Millions of youth fell in love with him as co-host of BET’s hit video show 106 & Park, then as the “mama’s boy” in the recent blockbuster Think Like a Man. And one can’t forget his feature appearances in other films and TV shows including Burlesque, The Game, and hit film franchise Stomp the Yard.
Terrence J (né Terrence Jenkins) took a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to host BET’s highest-rated music show (of all time) and turned it into film roles and international opportunities. His latest included an unforgettable experience working with powerhouse actors and musicians including Jordin Sparks, Tika Sumpter, Mike Epps, Cee Lo Green, and Whitney Houston on the set of Sparkle, a remake of the 1976 cult classic. BlackEnterprise.com caught up with the in-demand young boss to talk Hollywood wins, Whitney Houston memories and his vision for success.
BlackEnterprise.com: You’ve been featured in several films, and you’re gearing up for the Aug. 17 release of Sparkle. How did you go about making the transition from TV host to actor?
Terrence J: What I always tell people is you have to have your vision. From day one, acting has always been a vision and a dream of mine. Then, it’s all about executing. I followed the careers of people like Will Smith, Jamie Foxx and Martin Lawrence. At the time when they came out, they had sitcoms that launched them into the film world. Well, for me, when I came out of college, there weren’t many sitcoms.
[BET’s] 106 & Park was a great avenue for me to build a TV fan base, my social media fan base and for me to go to acting classes and take the time to invest in my craft. From there, it’s a matter of auditioning and putting yourself in front of directors and producers who will give you the opportunities. Â Once you get on set, it’s all about showing and proving. With the acting space, it’s just like being in business for yourself. You have to have a business plan and you have to execute it.
A lot of Hollywood success includes an aspect of building relationships, getting exposure and building a network. Talk about the importance of that and how you were able to do it.
Building relationships takes time. It takes being consistent, being persistent, and it takes really opening yourself up. When I’d meet a director or a producer , I get their information. Make sure that over holidays, you put yourself in contact with them. When you see that their company or they have a film that did well, you stay in touch and acknowledge their successes. Once you build those relationships yourself, it just opens up a lot of doors. It kinda cuts out the middle man in a lot of circumstances and you’re able to get to the people who really make the decisions.
Now, with Sparkle coming up, what did you learn from working alongside an all-star cast for such an amazing classic?
Sparkle was amazing. I got to work with incredible people like Jordin Sparks, Ceelo Green, Derek Luke and  the whole cast. It was a lot of fun and a great atmosphere. From Derek, I just watch his technique. He’s very good at getting into the right light and positioning himself. He’s really good at bringing life to the words written in the script. Jordin just has that raw charisma, and she just went in there
and killed it. What I learned from Mike Epps is the versatility. He really takes a darker role in this film, and just watching how he flips from being funny into this darker place was really inspiring. I really learned something from everyone on the set.Sparkle is one of the last recorded memories we all have of Whitney Houston. Talk about  your best memory of her on the set.
She was just striking, super beautiful , and very tall. I don’t think it really portrays on TV how tall she is — she’s regally model height. When I bumped into her, I just really wanted to take a photo, and I ended up not taking it because I just didn’t want to take it on set. My biggest lesson from that is, when you meet someone you appreciate and admire, you should never take the moment for granted. Whitney is an icon and she’ll be missed, and I’ll hold on to [memories of] my couple moments on set with her very dearly.
You started in radio, and you even had a show with Khloe Kardashia and was featured on their show. Do you plan to get back into radio?
I like to be versatile. I don’t like to put myself in a box. I plan to do more films, I might do more TV, I might get back into radio. I love to have creative flexibility. I love all of the different outlets and what they have to offer so I never put myself in one particular box.
Let’s switch gears and talk business and finances. When you got that first big check, what are some the things you did— the dos and don’ts— with handling finances.
Be as responsible as possible. With finances it takes time. You’re going to have a learning curve. I tried to be responsible and I bought a house, but when the market crashed, it ended up not being such a great investment. So, I say, just be as financially responsible as possible. Read as much and meet with as many financial advisers so you can have the greatness understanding as you possibly can when it comes to going into financial success. It takes time. I’ve been in position of profit in past seven years, and I still learn something new every day. You learn from your mistakes.