Terence Howard rejected Marvin Gaye biopic due to gay kiss: “I would cut my lips off”
Empire star Terence Howard has revealed he rejected the opportunity to star in a Marvin Gaye biopic because he refused to kiss a man.
Howard made the revelation during a new episode of Bill Maher’s podcast, Club Random. He recalled rejecting the opportunity to play Smokey Robinson on film despite the musician specifically asking him to portray him due to already being in “conversation with Lee Daniels about playing Marvin Gaye”.
The actor, who said rejecting the opportunity to play Robinson was the “biggest mistake” of his career, claimed he pulled out of the chance to play Gaye because of a conversation with the late Quincy Jones about the legendary singer’s sexuality.
Howard recalled: “I was over at Quincy Jones’ house and I’m asking Quincy, ‘I’m hearing rumours that Marvin was gay’ and I’m like, ‘Was he gay?’ And Quincy’s like, ‘Yes’.” Following this revelation, he decided he “could not” portray Gayr.
The star elaborated on his decision, adding, “They would’ve wanted to do that, and I wouldn’t have been able to do that.”
When asked by Maher, “You mean you couldn’t kiss a guy on screen in a movie?” Howard replied, “No. Because I don’t fake it.” He continued: “That would fuck me. I would cut my lips off. If I kissed some man, I would cut my lips off.”
Howard insisted that his decision was not fuelled by homophobia, but instead is due to his need to relate to the characters he plays, adding, “It does not make me homophobic to not want to kiss a man.”
He continued: “I can’t play that character 100 per cent. I can’t surrender myself to a place that I don’t understand.”
Discussions surrounding a biopic of Gaye’s life have been ongoing for many years. In 2018, it was reported Dr Dre was involved as a producer, and three years later, it was slated that Warner Bros had acquired What’s Going On.
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