Terrence Howard Says He Turned Down Marvin Gaye Role Over Rumors About Singer’s Sexuality: “I Don’t Fake It” [Video]

Terrence Howard is opening up about how he nearly landed a role playing Marvin Gaye, but was turned off by homosexual rumors surrounding the soul singer.

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In an appearance on Bill Maher’s “Club Random” podcast, Howard said he would rather cut off his lips than kiss another man for a role, which may have been required in the Gaye biopic. The topic came up when Maher compared Howard to “this generation’s Billy Dee Williams” and suggested he should play Williams’ son in a movie. Howard then revealed “the biggest mistake” of his career was turning down the opportunity to portray Smokey Robinson.

“He wanted me to play his life, and I just had conversations with Lee Daniels about playing Marvin Gaye,” he said. “I was being faithful to Lee Daniels because I had given my word…So when Smokey, I had to tell them at the table, and it broke his heart.”

Maher said Gaye’s life story was “much more interesting” than Robinson’s, leading Howard to explain why the Marvin Gaye biopic fell through.

“I was over at Quincy Jones’ house…I’m asking Quincy, ‘I’m hearing rumors that Marvin was gay,'” Howard said. “Quincy was like, ‘Yes.’ …They would have wanted to do that, and I wouldn’t have been able to do that.”

Asked if that was the reason he passed, Howard confirmed, “I don’t fake it…That would f**k me, I would cut my lips off. If I kiss some man, I would cut my lips off.” He added, “I can’t surrender myself to a place that I don’t understand.”