Terrence Dashon Howard found out what being a movie star is really like by watching Halle Berry, his co-star in the recently aired TV movie “Their Eyes Were Watching God.”
“It’s amazing what Halle has to put up with,” Howard says.
“She would act all day, then at night she’d do TV or a promotion. Everyone wants a piece of you.” It’s a life Howard and the other up-and-coming stars on this page can expect to lead before too long.
After years of semi-stardom, all of these actors have been plucked out of the pack by Hollywood’s star-makers and put on the road to Halle Berry-land. You might not know their names now, but after this summer, you will.
TERRENCE DASHON HOWARD, 36
“Hustle and Flow” (July 15)
Soon after filming “Eyes” with Berry, the longtime journeyman actor went into production on a little indie film called “Hustle and Flow,” the movie that will make him famous.
When “Hustle” premiered at Sundance in January, it caused a sensation bigger than the festival has seen in years.
Hollywood big shots called in favors to get tickets to the movie’s sought-after screenings, and after a furious bidding process, “Hustle” sold for a Sundance record of $9 million. Even more than the movie itself (which actually had some detractors), people were talking about Howard, who stars as a Memphis pimp who wants to be a rapper. “It was like being in a dream,” says the Philadelphia actor.
And he hasn’t woken up yet.
RACHEL MCADAMS, 28
“The Wedding Crashers” (July 15)
As a blonde, she switched bodies with Rob Schneider in 2002’s “The Hot Chick” and as a redhead, she played a love-lorn debutante in last summer’s tear jerker “The Notebook.”
Now Rachel McAdams has gone brunette to play Owen Wilson’s love interest in this summer’s goofy comedy “The Wedding Crashers,” about a pair of cads (Wilson and Vince Vaughn) who go to weddings to pick up chicks. That’s range – and we don’t just mean the hair.
MARTIN FREEMAN, 33
“The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy” (April 29)
This understated British comedian already has a cult following in the U.S. thanks to his turn as lovable Tim in “The Office” (the BBC version, not NBC’s).
Now Freeman gets his first starring role, as the hapless Earthling Arthur Dent in the long-awaited adaptation of Douglas Adams’ loony sci-fi favorite. Dent isn’t anything like Tim, says Freeman, a self-described homebody who lives in London with his actress girlfriend.
“I do play both of them,” he adds. “So I guess you could say they have similar size feet.”
CHRIS EVANS, 23
“Fantastic Four” (July 8)
After “Fantastic Four” hits the big screen this summer, wannabe actors everywhere will be applying for internships.
They’ll want to be like this Massachusetts-born up-and-comer, who broke into showbiz a few years ago as a summer intern in a New York casting director’s office.
Evans’ job was the perfect position for networking, and before long he was doing movies such as “Not Another Teen Movie.”
His career is on fire now, which makes him perfect for “Fantastic Four,” in which he stars opposite Jessica Alba and Michael Chiklis as The Human Torch.
EVA GREEN, 24
“Kingdom of Heaven” (May 6)
In 2003’s “The Dreamers,” French actress Eva Green had a part that was scorching in more ways than one. Green was nude through much of the sexy Bernardo Bertolucci art film.
Almost immediately after “Dreamers” came out, Green was cast in her first mainstream blockbuster, opposite Orlando Bloom in Ridley Scott’s Crusades-era epic drama “Kingdom of Heaven.”
Green’s big break came so fast, she barely had time to prepare.
“I was hired a week before shooting,” she says. “It was a bit mad. But I made it through thanks to my voice coach, who trained me in English pronunciation – which is very hard, by the way.”
THE BIG NAMES OF SUMMER
“Kicking and Screaming ” ((May 13) with Will Ferrell
“Star Wars:Episode III – Revenge of the Sith ” ((May 19) with Hayden Christensen,Natalie Portman
“The Longest Yard ” ((May 27) with Adam Sandler,Chris Rock
“Madagascar ” ((May 27),animated movie with the voice of Ben Stiller
“Cinderella Man ” ((June 3) with Russell Crowe,Renée Zellweger
“Mr.and Mrs.Smith ” ((June 10) with Brad Pitt,Angelina Jolie
“Batman Begins ” ((June 17) with Christian Bale
“Bewitched ” ((June 24) with Nicole Kidman
“War of the Worlds ” ((June 29) with Tom Cruise
“Charlie and the Chocolate Factory ” ((July 15)with Johnny Depp
“The Island ” ((July 22) with Ewan McGregor,Scarlett Johansson
“The Dukes of Hazzard ” ((Aug.5) with Jessica Simpson
