Terrence Howard stirred controversy after his appearance on a podcast, where he opened up about turning down a Marvin Gaye biopic directed by Lee Daniels. His comments about refusing to portray the singer’s rumored sexuality drew strong reactions, especially as he described the role as something he “could not” surrender to.
Terrence Howard reveals why he turned down Marvin Gaye biopic
Terrence Howard revealed on the Club Random podcast with Bill Maher that he turned down a Marvin Gaye biopic directed by Lee Daniels because he could not portray the singer’s rumored homosexuality.
“They would’ve wanted to do that, and I wouldn’t have been able to do that,” Howard said, explaining that he “could not” kiss a man on screen. “No. Because I don’t fake it,” he added.
Howard called the decision “the biggest mistake I made in my career,” explaining that he had been in talks for the Marvin Gaye project while Smokey Robinson offered him a role in another biopic. “I was being faithful to Lee Daniels because I had given him my word as man,” he said. Howard said his decision disappointed Robinson: “It broke his heart.”
Howard also said he discussed Gaye’s sexuality with Quincy Jones at the producer’s home. “I’m asking Quincy, ‘I’m hearing rumors that Marvin was gay’… And Quincy’s like, ‘Yes,’” he recounted. That confirmation influenced his final decision. “If I kissed some man, I would cut my lips off,” Howard stated during the interview.
When Maher asked if not wanting to kiss a man on screen was homophobic, Howard responded, “That’s fine, do what you love to do, but don’t do it at me, don’t aim it at me.” He continued, “I can’t play that character 100%, I can’t. I can’t surrender myself to a place I don’t understand.”
Previous attempts to depict Marvin Gaye’s life onscreen have included an Allen Hughes-directed biopic produced by Dr. Dre, Jimmy Iovine, and Andrew Lazar, announced in 2021 by Warner Bros., with a script written by Marcus Gardley.
Originally reported by Anubhav Chaudhry on ComingSoon.net.
