Terrence Howard's Big Break

Hot New Star Leads In 'Hustle & Flow'

(CBS)  John Singleton, who is best known for directing "Boyz in the Hood," produced "Hustle & Flow," and was convinced Howard was the right man to play the Memphis pimp.

Yet, Howard turned down the part not once, but twice. He says he only agreed to it after he was persuaded there was nothing in the film to glorify the street lifestyle.

As a teenager, Howard saw his share of big-city streets. He shuttled between Los Angeles, where his mother lived, and the tough side of Cleveland, where his father lived in the 1970s.

Howard remembers telling his childhood friends that he was going to be an actor, but in college, he majored in chemical engineering.

Aside from his talent, his eyes are what make an instant and lasting impression.

His co-star, Taraji Henson, says those olive-green eyes "just look right through you."

There's a story behind that gaze. In high school, Howard had an ear infection that went untreated for so long that he eventually became deaf in both ears. The hearing loss made him look deeply into people's eyes to find any clue he could pick up. He says his hearing returned after about a month, but staring into people's eyes is still a habit.

He doesn't lean on his good looks because, as a teenager, he learned how fleeting they could be. He was diagnosed with Bell's palsy, temporary paralysis of the facial muscles. It lasted for several months. With therapy, including a device that he improvised because his parents couldn't afford the treatments, his face returned to normal.

Much to the envy of his female fans, Howard is married once again to the same woman who divorced him in 1998. He had some growing up to do, he admits, and they now have three children.