Terrence Jenkins (born April 21, 1982) is an American actor, television presenter, model and
entertainment reporter Entertainment journalism is any form of journalism that focuses on popular culture and the entertainment business and its products. Like fashion journalism, entertainment journalism covers industry-specific news while targeting general audiences bey ...
best known as the host of
BET
Black Entertainment Television (acronym BET) is an American basic cable channel targeting African-American audiences. It is owned by the CBS Entertainment Group unit of Paramount Global via BET Networks and has offices in New York City, Los A ...
's popular music video countdown show ''
106 & Park
''106 & Park'' is an American hip hop and R&B music video show, set up in a countdown format, that was broadcast on weekdays at 6:00 pm ET/5:00 pm CT on BET; it aired on a one-day delay on BET International. It was the network's highest- rated ...
'' from 2006 until 2012.
[MacCash, Doug. "Back in town: Rocsi Diaz comes home to tape her hit BET show '106 & Park'", '']The Times-Picayune
''The Times-Picayune/The New Orleans Advocate'' is an American newspaper published in New Orleans, Louisiana, since January 25, 1837. The current publication is the result of the 2019 acquisition of ''The Times-Picayune'' (itself a result of th ...
'', 2007-07-06, p. 12. He was the co-anchor of ''
E! News
''E! News'', previously known as ''E! News Daily'' and ''E! News Live'', is the entertainment news operation for the cable network E! in the United States. Its former on-air weekday newscast debuted on September 1, 1991, and primarily reports ...
'' from 2012 until 2015.
Early life
Jenkins was born in
Queens, New York
Queens is a borough of New York City, coextensive with Queens County, in the U.S. state of New York. Located on Long Island, it is the largest New York City borough by area. It is bordered by the borough of Brooklyn at the western tip of Long I ...
, and grew up mostly in
Rocky Mount, North Carolina
Rocky Mount is a city in Edgecombe County, North Carolina, Edgecombe and Nash County, North Carolina, Nash counties in the U.S. state of North Carolina. The city's population was 54,341 as of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, making it ...
.
[Decwikiel-Kane, Dawn. "A&T grad chases his dreams, is TV host", '']Greensboro News & Record
The ''News & Record'' is an American, English language newspaper with the largest circulation serving Guilford County, North Carolina, and the surrounding region. It is based in Greensboro, North Carolina, and produces local sections for Greensbo ...
'', 2006-10-20, p. D1. He attended
Northern Nash High in Rocky Mount. During this time, Jenkins worked at
WRSV
WRSV (92.1 MHz) is a commercial FM radio station licensed to Elm City, North Carolina. It is owned by Northstar Broadcasting and airs an Mainstream urban radio format. WRSV uses the branding "Choice FM" and carries the nationally syndicated '' ...
Soul 92.1 as a DJ until he graduated from high school. He spent his college years at
North Carolina A&T State University
North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University (also known as North Carolina A&T State University, North Carolina A&T, N.C. A&T, or simply A&T) is a public, historically black land-grant research university in Greensboro, North Caro ...
;
[Coleman, Chrisena. "The Hottest 'Nerd' on TV: Star from Queens Seen by Millions Around the World", '']New York Daily News
The New York ''Daily News'', officially titled the ''Daily News'', is an American newspaper based in Jersey City, NJ. It was founded in 1919 by Joseph Medill Patterson as the ''Illustrated Daily News''. It was the first U.S. daily printed in ta ...
'', 2008-04-15. he also lived in
Greensboro
Greensboro (; formerly Greensborough) is a city in and the county seat of Guilford County, North Carolina, United States. It is the List of municipalities in North Carolina, third-most populous city in North Carolina after Charlotte, North Car ...
. During his time at North Carolina A&T State University, he served as Student Government Association President and as a DJ for North Carolina A&T's radio station
WNAA
WNAA (90.1 FM broadcasting, FM) is a radio station broadcasting a Variety (radio), Variety format. Licensed to Greensboro, North Carolina, United States, the station serves the Piedmont Triad area. The station is currently owned by North Carolina ...
. He also worked as a DJ at local radio station
102 Jamz in Greensboro.
Jenkins is a member of
Omega Psi Phi
Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, Inc. () is a historically African-American fraternity. The fraternity was founded on November 17, 1911, by three Howard University juniors Edgar Amos Love, Oscar James Cooper and Frank Coleman, and their faculty advi ...
fraternity where he later was initiated in spring 2004 to the Mu Psi chapter at
North Carolina A&T State University
North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University (also known as North Carolina A&T State University, North Carolina A&T, N.C. A&T, or simply A&T) is a public, historically black land-grant research university in Greensboro, North Caro ...
. After graduating from
North Carolina A&T State University
North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University (also known as North Carolina A&T State University, North Carolina A&T, N.C. A&T, or simply A&T) is a public, historically black land-grant research university in Greensboro, North Caro ...
in 2004 with a degree in
mass communication
Mass communication is the process of imparting and exchanging information through mass media to large segments of the population. It is usually understood for relating to various forms of media, as its technologies are used for the dissemination o ...
,
Jenkins worked in the diversity office of Nascar in
Daytona Beach, Florida
Daytona Beach, or simply Daytona, is a coastal Resort town, resort-city in east-central Florida. Located on the eastern edge of Volusia County, Florida, Volusia County near the East Coast of the United States, Atlantic coastline, its population ...
.
Career
Jenkins and
Rocsi became the hosts of
BET
Black Entertainment Television (acronym BET) is an American basic cable channel targeting African-American audiences. It is owned by the CBS Entertainment Group unit of Paramount Global via BET Networks and has offices in New York City, Los A ...
's hip hop/R&B music video television program ''
106 & Park
''106 & Park'' is an American hip hop and R&B music video show, set up in a countdown format, that was broadcast on weekdays at 6:00 pm ET/5:00 pm CT on BET; it aired on a one-day delay on BET International. It was the network's highest- rated ...
'' after winning the BET New Faces Contest on July 6, 2006.
Since its inception, it had been the network's number-one
rated show. After hosting the show for six years, Rocsi and Jenkins announced they would be leaving ''106 & Park'' in 2012. His last show was broadcast on September 28, 2012, but returned on December 19, 2014 with the finale special, titled "The Final Act" alongside former and current hosts such as A.J. Calloway and Bow Wow.
He also co-hosted BET’s nationally syndicated radio show ''106 & Park Weekend Countdown''.
He appeared in two films: ''
The Heart Specialist
''The Heart Specialist'' is a 2006 American romantic comedy-drama film written, produced and directed by Dennis Cooper, and starring Wood Harris, Zoe Saldana, Brian J. White and Mýa. Originally released under the title ''Ways of the Flesh'', th ...
'' (2006) and ''
Stomp the Yard: Homecoming'' (2010). In 2008, he made a cameo appearance in British R&B singer
Estelle's music video for her single with
Kanye West
Ye ( ; born Kanye Omari West ; June 8, 1977) is an American rapper, singer, songwriter, record producer, and fashion designer.
Born in Atlanta and raised in Chicago, West gained recognition as a producer for Roc-A-Fella Records in the ea ...
, titled "
American Boy
"American Boy” is a song by British singer and rapper Estelle featuring American rapper Kanye West from the former's second studio album '' Shine'' (2008). The song was written by the artists, alongside Ethan Hendrickson, will.i.am, John Le ...
". In 2009, Jenkins appeared on
E!'s reality television series ''
Kourtney and Khloé Take Miami
''Kourtney and Kim Take Miami'' (previously titled ''Kourtney and Khloé Take Miami'') is an American reality television series. It premiered on E! on August 16, 2009, as the first ''Keeping Up with the Kardashians'' spin-off. The series origina ...
'', a spin-off series of ''
Keeping Up with the Kardashians
''Keeping Up with the Kardashians'' (often abbreviated ''KUWTK'') is an American reality television series which focused on the personal and professional lives of the Kardashian family, Kardashian–Jenner Stepfamily, blended family, airing b ...
'' starring
Kourtney and
Khloé Kardashian
Khloé Alexandra Kardashian (; born June 27, 1984) is an American media personality and socialite. Since 2007, she has starred with her family in the reality television series ''Keeping Up with the Kardashians''. Its success has led to the cre ...
. He co-hosted the radio show "Khloé After Dark" on
Y100. Jenkins portrayed DJ Dave in the 2010 musical film ''
Burlesque
A burlesque is a literary, dramatic or musical work intended to cause laughter by caricaturing the manner or spirit of serious works, or by ludicrous treatment of their subjects. '', starring
Christina Aguilera
Christina María Aguilera (; ; born December 18, 1980) is an American singer, songwriter, actress, and television personality. Known for her four-octave vocal range and ability to sustain high notes, she has been referred to as the " Voice of ...
and
Cher
Cher (; born Cherilyn Sarkisian; May 20, 1946) is an American singer, actress and television personality. Often referred to by the media as the Honorific nicknames in popular music, "Goddess of Pop", she has been described as embodying female ...
. In 2011, he had a recurring role as Danté Young on the BET
comedy-drama
Comedy drama, also known by the portmanteau ''dramedy'', is a genre of dramatic works that combines elements of comedy and drama. The modern, scripted-television examples tend to have more humorous bits than simple comic relief seen in a typical ...
television series ''
The Game''. On September 4, 2012, Jenkins was named the co-anchor of
E! News
''E! News'', previously known as ''E! News Daily'' and ''E! News Live'', is the entertainment news operation for the cable network E! in the United States. Its former on-air weekday newscast debuted on September 1, 1991, and primarily reports ...
, replacing
Ryan Seacrest
Ryan John Seacrest (born December 24, 1974) is an American media personality and producer. He is the co-host of ''Live with Kelly and Ryan'', as well as the host of multiple media shows including ''American Idol'', ''American Top 40'', and '' ...
.
Jenkins starred as Michael Hanover in the romantic comedy film ''
Think Like A Man
''Think Like a Man'' is a 2012 American romantic comedy film directed by Tim Story, written by Keith Merryman and David A. Newman, and produced by Will Packer. It was based on Steve Harvey's 2009 book ''Act Like a Lady, Think Like a Man''. The fil ...
'' (2012), which grossed $96 million at the worldwide box office. He reprised his role as Michael Hanover in the film's sequel ''
Think Like a Man Too
''Think Like a Man Too'' is a 2014 American romantic comedy film directed by Tim Story. It is the sequel to the 2012 film ''Think Like a Man'', based on Steve Harvey's book ''Act Like a Lady, Think Like a Man''. The script was written by David A. ...
'' (2014), which opened at number one at the box office, grossing $29.2 million. The film earned $70.2 million at the worldwide box office against a budget of $24 million. He also appeared in films ''
Sparkle
Sparkle may refer to:
* Sparkle (catamaran), a catamaran designed by Angus Primrose
* Sparkle (drink), a lemon-flavored soft drink
* Sparkle, a brand of paper towels owned by Georgia-Pacific
* Sparkle Plenty, a character in the ''Dick Tracy'' c ...
'' (2012), ''
Baggage Claim
200px, Baggage carousel
In airport terminals, a baggage reclaim area is an area where arriving passengers claim checked-in baggage after disembarking from an airline flight. The alternative term baggage claim is used at airports in the US and ...
'' (2013), ''
Battle of the Year
Battle of the Year, commonly referred to as BOTY, is an annual international breakdancing competition that began in 1990. It has been regarded as the premier b-boying competition in the world
and has been referred to as the "World Cup of B-Boying" ...
'' (2013) and ''
Entourage
An entourage () is an informal group or band of people who are closely associated with a (usually) famous, notorious, or otherwise notable individual. The word can also refer to:
Arts and entertainment
* L'entourage, French hip hop / rap collecti ...
'' (2015). Jenkins landed the lead role of Charlie "Mack" McIntyre in the romantic comedy film ''
The Perfect Match'' (2016) opposite
Cassie Ventura
Casandra Elizabeth Ventura (born August 26, 1986), known professionally as Cassie, is an American singer, songwriter, model, actress and dancer. Born in New London, Connecticut, she began her career as a result of meeting record producer Ryan Le ...
. The film centers around playboy Charlie, who is convinced that all his relationships are dead, but his best friends bet him that if he sticks to one woman for one month, he is bound to fall in love. Jenkins hosted ''
Miss USA
Miss USA is an American beauty pageant that has been held annually since 1952 to select the entrant from United States in the Miss Universe pageant. The Miss Universe Organization operated both pageants, as well as Miss Teen USA, until 2020, ...
''
beauty pageant
A beauty pageant is a competition that has traditionally focused on judging and ranking the physical attributes of the contestants. Pageants have now evolved to include inner beauty, with criteria covering judging of personality, intelligence, ...
with
Julianne Hough
Julianne Alexandra Hough (; born July 20, 1988) is an American dancer, actress, and singer. In 2007, she joined the cast of ABC's ''Dancing with the Stars'' as a professional dancer, winning two seasons with her celebrity partners. After leaving ...
between 2016 and 2017.
His first book, titled "The Wealth of My Mother's Wisdom" was released by
HarperCollins
HarperCollins Publishers LLC is one of the Big Five English-language publishing companies, alongside Penguin Random House, Simon & Schuster, Hachette, and Macmillan. The company is headquartered in New York City and is a subsidiary of News Cor ...
on October 1, 2013. The book was inspired by the lessons his mother taught him and her extraordinary journey of raising Jenkins while she was still a teenager. "I know that many of the successful moments in my life, personally and professionally, have been in part because of the lessons that she taught me, and I am proud to share her words of wisdom to inspire others," he told ''E! News'' in 2013
Since 2017, Jenkins has hosted
MTV
MTV (Originally an initialism of Music Television) is an American cable channel that launched on August 1, 1981. Based in New York City, it serves as the flagship property of the MTV Entertainment Group, part of Paramount Media Networks, a di ...
's reality television series ''
Are You the One?'' starting in season 6. Jenkins hosted 16 episodes of
Starz
Starz (stylized as STARZ since 2016; pronounced "stars") is an American premium cable and satellite television network owned by Lions Gate Entertainment, and is the flagship property of parent subsidiary Starz Inc. Programming on Starz consist ...
crime drama TV series ''
Power
Power most often refers to:
* Power (physics), meaning "rate of doing work"
** Engine power, the power put out by an engine
** Electric power
* Power (social and political), the ability to influence people or events
** Abusive power
Power may a ...
''
's official
aftershow
An aftershow or after-show is a genre of television talk show whose topic is another television program. An aftershow is typically broadcast immediately after a new episode of its corresponding program to help retain the audience, and to provide ad ...
, ''Power Confidential.'' In 2019, Jenkins played for the "Home" roster during the
NBA All-Star Celebrity Game
The NBA All-Star Celebrity Game is an annual exhibition basketball game held by the National Basketball Association that takes place during the NBA All-Star Weekend and features retired NBA players, WNBA players, actors, musicians and athletes ...
at the
Bojangles' Coliseum
Bojangles Coliseum (originally Charlotte Coliseum and formerly Independence Arena and Cricket Arena) is an 8,600-seat multi-purpose arena located in Charlotte, North Carolina. It is operated by the Charlotte Regional Visitors Authority, which als ...
in
Charlotte
Charlotte ( ) is the List of municipalities in North Carolina, most populous city in the U.S. state of North Carolina. Located in the Piedmont (United States), Piedmont region, it is the county seat of Mecklenburg County, North Carolina, Meckl ...
,
North Carolina
North Carolina () is a state in the Southeastern region of the United States. The state is the 28th largest and 9th-most populous of the United States. It is bordered by Virginia to the north, the Atlantic Ocean to the east, Georgia and So ...
. The roster was made up of celebrities with North Carolinian roots.
Personal life
He was involved in a hit-and-run incident in 2018, and was chased and shot-at by robbers in 2021.
Filmography
References
External links
*
*
*
White T movie
{{DEFAULTSORT:Terrence J
1982 births
Male actors from North Carolina
Living people
North Carolina A&T State University alumni
People from Queens, New York
Actors from Raleigh, North Carolina
People from Rocky Mount, North Carolina