Terrance Howard Reflects On Being Paid $12,000 For Starring In ‘Hustle & Flow’

Terrence Howard claims to have not been fairly compensated for his role in Hustle & Flow. Speaking with WREG’s Alex Coleman on Live at 9, the 54-year-old said he was paid a small amount for his role in the drama.

“I made $12,000 for doing Hustle & Flow,” revealed the actor. “And then on top of that, what Paramount did, instead of putting my name as ‘Terrence Howard’ performing the songs, they put ‘performed by Djay.’ Well, they owned Djay, so guess what? The performance royalties went to Paramount.”

He continued, “So now, I’ve got to sue Paramount, and send them a letter to say, ‘Hey, you guys owe me about 20 years’ worth of residuals and performance royalties.’ I was just trying to pay my rent then.”

In the conversation, Howard shared his gripes with the industry at large. He also questioned the motives of the Screen Actors Guild – American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (SAG-AFTRA) organization, alleging he was not aided by the union.

“I want to get rid of the agents, I want to get rid of the managers, I want to get rid of the unions. SAG has done nothing. They sit up and say they’re here for us now they’re talking because they haven’t gotten their money. When I went to SAG five years ago saying FOX stole my image from Hustle & Flow and they’re monetizing it, SAG didn’t do anything to help me. They waited nine months until the statute of limitations [was up],” reflected the Triumph star.

“They’re not here to help the actors, they’re here to make their money,” he declared when explaining his efforts to start a new community.

Hustle & Flow was released in 2005 and starred Taraji P. Henson, Ludacris, and Anthony Anderson, alongside Howard. Directed by Craig Brewer and produced by the late John Singleton and Stephanie Allain, the film earned $22 million at the box office.

According to Howard University News Service, Brewer, Allain, Howard, Anderson, and DJ Qualls claimed Singleton, who used his $2 million of his own money to help fund the project, owed them. At the time, they said they were promised a portion of the film’s profits. Allain sold her home to afford living expenses during the film’s 22-day production process in Memphis.

In 2011, Singleton filed a lawsuit against Paramount for $20 million, claiming the studio did not fulfill its end of the deal, per the Los Angeles Times.

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