Terrence Howard Says Robert Downey Jr. Not Helping Him After Iron Man Recast 'Broke Him'

Terrence Howard talked about his relationship with Robert Downey Jr. after he wasn't cast in Iron Man 2.

Howard, who is 55 years old, played James Rhodes next to Robert Downey Jr.'s Tony Stark in the 2008 action movie. 

But he didn't get the role in the second Iron Man movie. He has now shared how this affected his friendship with Downey Jr. at that time. 

"We did a three-picture deal with Marvel," he said. 

Robert Downey Jr. and Terrence Howard in the first Iron Man Paramount Pictures

"A three-picture deal. $4.5 million to $5 million for the first one, $7.5-8 million for the second one, $12 million for the third. We signed it."

Howard says Marvel came back to him the same week his mother died and told his agent: 

"We want Terrence, but we want him to come back for a million dollars instead of the eight million that we had agreed to."

Also, his agent got very upset about the business decision, swore at the Marvel representative, and hung up the phone. After that, Marvel chose Don Cheadle for the role.

"But instead, they had to say, 'Oh, he was terrible on set and all of these things,'" Howard claims.

He then decided to call Robert Downey Jr.

He explains: "I'm calling him because when I was doing The Brave One (2007) with Jodie Foster, Susan Downey was a producer with Joe Silver.

"She came over to my trailer and said, 'Wow, it's so amazing, congratulations on [the first] Iron Man, it's the first time they've hired the second lead before they've hired the first."

Howard didn't return to Iron Man 2 Paramount Pictures

She supposedly said that Downey Jr. 'really wanted to go in, but they [wouldn't] see him.' 

So, Howard, who said he 'loved' Downey Jr., called the producer of the film and supposedly convinced them to let Downey Jr. audition.

"I said instead of the four-and-a-half you want to give me, why don't you take a million dollars for the bond for him if he gets it and let him audition," he claimed.

Downey Jr. ultimately got the part, and Howard remembers him saying he 'oved him and thanked him.

"Well, when this other thing happened, I'm calling Robert and he's doing Sherlock Holmes. I called him 27 times and I leave a message.

"I'm calling his assistant, I'm like, I need the help I gave you. I didn't hear from him until three years later. 

"I bumped into him at Brian Grazer's wedding. And at that time I'd had Empire and he was like, 'Oh, everything worked out for you."

"That broke me a little bit. But I know how hard Robert had it coming out of that jail and so if I had to sacrifice myself in order for that."

Howard later quoted his wife, saying his acting career would be 'just a footnote' in his life.

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It doesn't sound like he holds any hard feelings towards Downey Jr.

In 2010, he also praised Downey Jr. to E! Online and said Don Cheadle, who took over the role of Rhodes, 'wanted to play that part before [he] did so everything is very well.

However, in a 2015 interview with Hollywood.com, he said the 'worst thing' he 'witnessed was Iron Man killing [his] career.'

However, he added to Desde Hollywood: "I love the fact that Iron Man put me on a world stage and tested my strength of character.

"I chose not to fight back, not to deal with the allegations, but to continue forward and do what I had to do. I had to start all over: went from making $6 million a movie, back to $60 thousand a movie.

"But as long as you don't give up you are able ... I'll make $20 million soon. Because I have learned the lessons of yesterday."