- Gregory Allen Howard was an award-winning screenwriter, producer, author, and playwright famous for his works Remember the Titans and Harriet
- He died at the age of 70 on January 27, 2023, due to heart failure in Miami
- With a speculated net worth of over $1 million, Gregory Allen Howard made history as the first black screenwriter to make over $1 million at the box office after the release of Remember the Titans
Gregory Allen Howard was an American screenwriter and producer famous for writing the screenplay of the 2000 classic sports film, Remember the Titans(2000), a Disney film centered on an undefeated high school football team. Howard was the first Black screenwriter to write a drama that made over $100 million at the box office. The Virginia-born writer started pursuing his writing career in his mid-20s in Los Angeles.
Over the years, Howard has received many accolades including two NAACP Image Awards and also the prestigious Christopher Award. Sadly, he was announced dead on January 27, 2023, at the age of 70. Gregory Allen Howard died as a result of heart failure in Miami.
Gregory Allen Howard’s Biography
Gregory Allen Howard was born on January 28, 1952, in Norfolk, Virginia. His parents were not together so he was raised by his mother, Narcissus (Cole) Henley, and stepfather, Lenard Henley. Although the exact number of his siblings is still uncertain, it has been revealed that he had a sister, Lynette Henley, and a brother Michael Henley.
Due to his stepfather’s job in the Navy, his family always moved around. Between the ages of 5 and 15, Howard’s family moved more than ten times.
However, his family eventually settled in Vallejo California after his stepfather retired. While he was there, he attended Vallejo High School where he was part of his high school’s football team as an offensive lineman. Also, he was the Vallejo High Scholl Senior Class President in 1969-70.
He also attended Princeton University where he graduated in 1974 with a degree in American history. Gregory Allen Howard would later admit that his studies in college were very instrumental to his career.
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Was Gregory Allen Howard Ever Married?
According to several reports, Gregory was never married. The award-winning screenwriter of Remember the Titans never revealed details about his personal life or dating history.
Regardless of that, Howard reportedly loved and cherish his family, especially his brother, Michael Henley, and sister, Lynette Henley. Besides his two siblings, the screenwriter is survived by nieces Robyn Bacon and Valencia Kamara and nephew Robert Henley, a grand-niece, two grand-nephews, and cousins Pierre Gatling and Patricia.
The Cause of Death of Harriet Screenwriter
On January 27, 2023, Howard’s publicist, Jeff Sanderson revealed that he died at a hospital due to heart failure. The Vallejo writer, who died a day shy of his 71st birthday, lived his life trying to give back to the community.
Reports say he was always talking to kids about believing in three things: doing well at reading, writing, and arithmetics.
He also had an active mentorship program that helped minority kids gain admission to elite colleges.
In addition to that, Gregory Allen Howard often gave speeches at the Boys & Girls Club in Vallejo and while people credited him for his contribution to society, he, in return praised his stepfather for instilling in him a respect for work and his mother for her unfailing support towards his dreams.
The Award-winning Screenwriter is the highest-grossing African America drama Screenwriter in History
Today marks the 20th anniversary of the release of "Remember the Titans." My movie has, over that time, become a cultural phenomenon. We need the lessons from Titans now, more than ever.
"Before we reach for hate, always, we remember the Titans".#RememberTheTitans
— Gregory Allen Howard (@GregoryAHoward) September 25, 2020
After securing a degree in American history, Howard went on to work briefly at Merrill Lynch on Wall Street before he moved to Los Angeles to pursue his dreams. While most of his family members are teachers, professors, and administrators, Howard took a different path.
He settled in Los Angeles in the 1980s to pursue a writing career. As the years go by, he worked as a freelance writer on a number of television shows. One of his notable early works includes being a story editor for Where I Live (1993) and True Colors (1990).
He also wrote the stage play Tinseltown Trilogy, which garnered him awards. Soon he was selected to write an original screenplay for Muhammad Ali’s biopic. After that, he moved back to Virginia where he learned about the story of the 1971 TC Williams Titans.
He wrote the script based on research and discussions with coaches Herman Boone and Bill Yoast. At the first, he encountered difficulty in getting the script produced until Jerry Bruckheimer agreed to produce the film.
Starring Denzel Washington and Will Patton, the film became a box-office hit, grossing over $100 million. With that, Howard became the first black man to make $100 million at the box office.
The release of Remember the Titans and Ali branded him a story writer and a true him as he continued to work on several other projects. In 2019, he co-wrote and co-produced Harriet Tubman’s biographical film, Harriet.
As one of the best screenwriters, Gregory Allen Howard has received several awards including The Christopher Award, two NAACP Image Awards, Heartland Award, and also the finalist for the Eugene O’Neil Playwriting Award.
Gregory Allen Howard’s Net Worth
According to reports, Gregory Allen Howard’s net worth was way above $1 million at the time he passed. He made his money mostly from his career as a screenwriter and producer.
Besides mentoring minorities, Howard was also a philanthropist who gave out scholarships in his name. One of his close associates, Pelton Stewart, has revealed that Howard gave out about $20,000 annually to students.
