Right here is why Terence Howard stated no to a Marvin Gaye biopic
Terrence Howard is opening up a couple of main profession determination he now calls the “biggest mistake” of his life, — and all of it revolves round a missed alternative to play one in every of music’s best icons, Marvin Gaye.
Whereas chatting with Invoice Maher on the Membership Random podcast, the Empire star revealed he turned down a Lee Daniels-directed biopic about Gaye as a result of he wasn’t snug with the movie exploring rumors concerning the singer’s sexuality.
Howard shared that, on the time, he had simply been invited to dinner by Smokey Robinson, who needed him to play him in a special biopic. However Howard stated he stayed loyal to his earlier dedication.
“I was being faithful to Lee Daniels because I had given him my word as man,” he defined, admitting that telling Robinson “broke [his] heart.”
Maher identified {that a} Marvin Gaye movie may need provided a deeper, extra dramatic story, contemplating the singer’s tumultuous life and tragic demise by the hands of his father.
“You would have been perfect as Marvin Gaye,” Maher added.
Howard then defined {that a} dialog with Quincy Jones helped verify a few 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 stated he realized he couldn’t totally decide to the function.
“They would’ve wanted to do that, and I wouldn’t have been able to do that,” he stated.
When Maher requested if he meant he couldn’t kiss a person on display, Howard was crystal clear.
“No. Because I don’t fake it,” he replied, drawing laughter and a little bit awkwardness from Maher, who admitted, “I couldn’t kiss a man either.”
Howard took it a step additional, joking, “That would f— me. I would cut my lips off. If I kissed some man, I would cut my lips off.” Maher, attempting to ease the stress, 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 these much less acquainted, Marvin Gaye was one of many defining voices of Motown, identified for timeless hits like What’s Going On, Sexual Therapeutic, and Let’s Get It On.
His soulful sound not solely formed an period of music but additionally helped push conversations about love, politics, and social become the mainstream.
Sadly, Gaye’s life led to tragedy when he was shot and killed by his father in 1984, leaving an enduring legacy that continues to affect artists throughout generations.
In the long run, whereas Terrence Howard’s alternative might have spared him just a few uncomfortable appearing moments, followers are left questioning what may have been if he had stepped into Marvin Gaye’s legendary footwear.
