Terrence Howard, the acclaimed actor known for his roles in movies like “Hustle & Flow” and “Iron Man,” has found himself embroiled in a legal dispute with the Creative Artists Agency (CAA) over his salary for the hit television show, “Empire.” The actor alleges that he was underpaid for his role in the series due to misleading information provided by his former agents at CAA.
According to Howard’s attorney, James Bryant, the actor is seeking $120 million in damages from CAA. The crux of Howard’s argument lies in a package deal that CAA had with Fox, the network that aired “Empire.” This deal allegedly resulted in Howard being paid significantly less than other actors in similar roles on different shows, such as “The Big Bang Theory,” which reportedly paid its cast between $2 million and $3 million per episode.
In a recent interview with Straight Talk, Howard revealed that he was paid $325,000 per episode for his role on “Empire,” despite the show having more viewers than “The Big Bang Theory.” Howard expressed his frustration with CAA, stating that he believes he was intentionally underpaid due to his race. He also claimed that when he approached CAA about his concerns, he was sent a check for $666 with no explanation, which he interpreted as a threat.
“$666 dollars exactly and not saying where it’s from so l was like oh y’all trying to threaten me. This is a threat right here, do y’all think I am scared? Do y’all think I’m going to be quiet about this? Because I wonder what you’re doing to every other black artist,” Howard said in the interview.
CAA has not publicly commented on Howard’s allegations, citing the ongoing legal nature of the dispute. However, the agency has a history of representing some of Hollywood’s biggest stars and has faced criticism in the past for its handling of client contracts.
The outcome of Howard’s lawsuit against CAA remains to be seen, but the case has shed light on the complexities of Hollywood contracts and the challenges faced by actors, particularly those from marginalized communities, in securing fair compensation for their work.
