Throughout his profitable run on the favored Fox drama “Empire” (2015-2020), Terrence Howard was on the top of his profession, however he claims he was paid a fraction of what his “white counterparts” from the community have been paid. The Oscar nominee revealed extra particulars about his lawsuit towards CAA, his company on the time, in an astonishing interview on the podcast “Straight Discuss with Daphne Phaneē.”
The small print about his lowball pay have been practically overshadowed by one thing equally outlandish: his fluffy, feathered orange hair. Followers couldn’t cease speaking in regards to the weird wig he wore throughout the interview, which we should admit provides us ’70s-era Farrah Fawcett vibes. However may this simply be a intelligent ploy to troll the web haters?
It seems this isn’t the primary time Howard’s hair has created a firestorm on-line. Again in 2019, he donned disastrous faux locs in “Empire’s” Season 6, and followers couldn’t cease dragging him on social media, incomes him spots on “finest memes of the week” lists. On Buzzfeed’s “38 Hair and Wig Fails from TV That You Received’t Be Capable of Look Away From,” he ranked No. 8, far above Anthony Anderson in “Scary Film 3.”
Regardless of the reasoning, the flippy orange wig has the media speaking, finally drawing extra consideration to his critical claims of unfair pay. Howard defined why he’s suing CAA, saying he’s owed $120 million due to a package deal deal the company had with Fox that resulted in $325,000 an episode for “Empire.” He alleged that white actors on “The Large Bang Principle,” a Fox present that aired across the identical time, acquired $2 million to $3 million per episode regardless of regardless of what he claimed was “Empire” having considerably extra viewers.
“That they had 11 million viewers. They have been getting 2 million {dollars}, rattling close to $3 million an episode, these white youngsters that had no title recognition, no Oscar nominations. … We’ve 28 million viewers, and these jokers are paying me $325,000 an episode. Yearly I’m asking my brokers, what’s occurring? … I didn’t know that the packaging deal… my brokers have been incentivized to maintain my pay low,” he claimed within the interview. (It’s not clear how Howard arrived at these viewership figures, as “Empire” is understood to have averaged roughly 17.3 million viewers in season 1, the present’s most profitable 12 months.)
So is he carrying the wig to attract consideration to his allegations of insufficient pay? Might it’s a callback to his “Empire” locs catastrophe, or possibly a little bit of each? Howard’s curious case is rarely open and shut.
The “Hustle & Stream” actor continued, “Once I requested about my cash, they despatched me a verify for $666 {dollars} — 666 precisely. … So I used to be like, y’all making an attempt to threaten me. It is a risk proper right here. And y’all assume I’m scared? Y’all assume I’m going to be quiet? As a result of I ponder what you’re doing to each different Black artist.”
Howard’s lawsuit towards CAA was first introduced in December 2023. The grievance asserts that he was largely unaware of CAA’s packaging price and notes that he was paid lower than “Mad Males” star John Hamm and “Home of Playing cards” star Kevin Spacey regardless of “Empire” having a bigger viewership. Within the interview, Howard revealed he’s now ready to go to court docket.
Research after research paperwork pay disparities based mostly on race and gender all through all industries within the U.S., and Howard has spoken out in regards to the wage hole in Hollywood earlier than. Persons are listening, however admittedly, it’s tough to get previous the hair.
“Okay I hear em.. however that rattling hair is throwing me off 😂” stated one commenter on an Instagram submit. “Trying like an additional on LaVerne and Shirley 😂” joked one other.
“Why Terrence Howard wanting like a pimp from the 70s?” requested one fan on X.
The query posed is an effective one and one reply was probably the most affordable rationalization we’ve seen but: “Cos he’s there to get his cash!”
