Terrence Howard Reveals Why He Walked Away From Marvin Gaye Biopic: “I Couldn’t Fully Commit”

The “Empire” star explains how personal boundaries and a surprising conversation with Quincy Jones led him to turn down the role of the soul legend.

Terrence Howard recently opened up about one of the biggest career decisions he regrets — and it involves two iconic music legends.

Appearing on Bill Maher’s Club Random podcast, Howard reflected on how he passed on the chance to portray Smokey Robinson in a biopic — a role Robinson himself had asked him to take on. Howard said he declined because he was already in discussions with filmmaker Lee Daniels about playing Marvin Gaye in a separate project.

Maher backed Howard’s original choice, noting that Gaye’s life story was “far more fascinating” and adding that Howard would have been an ideal fit for the role.

However, Howard ultimately turned down the Marvin Gaye biopic as well, citing personal reasons. According to the Empire actor, during a visit to Quincy Jones’ home, he asked Jones about rumors regarding Gaye’s sexuality. When Jones confirmed that Gaye had relationships with men, Howard realized he could not authentically portray that aspect of the singer’s life.

“I was at Quincy’s house and asked him, ‘Was Marvin gay?’” Howard recounted. “Quincy said, ‘Yes.’ And at that moment, I knew I couldn’t do it.”

Howard explained that his decision wasn’t rooted in homophobia but rather in his inability to fully immerse himself in a role that required portraying a gay character.

“They would have wanted me to show that on screen, and I wouldn’t have been able to,” he said. “I don’t fake things. If I kissed a man on screen, I’d feel like I’d have to cut my lips off.”

Maher, while not sharing Howard’s extreme reaction, said he understood the discomfort. Howard emphasized that his hesitation was about being true to the performance, not prejudice.

“It doesn’t make me homophobic,” Howard said. “It just means I can’t fully give myself to a place I don’t understand.”

In the end, what could have been a major milestone in Howard’s acting career never came to fruition — not because of a lack of talent or opportunity, but because of personal authenticity.