“Never stop being you. I am out to be the best me I can be. Do what you love and you will be badass.”
Currently starring on Brooklyn Nine Nine, former NFL linebacker Terry Crews is a one man wrecking ball, infusing each of his roles with his seemingly boundless energy.
Here are a few things you might not have known about the fairy of body soap: Terry Crews.
Terry Crews facts
Terry Crews Facts
1. Water Woes
Terry grew up in Flint, Michigan, and based on his impressive physique, people have probably been saying “What did they put in that water?!” for a lot longer than we think.
2. Cross Fit
Having grown up in a strict Christian household, Terry is still very religious, and not just about working out. Although clearly, he was inspired by Jesus’ abs.
Gage Skidmore, CC BY-SA 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
3. Oh Happy Day
In keeping with the religious theme, Terry’s wife, Rebecca, is a gospel singer.
4. Cartistry
After graduating from high school, Terry received a Chrysler-sponsored scholarship to attend the Interlochen Center for the Arts in Michigan, a prestigious art school which boasts famous alumni such as Norah Jones, Dermot Mulroney, and Felicity Huffman, who, unlike Terry, would all get creamed by an NFL offensive lineman.
5. Arts and Smash
After that, he received an Art Excellence scholarship and a full-ride athletic scholarship to Western Michigan where he played for the Broncos, earning All-Conference honors and helping them win a championship because Terry is just as good at hitting people as he is at painting. And he’s damn good at painting.
Anthony Citrano, CC BY 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
6. It Feels Drafty in Here
Terry was drafted in 1991 by the Los Angeles Rams in the 11th round, which just goes to show you that the NFL Draft is way too long.
7. Starving Artist
Terry used to do sketches (drawings) to supplement his NFL income, earning $5,000 for a two month commission. He used this to feed his family who, if they’re anywhere near as large as him, would have required an immense food budget.
Featureflash Photo Agency, Shutterstock
8. A Tale of Two Terries
Terry’s first job in entertainment was drawing courtroom sketches for the worst murder case in Flint, Michigan history. Coincidentally, the murderer’s name was also Terry. Murderer Terry killed six people. But Awesome Terry killed those sketches.
Frederick M. Brown, Getty Images
9. Bringing the T-Pain
Terry’s first real acting gig was on the show Battle Dome, an American television series that combined American Gladiators with professional wrestling. Terry’s character, “T-Money,” was smug, arrogant, had a dollar sign chain around his neck, and hated to lose. Essentially, he was a caricature of a gangsta rapper on steroids. Awesome.
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10. And I Will Always Love You
Terry’s breakout role was in Friday After Next starring Ice Cube who he previously worked for as an on-set bodyguard. No word on whether or not Terry and Cube developed a romantic relationship like Kevin Costner and Whitney Houston, but we can imagine it.
New Line Cinema, Friday After Next (2002)
11. Enter Sandman
Terry has had a long and fruitful relationship with Adam Sandler. After appearing in The Longest Yard, Terry went on to appear in other Sandler movies including The Benchwarmers, Click, Blended, and The Ridiculous 6. Since nobody can stop Sandler from making movies, at least Terry’s getting some work out of it.
Alberto E. Rodriguez, Getty Images
12. Father Figure
Terry met Chris Rock on the set of The Longest Yard which led to him getting the role of Julius, the father to Chris on Everybody Hates Chris. This is the role that first earned him widespread recognition. So not everybody hates Chris.
Paramount, Everybody Hates Chris (2005-2009)
13. It’s Only Smells
Of course, if you’d never seen Everybody Hates Chris, you might recognize Terry as the guy from the Old Spice commercials, doing ads for their sprays, shaving lotion, and deodorant. Terry, of course, doesn’t require deodorant as his natural scent is a combination of angry bear and cinnamon. It’s delightful.
14. Just Do It
In addition to hawking deodorant, Terry did commercials for Nike because if you want to sell athletic gear to athletic people it helps to have a guy who has cantaloupes for biceps.
15. Typecast
Terry has been in several music videos, including Blink-182’s “Down,” Bizarre’s “Rockstar,” and Kendrick Lamar’s “These Walls,” playing a giant beefcake in all of them.
16. Acting for Dummies
Terry never took any acting classes, and instead would ask himself what the audience wanted. He believes this is what ultimately brought him success, that acting is what he was born to do, and he wouldn’t want to do anything else despite the physically demanding nature of the work. Acting is more physically demanding than being an NFL linebacker. Who knew?
17. Keeping it Real
Terry had his own reality show on BET titled The Family Crews which showcased his everyday life, giving viewers good insight into an incredible human who made the inadvisable choice to have five kids and then raise them in Hollywood.
18. FailArmy
Terry competed on the reality competition show Stars Earn Stripes where celebrities did military training exercises to earn money for their charities. He was eliminated after almost drowning during an amphibious assault mission and losing in a shooting challenge to former boy-band singer Nick Lachey. T-Money would have been furious.
19. Misleading Title
Terry hosted an unscripted, family-friendly, and, according to IMDb reviews, unfunny show called World’s Funniest which featured “hysterical” and “epic” fails on YouTube. A panel of comics and celebrities analyzed the latest videos and would determine the “Fail of the Week.” It hasn’t been officially cancelled yet, but Fox has not ordered a third season. So… success?
Gage Skidmore, CC BY-SA 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
20. Big Shoes to Philbin
Terry also hosted Who Wants to Be a Millionaire for a season likely making more for his work than any of the contestants. Because while a lot of people want to be a millionaire, not everybody can be one.
21. Beat Boxer
Terry once defeated Mike Tyson. In a lip-sync battle. By singing Vanessa Carlton’s “A Thousand Miles.”
22. Big Voice
Terry has put his recognizable voice to use in such works as Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs 2, Veggie Tales: Celery Night Fever, and Ultimate Spider-Man. But even as a disembodied voice, he’s massive.
23. Book It!
Terry put pen to paper and wrote a book entitled Manhood about how to be a loving husband, a better father, and a great man. It’s a good book, but we like it mainly because we get to say we bought Terry Crews’ Manhood.
David Livingston, Getty Images
24. Girl Power
Terry is a self-avowed feminist, championing women’s causes and trying to push awareness of the need for gender equality.
Defense Visual Information Distribution Service, Picryl
25. Everything in Moderation
In the book, Terry publicly revealed that he had gone to rehab for a crippling addiction to porn. The addiction began when he was 12 years old. In 1980. Before the Internet. Which means it must have been really bad.
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