“I’m on the Chitlin' Circuit now” - Terrence Howard reveals he’s ready to quit acting as he blames Fox lawsuit for lack of work

Nearly five years after suing 20th Century Fox Film, Terrence Howard is ready to quit showbiz.

In a recent conversation with Bill Maher on his Club Random Podcast, the Prisoners actor talked about being ready to disappear from show business. The host branded Howard’s decision to quit acting “a bad idea” and argued how many of the best actors shone in their 50s and 60s. Despite receiving compliments from Bill Maher for his acting, Terrence Howard asserted,

“I’m on the Chitlin' Circuit now [...] after I sued Fox.”

Howard referred to the now-defunct Chitlin’ Circuit to highlight his current professional situation. For those unaware, it was a network of live entertainment venues in the US that existed during the period of Jim Crow segregation, according to Encyclopædia Britannica.

When asked by Maher to explain the context of “Chitlin’ Circuit” for him, Terrence Howard explained,

“No studio movies. No, you know, no big television stuff. Everything is on the outskirts, why because you don't f*** with the Mouse, I f***ed with the Mouse. You don't. I sued the Mouse, I sued Fox, I sued… And I'm suing CAA right now. It's just… But it's about my money. Somebody takes $300 million from you, you're like, ‘Dude, you got to go for it.’"

Bill Maher asserted that the US audience loves a redemption story, so Terrence Howard should not quit acting. He further stated the viewers love him. Maher gave an example of Charlie Sheen and how, despite the controversies, the audience readily forgave them.

Terrence Howard sued Fox for breach of contract and seeking accounting on merchandise sales

The Iron Man actor played the role of Lucious Lyon on Empire across six seasons. After the Fox network show concluded in 2020, Howard sued the company for unpaid compensation, per The Hollywood Reporter. In his suit, the 56-year-old star alleged that he was not paid any royalty fees for using his image from the movie Hustle & Flow.

Terrence Howard’s lawyer stated in his filing that the agreement between 20th Century Fox Film and the actor granted “all rights to plaintiff’s name and likeness to defendant” regarding the series Empire. The complaint filed by Howard’s lawyer explains the matter as follows (via THR),

“Although the Agreement did grant publicity and promotional uses to Defendant, but only if Defendant sought and obtained approval rights to images used, the Agreement did not however permit direct endorsement of goods and services other than the Series.”

In the filing, Terrence Howard’s lawyer maintained that his client did receive royalty payments “derived from merchandise” from the defendant. It added that Fox allegedly didn’t specify the merchandise or quantity in sales, which was later enquired about by the plaintiff in 2018.

Howard reportedly didn’t receive a clear answer to his inquiry about the goods that use his name and likeness. Thus, the actor sued Fox for breach of contract while seeking the account of “defendant’s books and records” to ascertain the alleged unpaid royalty fees he is owed under the agreement.

In 2023, Howard sued CAA, his former talent agency, alleging that his agents did not act in his best interests. In his complaint, the lawyer representing the Ray actor alleged (via Variety),

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“Not only did it become abundantly clear that his agents led him on a path to rely on information that was misleading, he discovered that this was the result of the fact that CAA was not acting in his best interest, but in the interest of their own financial benefit as well as the interest of the Production Companies and the producers, Daniels and Strong.”

Amidst his legal battles, Howard shared his plans, per TMZ, to expose Hollywood through his new podcast. According to the outlet, the actor will target the big studios, revealing what goes on behind the scenes while talking about his lawsuits.

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