No artist intentionally pulls the trigger on their dreams. If anything, they would take a bullet instead. But since Tinseltown has forever been a slippery slope, things often do not turn out in ways one would want them to. With Terrence Howard, something of the sorts happened when he declined a Marvin Gaye biopic for an unexpected reason.
Although showbiz is all about missed opportunities and making the most of the remaining, what made Howard skip on the one-of-a-kind opportunity, letting go of that Marvin Gaye biopic?
The reason why Terrence Howard passed on Marvin Gaye biopic
In a recent appearance on Bill Maher’s Club Random
podcast, Terrence Howard took a trip down the cinematic lanes when he admitted his career’s “biggest mistake”
was turning down a Smokey Robinson biopic. He explained that he rejected the role because he was already in talks with Lee Daniels about playing Marvin Gaye in another biopic.
However, Howard made an about-turn on his decision, saying, “If I kissed some man, I would cut my lips off.”
According to the Empire
star, Howard turned down the starring role after discovering Gaye’s orientation from Quincy Jones.
It was not until after Jones’ revelation that he decided he could not star in the movie. “They would’ve wanted to do that, and I wouldn’t have been able to do that,”
Howard said of portraying a queer in a movie. When Maher probed, if it was about not being able to kiss a guy on screen, Howard further explained that it was more about not faking it.
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Countless reasons go behind an actor rejecting a role,
and to Terrence Howard, playing a queer man must have been it. However, he refused to be boxed into stereotypes for not wanting something.
Terrence Howard explains his reasons for rejecting the Marvin Gaye biopic
During his recent appearance on Bill Maher’s Club Random
podcast, Terrence Howard’s reflection on turning down a Marvin Gaye biopic back in the day may have raised a few eyebrows. However, Howard illuminated why the decision does not make him “hom——-.”
Maher understood where the actor’s discomfort stemmed from, though he himself would not go as far as Howard might.
My favorite podcast thus far! Man to Man, Honest! Simply Magnificent! Thank you, Bill! pic.twitter.com/27A5L1nVat
— Terrence Howard (@TCOTLC) April 24, 2025
As for Howard, the decision was more about commitment than anything else. Even now, he believes he could not have portrayed the character “100 percent.” “I can’t surrender myself to a place that I don’t understand,”
he added, and just because he does not, shouldering a responsibility like that could only worsen the case. While his decisions may earn him a few unfavorable labels, thankfully, chaos always wears designer in Hollywood.
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What do you think of Terrence Howard’s reason for turning down a Marvin Gaye biopic? Let us know in the comments below!