Terrence Howard didnotwant to get it on in a Marvin Gaye biopic.
The Empire alum said he turned down playing the late music icon in a movie because the role likely required him to kiss a man.
“I wouldn’t have been able to do that,” Howard admitted on the April 27 episode of Bill Maher‘s Club Random podcast. “That would f–k me. I would cut my lips off.”
He continued, “If I kissed a man, I would cut my lips off.”
The 56-year-old went on to explain that he wouldn’t have been able to “fake it,” noting, “I can’t play that character 100 percent.”
Howard added, “I can’t surrender myself to a place that I don’t understand.”
Gaye died at age 44 after being shot by his dad Marvin Gay Sr. in 1984. During his life, he was married to Anna Gordy from 1963 to 1977 and to Janis Hunter from 1977 to 1982.
Though Gaye was not openly queer, Howard believes filmmakers would’ve wanted to explore his rumored homosexuality in the biopic. To get a deeper sense of Gaye’s character, the Fight Night actor said he spoke to his “What’s Going On” collaborator Quincy Jones—who died from pancreatic cancer in November—before ultimately passing on the role.
“I was over at Quincy Jones’ house and I’m asking Quincy, ‘I’m hearing rumors that Marvin was gay,’ and I’m like, ‘Was he gay?'” Howard recalled. “And Quincy’s like, ‘Yes.'”
But for Howard, the “biggest mistake” of his career was turning down the role of Smokey Robinson in another movie.
“Smokey Robinson brought me over to come have dinner with him, and he wanted me to play his life,” Howard shared, explaining he had to pass on the offer because he was already in talks with the producers of the Gaye biopic at the time.
“Because I had given my word as a man,” he continued, “Smokey, I had to tell him at the table—and it broke his heart.”
While Howard ended up passing on both biopics, keep reading to see the celebs who did play real-life stars.
Timothée Chalamet as Bob Dylan
The Wonka star played the legendary folk singer-songwriter in the film A Complete Unknown.
Lily James as Pamela Anderson
The English actress transformed into the Baywatch icon in the Hulu series Pam & Tommy.
Sebastian Stan as Tommy Lee
The actor dropped jaws after showing off his epic makeover as the Mötley Crüe rocker for the Hulu series Pam & Tommy.
Christian Serratos as Selena Quintanilla
The actress portrayed the late Tejano star for the Netflix show Selena: The Series.
Charlize Theron as Megyn Kelly
The Oscar winner had fans doing a double-take in Bombshell, in which she played Fox News alum who helped take down Roger Ailes‘ career after he was accused of sexual misconduct.
Andra Day as Billie Holiday
The actress earned her first Golden Globe win in 2021 for her role as the iconic singer in the biopic The United States Vs. Billie Holiday.
Margot Robbie as Tonya Harding
The Australia native produced and starred in I, Tonya, a 2017 movie based on the disgraced figure skater’s life.
Taron Egerton as Elton John
In 2019’s Rocketman, the British actor played one of the most iconic musicians in the history of rock ‘n’ roll.
Jessica Lange as Joan Crawford
The Oscar winner stepped into the shoes of the late movie legend in Feud, Ryan Murphy‘s FX series about the making of What Ever Happened to Baby Jane?
Susan Sarandon as Bette Davis
The Dead Man Walking star played the acting legend in Feud.
Jennifer Hudson as Aretha Franklin
The singer took on the Queen of Soul in 2021’s Respect.
Felicity Jones as Ruth Bader Ginsburg
After Natalie Portman dropped out, the English actress stepped in to play the late Supreme Court Justice in On the Basis of Sex, a biopic directed by Mimi Leder.
Anthony Mackie as Martin Luther King Jr.
The actor played the civil rights leader opposite Bryan Cranston as President Lyndon B. Johnson in HBO’s All the Way.
Benedict Cumberbatch as Thomas Edison
The Oscar-nominated actor portrayed the famed inventor of the light bulb in Current War.
Tom Hiddleston as Hank Williams
The British actor starred as the late country singer in the 2015 film I Saw the Light.
Johnny Flynn as David Bowie
The Lovesick star played the late rock legend in the 2020 biopic Stardust.
Parker Sawyers as Barack Obama
Parker Sawyers played the former president in Southside With You, a romantic dramedy loosely based on Barack’s first date with Michelle Obama back in 1989.
Tika Sumpter as Michelle Obama
The actress starred as the former First Lady in Southside With You.
Odette Annable as Trudy Cooper
“She was a groundbreaking woman, so ahead of her time,” Odette told E! News of her Astronaut Wives Club character, who was an extremely skilled pilot in her own right. “It’s such an honor to play her.”
Kerry Washington as Anita Hill
The Scandal star took on the role of the aide who accused U.S. Supreme Court nominee Clarence Thomas of sexual assault in 1991 in HBO’s biopic Confirmation.
Michael Keaton as Ray Kroc
The Oscar nominee starred in The Founder, a biopic about the founder of the McDonald’s empire.
YaYa DaCosta as Whitney Houston
The actress and model played the late legendary singer in a Lifetime biopic.
Eddie Redmayne as Stephen Hawking
The Les Misérables heartthrob won the Oscar after portraying Hawking in Theory of Everything.
Katie Holmes as Jacqueline Kennedy
In The Kennedys miniseries, the Dawson’s Creek alum channeled the former First Lady and one of America’s most fashionable public figures.
Nicole Kidman as Grace Kelly
The Oscar-winning actress stepped into the regal shoes of the Hollywood legend turned princess for Grace of Monaco.
Scarlett Johansson as Janet Leigh
The Marvel star played Jamie Lee Curtis‘ famous mom in Hitchcock, which focused on the making of Alfred Hitchcock‘s Psycho.
Agnes Bruckner as Anna Nicole Smith
The former Private Pactice starlet portrayed the late Playboy model in the Lifetime biopic The Anna Nicole Story.
Ashton Kutcher as Steve Jobs
The That ’70s Show alum played the late Apple co-founder in the indie flick Jobs.
Chris Hemsworth as James Hunt
The Aussie actor portrayed the Formula 1 race car driver in Ron Howard‘s biopic Rush.
Naomi Watts as Valerie Plame Wilson
The actress starred alongside Sean Penn as the outed CIA agent in the thriller Fair Game.
