Actor Terrence Howard says he turned down to star in Marvin Gaye’s biopic because he didn’t want to kiss a man.
During Sunday’s (April 27) episode of the Club Random podcast with Bill Maher, Howard discussed declining the role to play Gaye in a biopic directed by Lee Daniels.
Howard claimed that he “would’ve been perfect as Marvin Gaye, and that is a story that needs to be told.” However, the actor said he turned down the opportunity after having a conversation with record producer Quincy Jones about Gaye’s sexuality.
“I was over at Quincy Jones’ house and I’m asking Quincy, ‘I’m hearing rumors that Marvin was gay’ and I’m like, ‘Was he gay?’” Howard recalled asking Jones, who died in November. “And Quincy’s like, ‘Yes.’”
During his career, Gaye never identified as LGBTQ. Still, Howard decided he “couldn’t” star in the Gaye biopic.
“They would’ve wanted to do that, and I wouldn’t have been able to do that,” he said, to which Maher responded, “You mean you couldn’t kiss a guy on screen in a movie?”
“No. Because I don’t fake it,” Howard said, adding, “That would f—k me. I would cut my lips off. If I kissed some man, I would cut my lips off.”
“Do what you love to do but don’t aim it at me. And I can’t play that character 100 percent. I can’t surrender myself to a place that I don’t understand,” Howard continued.
The actor said he feels the “biggest mistake of his career” was declining to portray Smokey Robinson while he was in “conversation with Lee Daniels about playing Marvin Gaye.”
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