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‘Empire’ star Terrence Howard quitting his day job? ‘I’m done with acting,’ he says

Actor Terrence Howard
“Empire” star Terrence Howard appears to be ready to retire from acting.
(Kirk McKoy / Los Angeles Times)
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“Empire” star Terrence Howard may be quitting his day job.

The Oscar-nominated actor recently told “Extra” that once he wraps the Fox drama, he’s finished with acting.

“Oh, I’m done with acting. I’m done pretending,” he told the entertainment news show.

When asked whether he would then focus on his philanthropic efforts, Howard said he wouldn’t, adding, “I’m just focusing on bringing truth to the world.”

He did not elaborate further, and his representatives did not immediately respond to The Times’ request for comment Thursday.

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Howard generally doesn’t shy away from speaking his mind, as seen in a bombshell 2015 Rolling Stone interview.

Still, it’s worth noting that he currently has other acting projects in the works: The heist movie “Cut Throat City” is in post-production, according to IMDb, while the action comedy “Selfie” is still filming.

If his statements are for real, he’d be closing the door on a career that launched in the early 1990s.

Howard got his start appearing on ABC’s daytime soap “All My Children,” and he famously played Jackie Jackson in the 1992 miniseries “The Jacksons: An American Dream.” Later, he clinched roles on the sitcoms “Tall Hopes,” “Living Single,” “Coach,” “Family Matters” and “Sparks.”

Howard earned Golden Globe and Oscar nods in 2006 for his film work in Craig Brewer’s music drama “Hustle & Flow,” and he has had parts in “Big Momma’s House,” “Soul Food,” “Crash,” “Iron Man” and “Lee Daniels’ The Butler.”

He has played slick patriarch Lucious Lyon for six seasons on “Empire” since its hit debut in 2015. Fox announced in May that the show would be ending on the heels of star Jussie Smollett’s hate-crime scandal, during which Howard had stood by his fellow actor. On “Empire,” Smollett played Jamal Lyon, Lucious’ beleaguered son.

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