Terry Alan Crews (born July 30, 1968) is an American actor, television host, and former professional
football
Football is a family of team sports that involve, to varying degrees, kick (football), kicking a football (ball), ball to score a goal (sports), goal. Unqualified, football (word), the word ''football'' generally means the form of football t ...
player. He played
Julius Rock in the
UPN/
CW sitcom ''
Everybody Hates Chris
''Everybody Hates Chris'' (stylized in all lowercase) is an American semi-autobiographical sitcom created by Chris Rock and Ali LeRoi that originally aired on UPN from 2005 to 2006, and then on The CW until 2009. The series is based loosely ...
'', which aired from 2005 to 2009, and portrayed
Terry Jeffords in the
Fox and
NBC
The National Broadcasting Company (NBC) is an American commercial broadcast television and radio network serving as the flagship property of the NBC Entertainment division of NBCUniversal, a subsidiary of Comcast. It is one of NBCUniversal's ...
sitcom ''
Brooklyn Nine-Nine
''Brooklyn Nine-Nine'' is an American police procedural sitcom television series that aired on Fox Broadcasting Company, Fox, and later on NBC, from September 17, 2013, to September 16, 2021, for eight seasons and 153 episodes. Created by Dan G ...
'' (2013–2021). Crews starred in the
BET reality series ''
The Family Crews'' (2010–2011), and hosted the U.S. version of the game show ''
Who Wants to Be a Millionaire
''Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?'' (WWTBAM) is an international television game show franchise of Who Wants to Be a Millionaire? (British game show), British origin, created by David Briggs, Mike Whitehill and Steven Knight. In its format, cu ...
'' from 2014 to 2015. He has appeared in films, including ''
Friday After Next'' (2002), ''
White Chicks
''White Chicks'' (stylized as ''WHiTE CHiCKS'') is a 2004 American buddy cop crime comedy film directed by Keenen Ivory Wayans from a screenplay co-written by Wayans, Xavier Cook, Andy McElfresh, Michael Anthony Snowden, with additional contrib ...
'' (2004), ''
Idiocracy'' (2006), ''
Blended'' (2014),
''The Expendables'' film series (2010–2014), and ''
Rumble'' (2021). Crews began hosting ''
America's Got Talent
''America's Got Talent'' (often abbreviated as ''AGT'') is an American talent show competition, and is part of the global ''Got Talent'' franchise created by Simon Cowell. The program is produced by Fremantle (as well as distributed by) and ...
'' in 2019, following his involvement in the same role for the program's spin-off series ''
America's Got Talent: The Champions''.
Crews played as a
defensive end
Defensive end (DE) is a defensive position in the sport of gridiron football.
This position has designated the players at each end of the defensive line, but changes in formation (American football), formations over the years have substantially ...
and
linebacker
Linebacker (LB) is a playing position in gridiron football. Linebackers are members of the defensive team, and typically line up three to five yards behind the line of scrimmage and so back up the defensive linemen. They play closer to the line ...
in the
National Football League
The National Football League (NFL) is a Professional gridiron football, professional American football league in the United States. Composed of 32 teams, it is divided equally between the American Football Conference (AFC) and the National ...
(NFL) for the
Los Angeles Rams
The Los Angeles Rams are a professional American football team based in the Greater Los Angeles, Greater Los Angeles area. The Rams compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC West, West ...
,
San Diego Chargers
The San Diego Chargers were a professional American football team in the National Football League (NFL). The Chargers played in San Diego, California from 1961 until 2016, before relocating back to the Greater Los Angeles area, where the franch ...
, and
Washington Redskins
The Washington Commanders are a professional American football team based in the Washington metropolitan area. The Commanders compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC East, East ...
, as well as in the
World League of American Football
NFL Europe League (simply called NFL Europe and known in its final season as NFL Europa) was a professional American football league that functioned as the List of developmental and minor sports leagues, developmental minor league of the Nati ...
(WLAF) for the
Rhein Fire Rhein Fire may refer to either of two American football franchises:
* Rhein Fire (NFL Europe)
The Rhein Fire were a professional football team in the NFL Europe, formerly the World League of American Football. Established in Düsseldorf, Germany ...
and
college football
College football is gridiron football that is played by teams of amateur Student athlete, student-athletes at universities and colleges. It was through collegiate competition that gridiron football American football in the United States, firs ...
at
Western Michigan University
Western Michigan University (Western Michigan, Western or WMU) is a Public university, public research university in Kalamazoo, Michigan, United States. It was initially established as Western State Normal School in 1903 by Governor Aaron T. B ...
.
A public advocate for
women's rights
Women's rights are the rights and Entitlement (fair division), entitlements claimed for women and girls worldwide. They formed the basis for the women's rights movement in the 19th century and the feminist movements during the 20th and 21st c ...
and activist against
sexism
Sexism is prejudice or discrimination based on one's sex or gender. Sexism can affect anyone, but primarily affects women and girls. It has been linked to gender roles and stereotypes, and may include the belief that one sex or gender is int ...
, Crews has shared stories of the abuse his family endured at the hands of his violent father, and was also included among the group of people named as
''Time'' Person of the Year in 2017 for going public with stories of sexual assault during the
MeToo movement
#MeToo is a social movement and Consciousness raising, awareness campaign against sexual abuse, sexual harassment and rape culture, in which women publicize their experiences of sexual abuse or sexual harassment. The phrase "Me Too" was init ...
.
Early life and education
Crews was born on July 30, 1968
in
Flint, Michigan
Flint is the largest city in Genesee County, Michigan, United States, and its county seat. Located along the Flint River (Michigan), Flint River northwest of Detroit, it is a principal city within the Central Michigan, Mid Michigan region. Flin ...
; he is the son of Patricia Ann (née Simpson) and Terry Crews.
[Stated on '']Finding Your Roots
''Finding Your Roots with Henry Louis Gates, Jr.'' is an American documentary television series hosted by Henry Louis Gates Jr. that premiered on March 25, 2012, on PBS. In each episode, celebrities are presented with a "book of life" that is com ...
'', February 8, 2022 The middle child of three,
he grew up in a strict Christian household in Flint and was raised mainly by his mother, who was 18 when he was born.
[ His father was an alcoholic and abusive to his mother.] Crews received a flute
The flute is a member of a family of musical instruments in the woodwind group. Like all woodwinds, flutes are aerophones, producing sound with a vibrating column of air. Flutes produce sound when the player's air flows across an opening. In th ...
from his great-aunt, and took lessons for eight years. He spent a summer at Interlochen Arts Academy and entered Western Michigan University
Western Michigan University (Western Michigan, Western or WMU) is a Public university, public research university in Kalamazoo, Michigan, United States. It was initially established as Western State Normal School in 1903 by Governor Aaron T. B ...
in Kalamazoo
Kalamazoo ( ) is a city in Kalamazoo County, Michigan, United States, and its county seat. At the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, Kalamazoo had a population of 73,598. It is the principal city of the Kalamazoo–Portage metropolitan are ...
on an art scholarship. After his freshman year, he tried out for the football team
A football team is a group of players selected to play together in the various team sports known as football. Such teams could be selected to play in a match against an opposing team, to represent a football club, group, state or nation, an All-st ...
and earned a full athletic scholarship.[
]
Football career
Crews was drafted by the Los Angeles Rams
The Los Angeles Rams are a professional American football team based in the Greater Los Angeles, Greater Los Angeles area. The Rams compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC West, West ...
in the 11th round of the 1991 NFL draft
The 1991 NFL draft was the procedure by which National Football League teams selected amateur college football players. It is officially known as the NFL Annual Player Selection Meeting. The draft was held April 21–22, 1991, at the Marriott Ma ...
. His career included stints with the Rams (six games), the Green Bay Packers
The Green Bay Packers are a professional American football team based in Green Bay, Wisconsin. The Packers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC North, North division. They ar ...
(no games), the San Diego Chargers
The San Diego Chargers were a professional American football team in the National Football League (NFL). The Chargers played in San Diego, California from 1961 until 2016, before relocating back to the Greater Los Angeles area, where the franch ...
(10 games), the Washington Redskins
The Washington Commanders are a professional American football team based in the Washington metropolitan area. The Commanders compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC East, East ...
(16 games), and the Philadelphia Eagles
The Philadelphia Eagles are a professional American football team based in Philadelphia. The Eagles compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC East, East division. The team plays its ...
(no games). He also played for the Rhein Fire Rhein Fire may refer to either of two American football franchises:
* Rhein Fire (NFL Europe)
The Rhein Fire were a professional football team in the NFL Europe, formerly the World League of American Football. Established in Düsseldorf, Germany ...
of the World League of American Football
NFL Europe League (simply called NFL Europe and known in its final season as NFL Europa) was a professional American football league that functioned as the List of developmental and minor sports leagues, developmental minor league of the Nati ...
(later NFL Europe
NFL Europe League (simply called NFL Europe and known in its final season as NFL Europa) was a professional American football league that functioned as the List of developmental and minor sports leagues, developmental minor league of the Nati ...
) during its 1995 season. Repeatedly cut from rosters, Crews often supplemented his football income by receiving portrait commissions from teammates.
Acting career
After retiring from the NFL in 1997, Crews moved to Los Angeles to pursue an acting career. He had a long-standing ambition to work in the film industry, but up until then had no plans to pursue acting, and simply wanting to be involved in some way. A year earlier, he co-wrote and co-produced the independent feature film ''Young Boys Incorporated''. A self-funded production filmed in Detroit
Detroit ( , ) is the List of municipalities in Michigan, most populous city in the U.S. state of Michigan. It is situated on the bank of the Detroit River across from Windsor, Ontario. It had a population of 639,111 at the 2020 United State ...
with an anti-drug message, the film drew on his own observations, as well as those of his friends and family. Despite describing it as a "horrible" film, he credits the experience with getting him interested in the film industry.
In 1999, Crews auditioned for a role as a character athlete (known as Warriors) in the syndicated game show '' Battle Dome'', which became his first acting part. He played T-Money for two seasons until its cancellation in 2001. The audition process and the opportunity to perform in front of an audience made him realize that he wanted to pursue acting as a career. However, he failed to land another acting job for the following two years.
Appearances in commercials for products such as Old Spice, films, and music videos soon followed. His breakout role came in '' Friday After Next'' starring rapper-turned-actor Ice Cube
O'Shea Jackson Sr. (born June 15, 1969), known professionally as Ice Cube, is an American rapper, songwriter, actor, and film producer. His lyrics on N.W.A's 1989 album '' Straight Outta Compton'' contributed to gangsta rap's widespread popu ...
, for whom Crews previously worked as on-set security. Having never taken acting classes, instead he asked himself what the audience wanted, and he believes this ultimately brought him success. He now believes acting is what he was born to do and would not wish to have any other career, despite the physically demanding nature of the work.
Based on his performance in ''White Chicks
''White Chicks'' (stylized as ''WHiTE CHiCKS'') is a 2004 American buddy cop crime comedy film directed by Keenen Ivory Wayans from a screenplay co-written by Wayans, Xavier Cook, Andy McElfresh, Michael Anthony Snowden, with additional contrib ...
'' (2004), Adam Sandler
Adam Richard Sandler (born September 9, 1966) is an American actor, comedian, producer and screenwriter. Primarily a comedic leading actor in films, List of awards and nominations received by Adam Sandler, his accolades include an Independent Sp ...
changed a role in '' The Longest Yard'' (2005) to give it to Crews, who auditioned for another role in the film. His role as Julius Rock, the father on the UPN/ CW sitcom ''Everybody Hates Chris
''Everybody Hates Chris'' (stylized in all lowercase) is an American semi-autobiographical sitcom created by Chris Rock and Ali LeRoi that originally aired on UPN from 2005 to 2006, and then on The CW until 2009. The series is based loosely ...
'', brought Crews wider public recognition, and the series aired for four seasons from 2005 to 2009. Since then, Crews has had main roles as husband and father Nick Kingston-Persons in the TBS sitcom '' Are We There Yet?'', which aired for three seasons from 2010, and as NYPD
The City of New York Police Department, also referred to as New York City Police Department (NYPD), is the primary law enforcement agency within New York City. Established on May 23, 1845, the NYPD is the largest, and one of the oldest, munic ...
Sergeant (and commencing in Season 7, Lieutenant) Terry Jeffords in the Fox/NBC ensemble sitcom ''Brooklyn Nine-Nine
''Brooklyn Nine-Nine'' is an American police procedural sitcom television series that aired on Fox Broadcasting Company, Fox, and later on NBC, from September 17, 2013, to September 16, 2021, for eight seasons and 153 episodes. Created by Dan G ...
'', which premiered in 2013.
Crews has appeared mainly in comedic roles, such as President Camacho in '' Idiocracy'', but he later found success in action roles beginning with his part as Hale Caesar in ''The Expendables'' series, which saw him make his first appearance in a film sequel. Although he has managed to sustain an athletic physique in his career as an actor, Crews has avoided being type-cast as a muscle-bound action hero and has attained critical success through exploiting the contrast of his elaborate character comedy with his physique, which extends to the point of even mocking the stereotype of the gym-obsessed bodybuilder. This contrast has also led to sustained work as part of various humorous Old Spice TV commercials.
He has lent his voice to animations such as ''American Dad!
''American Dad!'' is an American animated sitcom created by Seth MacFarlane, Mike Barker (producer), Mike Barker and Matt Weitzman for the Fox Broadcasting Company. The series premiered on February 6, 2005, following Super Bowl XXXIX, with the r ...
'' and '' Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs 2''. He found that he enjoyed the work and sought out more of it, finding satisfaction in how it carries his spirit into the animation. From 2010 to 2011, Crews starred in his own reality series on BET, '' The Family Crews''. It ran for two seasons. From 2014 to 2015, he hosted the syndicated game show ''Who Wants to Be a Millionaire
''Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?'' (WWTBAM) is an international television game show franchise of Who Wants to Be a Millionaire? (British game show), British origin, created by David Briggs, Mike Whitehill and Steven Knight. In its format, cu ...
''. He has also been the American host of Netflix
Netflix is an American subscription video on-demand over-the-top streaming service. The service primarily distributes original and acquired films and television shows from various genres, and it is available internationally in multiple lang ...
's '' Ultimate Beastmaster''.
For eight seasons he played Terry Jeffords on ''Brooklyn Nine-Nine''. In June 2020, Crews stated in an interview with '' Access Daily'' that four planned episodes for Season 8 had been aborted following the George Floyd protests
The George Floyd protests were a series of protests, riots, and demonstrations against police brutality that began in Minneapolis in the United States on May 26, 2020. The protests and civil unrest began in Minneapolis as Reactions to the mu ...
, as the murder of George Floyd
On May 25, 2020, George Floyd, a 46-year-old Black American man, was murdered in Minneapolis by Derek Chauvin, a 44-year-old White police officer. Floyd had been arrested after a store clerk reported that he made a purchase using a c ...
prompted the producers to reassess the direction of the season's storyline. The series was not renewed for a ninth season. In early 2021, Crews commented: "I'm sad it will end, but happy to have had the chance to be a part of something so special".
Crews cites the many similarities between acting and professional football, including the structure and expectations, as helping his transition between the two careers. He credits Reginald Hubbard with mentoring him in his early career in the film business.
In June 2017, he was cast in the science fiction
Science fiction (often shortened to sci-fi or abbreviated SF) is a genre of speculative fiction that deals with imaginative and futuristic concepts. These concepts may include information technology and robotics, biological manipulations, space ...
comedy film
The comedy film is a film genre that emphasizes humor. These films are designed to amuse audiences and make them laugh. Films in this genre typically have a happy ending, with dark comedy being an exception to this rule. Comedy is one of the o ...
'' Sorry to Bother You''. The film was released in theaters on July 6, 2018. Also in 2018, he appeared as Bedlam in the superhero film ''Deadpool 2
''Deadpool 2'' is a 2018 American superhero film based on the Marvel Comics character Deadpool. It is the sequel to ''Deadpool (film), Deadpool'' (2016) and the eleventh installment in the X-Men (film series), ''X-Men'' film series. The film wa ...
''. Crews made appearances in the music videos for "Pressure" and "Algorithm" by British rock band Muse
In ancient Greek religion and Greek mythology, mythology, the Muses (, ) were the Artistic inspiration, inspirational goddesses of literature, science, and the arts. They were considered the source of the knowledge embodied in the poetry, lyric p ...
.
Crews also starred in the video for Brittany Howard's 2019 song "Stay High" in which he lip-syncs the vocals.
Other ventures
Illustration and portraiture
Crews's first job in the arts was as a courtroom sketch artist in Flint, Michigan
Flint is the largest city in Genesee County, Michigan, United States, and its county seat. Located along the Flint River (Michigan), Flint River northwest of Detroit, it is a principal city within the Central Michigan, Mid Michigan region. Flin ...
. He received an art scholarship from college before an athletic scholarship. He later worked as courtroom sketch artist for WJRT. During his football career, Crews supplemented his income by creating portraits of fellow players. At times it was the primary income on which his family depended, typically bringing $5,000 for a two-month commission. His work included a series of NFL-licensed lithographs. He believes his imaginative side has transferred itself to his acting work.
Design
Crews and fashion designer Nana Boateng founded a design company called Amen & Amen. Their first collection was a set of furniture and light fixtures by the designer and artist Ini Archibong. In 2017 Crews designed a collection of furniture for Bernhardt Design which was shown at the International Contemporary Furniture Fair (ICFF) in New York.
Film production
In 2021, Crews announced that Amen & Amen had entered the film production sector as a "virtual production studio" based in Pasadena, California.
Writing
In 2021 Crews and his wife Rebecca King wrote a memoir titled ''Together: How Fame, Failure and Faith Transformed Our Lives.'' He has written several other books including ''Tough: My Journey to True Power.'' He has also written and illustrated children's books including Terry's Crew, and with Ken Harvey, ''Come Find Me,'' a story about the adventures of two brothers, Anthony and Marcus, who are based on Crews' sons.
Food manufacturing
Together with Unnar Helgi Danielsson, Dylan Sprouse and Hafþór Júlíus Björnsson, Crews is a co-founder and brand ambassador of Thor's Skyr, an American-made high-protein cultured dairy product based on a traditional Icelandic recipe, which is high in probiotics
Probiotics are live microorganisms that provide health benefits when consumed, generally by improving or restoring the microbiota in the Gut microbiota, gut. Probiotics are considered GRAS, generally safe to consume, but may cause bacteria– ...
and low in sugar.
Cryptocurrency
On March 10, 2021, Crews announced the Ethereum
Ethereum is a decentralized blockchain with smart contract functionality. Ether (abbreviation: ETH) is the native cryptocurrency of the platform. Among cryptocurrencies, ether is second only to bitcoin in market capitalization. It is open-s ...
-based cryptocurrency $POWER.
Personal life
Crews is a devout Christian. He met Rebecca King when he was a college sophomore; she was the music minister at a local church.[ They married on July 29, 1989. They have four daughters and a son, Isaiah Crews, also an actor, and one grandchild.][
In 2014, Crews released his autobiography, ''Manhood: How to Be a Better Man or Just Live with One''. In the book, Crews detailed his long-standing pornography addiction, which had seriously affected his marriage and his life, but which he overcame around 2009 and 2010 after entering rehabilitation. Since then he has taken an active role in speaking out about the condition and its impact, including posting on Facebook in his Dirty Little Secret Series.
Crews is very keen on ]personal development
Personal development or self-improvement consists of activities that develops a person's capabilities and potential, enhance quality of life, and facilitate the realization of dreams and aspirations. Personal development may take place over the ...
and his favorite book is ''The Master Key System
''The Master Key System'' is a personal development book by Charles F. Haanel that was originally published as a 24-week Distance education, correspondence course in 1912, and then in book form in 1916. The ideas it describes and explains come ...
'' by Charles F. Haanel: "I have read hundreds of personal development books, but this is the one that clearly showed me how to visualize, contemplate, and focus on what I truly wanted. It revealed to me that we only get what we desire most, and to apply myself with a laserlike focus upon a goal, task or project. That in order to 'have', you must 'do', and in order to 'do', you must 'be' – and this process is immediate. ..I also reread it probably once a month to keep my vision clear".
On an interview with Rotten Tomatoes
Rotten Tomatoes is an American review aggregator, review-aggregation website for film and television. The company was launched in August 1998 by three undergraduate students at the University of California, Berkeley: Senh Duong, Patrick Y. Lee ...
in 2020, Crews listed his five favorite films as '' Do the Right Thing'', ''Star Wars
''Star Wars'' is an American epic film, epic space opera media franchise created by George Lucas, which began with the Star Wars (film), eponymous 1977 film and Cultural impact of Star Wars, quickly became a worldwide popular culture, pop cu ...
'', '' Aliens'', ''Training Day
''Training Day'' is a 2001 American crime thriller film directed by Antoine Fuqua and written by David Ayer. It stars Denzel Washington as Alonzo Harris and Ethan Hawke as Jake Hoyt, two LAPD narcotics officers followed over a 24-hour period ...
'' and ''Pulp Fiction
''Pulp Fiction'' is a 1994 American independent crime film written and directed by Quentin Tarantino from a story he conceived with Roger Avary.See, e.g., King (2002), pp. 185–7; ; It tells four intertwining tales of crime and violence ...
''.
Sexual assault of Crews
On October 10, 2017, in the wake of numerous Hollywood actresses going public with their stories of sexual harassment and assault by film producer Harvey Weinstein
Harvey Weinstein (, ; born March 19, 1952) is an American film producer and convicted sex offender. In 1979, Weinstein and his brother, Bob Weinstein, co-founded the entertainment company Miramax, which produced several successful independent ...
, Crews revealed that a male Hollywood executive groped him at a party in 2016, but he did not report the incident for fear of retaliation. It was later revealed that the "high-level executive" was Adam Venit, head of the motion picture department of the talent company William Morris Endeavor
Endeavor Group Holdings, Inc. (formerly William Morris Endeavor and WME-IMG) is an American holding company for talent and media agencies with its primary offices in Beverly Hills, California. The company was founded in April 2009 after the me ...
(WME).
For his part in coming forward with the sexual assault allegations, Crews was named as one of the " Silence Breakers" from the ''Time'' Person of the Year award in 2017. WME reportedly concluded from an investigation that the incident was isolated. Venit was demoted and returned to work after a one-month suspension. In response, Crews stated, "Someone got a pass". Crews filed a lawsuit against Venit and WME for sexual assault. Some witnesses stated that Venit had gotten intoxicated, dismissed the groping as " horseplay", and apologized to Crews the next day. WME responded to the lawsuit, arguing that their reaction to Crews' claims was "both swift and serious". In March 2018, prosecutors decided not to file any charges against Venit. The city attorney's office announced that the statute of limitations
A statute of limitations, known in civil law systems as a prescriptive period, is a law passed by a legislative body to set the maximum time after an event within which legal proceedings may be initiated. ("Time for commencing proceedings") In ...
to prosecute Venit had expired, as the alleged incident was in February 2016 and Crews did not report it until November 2017.
After Crews said that producer Avi Lerner
Avinoam Lerner (; born October 13, 1947) is an Israeli-American film producer, primarily of American action movies. Lerner is the founder and CEO of Millennium Films.
Life and career
Avi Lerner was born in Haifa, Mandatory Palestine, on Octob ...
attempted to silence him on the assault in order to retain his role in ''The Expendables'' film series, Crews vowed not to appear in any further installments of the franchise.
Filmography
References
External links
BET Shows – ''The Family Crews'' website
*
*
Stats Crew profile
{{DEFAULTSORT:Crews, Terry
1968 births
20th-century American male actors
21st-century American comedians
21st-century American male actors
21st-century American male artists
Actors from Flint, Michigan
African-American Christians
African-American artists
African-American bodybuilders
African-American game show hosts
21st-century African-American male actors
American male bodybuilders
American football defensive ends
American football linebackers
American game show hosts
American male comedians
American male film actors
American male television actors
American male voice actors
Comedians from Michigan
Courtroom sketch artists
Living people
Los Angeles Rams players
Male actors from Michigan
Participants in American reality television series
Philadelphia Eagles players
Players of American football from Flint, Michigan
Rhein Fire players
San Diego Chargers players
Washington Redskins players
Western Michigan Broncos football players
20th-century African-American male actors