Terry Crews Understood The Assignment When It Came To Low To No Paying Roles

Terry Crews isn't ashamed of his early roles where he received low to no pay since he agreed to the projects.

Terry Crews isn’t ashamed of his early roles where he received low to no pay since he agreed to the projects.

The “America’s Got Talent” host recently appeared on “Club Shay Shay” where he revealed the free work he did in 2001’s “Training Day” and the $4,000 payout he received for 2002’s “Friday After Next.” For Crews, the pay might’ve been “nothing” for some roles, but it never changed his love for a project he signed on for.

“I have never ever, ever looked at whatever money I got as a horror story,” Crews said. “If I did it, I loved it. This keeps my heart always full of gratitude.”

He acknowledged how his roles in “Training Day” and “Next Friday” helped to put his acting career on the map.

“I didn’t get zero [for Training Day], but it changed my life forever,” Crews said. “You wouldn’t know who I was if it weren’t for a no-paying job.”

He recalls thanking Ice Cube for the opportunity after wrapping “Friday After Next,” knowing the role would help catapult his career.

“I got my shot,” Crews said. “That was the start. Now, I make money.”

Considering his NFL background that paid him $150 a week, Crews likened a start in Hollywood to that of a professional athlete who might sign on to a team for free or little pay.

“Name somebody who played football for money when they started. When they start, they get no money. They play football for free. They play basketball for free,” he explained.

“Then, you get all the way to the pros, and you get the millions. There’s no other way. There’s no way to hop, skip and jump this thing.”

Crews’ NFL background includes playing as a defensive end and linebacker for the Los Angeles Rams, San Diego Chargers, and Washington Redskins. He played college football at Western Michigan University and played in the World League of American Football (WLAF) for the Rhein Fire.

The “White Chicks” star moved to Los Angeles to pursue acting after retiring from the NFL in 1997. He landed his first acting role playing the warrior “T-Money” in the syndicated game show “Battle Dome” from 1999 until its cancellation in 2001.

After that came “Training Day,” “Friday After Next,” and “White Chicks” in 2004. Crews is now a household name serving as host on NBC’s “America’s Got Talent.”