Where You've Seen the Empire Cast Before

Howard has been acting on TV and in movies since the early '90s. He had parts in The Best Man, Glitter, and Big Momma's House, but he really broke out in 2005's Hustle & Flow, when he played a pimp struggling to become a rapper. The role earned him an Oscar nod, and "It's Hard Out Here For a Pimp" scored best original song. Since then, he's had a lot of movie parts, like in Iron Man, and he'll show up in Fox's new drama Wayward Pines come May 14.