Why Terrence Howard might quit acting to grow diamonds
theGRIO REPORT - Terrence Howard’s passion for scientific exploration may soon overtake his interest in the movie business altogether.
“As a child, I was always told to turn the other cheek, but turning the other cheek was cowardice,” he remembers. “I realized I wasn’t turning the other cheek out of strength and love for my brother, I was turning the other cheek because I didn’t want to get hit again. You make those compromises and sooner or later, those hits build up until you have a ton of animosity that you want to throw out. And when you finally let go of that animosity, you find that the world is beautiful.”
As part of his research for the role, Howard deferred to his longstanding interest in scripture. He based Alphonse on the biblical figure of King Solomon, a man who inherited the kingdom of Israel only to lose it for disobeying God’s laws. Howard additionally studied the writings of Kahlil Gibran, author of The Prophet, and specifically the writer’s observation, “Of good men do we turn criminals out of our inhumanity towards each other.”
What struck Howard as particularly unique about Dead Man Down was the idea that there were no bad men or good men, merely those who rallied between the darkness and the light. The concept of revenge also plays heavily into the narrative, and how retaliation can stem from a core of evil.
“What cinema is about is to teach you about humanity, and the choices that we’re making,” Howard observes. “Whether it’s good or bad, that the audience can watch and hopefully gain some kind of understanding of how to place the stumbling blocks of yesterday in a way that they will become stepping stones for those that will follow us.”
As for his own role in Hollywood, Howard admits acting pays a lot, but describes it now as “walking on water for tips.” His primary focus is to achieve his purpose in life, and says he will continue on in the movie business if it allows him to advance personally.
“As human beings we are refusing to evolve and recognize our greater strengths,” he observes. “As an actor, I’m able to transcend into someone else’s life. Dematerialize and materialize back into my own. But I’m still carrying with me the frequencies of them, and learning more about the walks of humanity. I’ve seen so many sides of humanity and I’m learning that you have to reorient yourself, and move within the way of amplitude, and refuse to become an isotope.”
That is, in chemistry terms, of course.
Follow Courtney Garcia on Twitter at @CourtGarcia
