the ABC miniseries The Jacksons: An American Dream.

In 1995, Howard made his big film break in the films Mr. Holland’s Opus and Dead Presidents. He continued to be cast in television and film roles, most notably The Best Man, which was released in 1999. In the comedy drama, Howard played Quentin Spivey. The success of the film spawned a sequel, The Best Man Holiday and a limited series The Best Man: The Final Chapters. In 2005, the drama Hustle & Flow was released. Not only did Howard play the main character DJay, he also performed all the character’s tracks himself. This includes the song “It’s Hard out Here for a Pimp,” which went on to win the Academy Award for Best Original Song at the 78th Academy Awards. Howard tapped back into his love for music when he starred as Lucious Lyon in the musical drama series Empire from 2015 to 2020. Over the course of his career, Terrence Howard has done an amazing job captivating us with the characters he’s played and the special sauce he’s added to each one of them. To celebrate his birthday and legacy, check out a gallery showcasing some of the best of said characters. HAPPY 55TH BIRTHDAY TERRENCE HOWARD!