Terrence Howard rejected the starring role in a Marvin Gaye biopic because he didn't want to kiss a man. The Empire actor revealed on Bill Maher's Club Random podcast that the "biggest mistake" of his career was turning down a Smokey Robinson biopic because he was already in talks with director Lee Daniels about playing Marvin Gaye in a different film. However, he ultimately passed on playing the Let's Get It On hitmaker too following a chat with famed music producer Quincy Jones. ”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.'" The Iron Man actor decided that he "could not" star in a film that required him to explore the soul musician's rumoured homosexuality. ”They would've wanted to do that, and I wouldn't have been able to do that," he stated. When podcast host Maher asked Howard if he "couldn't kiss a man on screen in a movie", he replied, "No. Because I don't fake it.” "That would f--k me," he added. "I would cut my lips off. If I kissed some man, I would cut my lips off.” The Hustle & Flow star insisted he wasn't homophobic and that it was more an issue of being able to fully commit to the character. ”That's fine, do what you love to do, but don't do it at me, don't aim it at me," Howard concluded. "I can't play that character 100%, I can't. I can't surrender myself to a place I don't understand.”
Instructions: THIS VIDEO MUST NOT BE EDITED FOR LENGTH TO COMBINE WITH OTHER CONTENT