Terrence Howard is opening up about a major career decision he now calls the “biggest mistake” of his life, — and it all revolves around a missed opportunity to play one of music’s greatest icons, Marvin Gaye.
While chatting with Bill Maher on the Club Random podcast, the Empire star revealed he turned down a Lee Daniels-directed biopic about Gaye because he wasn’t comfortable with the film exploring rumors about the singer’s sexuality.
Howard shared that, at the time, he had just been invited to dinner by Smokey Robinson, who wanted him to play him in a different biopic. But Howard said he stayed loyal to his earlier commitment.
“I was being faithful to Lee Daniels because I had given him my word as man,” he explained, admitting that telling Robinson “broke [his] heart.”
Maher pointed out that a Marvin Gaye film might have offered a deeper, more dramatic story, considering the singer’s tumultuous life and tragic death at the hands of his father.
“You would have been perfect as Marvin Gaye,” Maher added.
Howard then explained that a conversation with Quincy Jones helped confirm some of his hesitations.
“I’m asking Quincy, ‘I’m hearing rumors that Marvin was gay’ and I’m like, ‘Was he gay?’ And Quincy’s like, ‘Yes,'” Howard recounted. From there, Howard said he realized he couldn’t fully commit to the role.
“They would’ve wanted to do that, and I wouldn’t have been able to do that,” he said.
When Maher asked if he meant he couldn’t kiss a man on screen, Howard was crystal clear.
“No. Because I don’t fake it,” he replied, drawing laughter and a little awkwardness from Maher, who admitted, “I couldn’t kiss a man either.”
Howard took it a step further, joking, “That would f— me. I would cut my lips off. If I kissed some man, I would cut my lips off.” Maher, trying to ease the tension, chimed in, “It does not make me homophobic to not want to kiss a man.”
Howard agreed, saying, “That’s fine, do what you love to do, but don’t do it at me, don’t aim it at me, and I can’t play that character 100%, I can’t. I can’t surrender myself to a place I don’t understand.”
For those less familiar, Marvin Gaye was one of the defining voices of Motown, known for timeless hits like What’s Going On, Sexual Healing, and Let’s Get It On.
His soulful sound not only shaped an era of music but also helped push conversations about love, politics, and social change into the mainstream.
Sadly, Gaye’s life ended in tragedy when he was shot and killed by his father in 1984, leaving a lasting legacy that continues to influence artists across generations.
In the end, while Terrence Howard’s choice may have spared him a few uncomfortable acting moments, fans are left wondering what could have been if he had stepped into Marvin Gaye’s legendary shoes.
