Since the late '90s, Howard has had an accomplished career with film credits like best-picture-Oscar-nominated film "Ray," "Biker Boyz," "Lackawanna Blues," "Idlewild," "Red Tails," "The Butler," and probably his most notable (and most quoted), "Hustle & Flow." The 53-year-old actor also enjoyed a successful six-season run on Fox's "Empire" as the infamous Lucious Lyon but recently told Entertainment Tonight he has plans to retire from acting altogether.
"This is the end for me," he told the outlet. ". . . I retired two years ago, for the most part. I was done . . . I asked Sidney Poitier 10 years ago does he want to do any more work, and he said, 'Why would I spend my last 10 years doing an impersonation of myself?' And that's what I've gotten to."
Howard expressed similar sentiments in a recent interview with POPSUGAR when speaking about the next generation of actors. "I'm hoping that the actors that come up behind us will make the stuff we did look like it was just fool's play," he said of the Best Man franchise. "You know, impress me. Create something better."
