Terrence Howard Turned Down Marvin Gaye Role Over One Dealbreaker

Imagine being asked by Smokey Robinson himself to star in a movie about his life—and saying no. That’s exactly what actor Terrence Howard did, and now he calls it the “biggest mistake” of his career.

In a recent chat on Bill Maher’s Club Random, Howard shared that he turned down the chance to play Smokey Robinson because he was already in talks with director Lee Daniels about something even bigger: a Marvin Gaye biopic.

Sounds like a tough choice, right? Maher thought Howard made the right call, saying Gaye’s story was “much more interesting.” He even told Howard, “You would’ve been perfect as Marvin Gaye, and that is a story that needs to be told.”

But here’s where things get complicated.

Howard ended up turning that role down too—because of something he learned at music legend Quincy Jones’ house. “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 explained. “And Quincy’s like, ‘Yes.’”

That answer was a deal-breaker for the actor. “They would’ve wanted to do that, and I wouldn’t have been able to do that,” he said, referring to playing a gay man on screen.

Maher asked, “You mean you couldn’t kiss a guy on screen in a movie?”

Howard didn’t hold back: “No. Because I don’t fake it.”

Then he doubled down: “That would f--- me,” Howard added. “I would cut my lips off. If I kissed some man, I would cut my lips off.”

Whoa.

Maher admitted he wouldn’t go that far, but said he understood Howard’s discomfort. Howard insisted, “It does not make me homophobic to not want to kiss a man.”

He explained that it wasn’t about hate—it was about how deeply he connects to the characters he plays. “I can’t play that character 100 percent,” Howard said. “I can’t surrender myself to a place that I don’t understand.”