In the case of Terrence Howard, two things can be true: He is quite a talented actor, and he has an undeniable reputation for saying — and doing — things that range from “problematic” to “flat-out unacceptable.”
During the interview, Terrence revealed that he was unable to portray legendary singer Smokey Robinson in a biopic because he was already considering playing Marvin Gaye in a biopic to be directed by Lee Daniels.
Terrence then claimed that, during a visit to late music producer Quincy Jones’s house, he heard a rumor that changed his perspective when it came to taking 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?’ And Quincy’s like, ‘Yes.’”
It should be noted — not because it matters, but purely for purposes of legal accuracy — that Marvin never publicly came out as queer during his lifetime. There are very few, if any, documented accounts that exist about him having relationships with other men.
But Terrence — who once publicly and infamously insisted that 1 times 1 equals 2, which it absolutely does not — says that this bit of hearsay from Quincy was enough to convince him that he “could not” star in the film.
“They would’ve wanted to do that, and I wouldn’t have been able to do that,” he said. When Bill asked, “You mean you couldn’t kiss a guy on screen in a movie?” Terrence responded, “No. Because I don’t fake it. That would fuck me. I would cut my lips off. If I kissed some man, I would cut my lips off.”
When Bill pressed Terrence further, he replied, “I can’t play that character 100 percent. I can’t surrender myself to a place that I don’t understand.” He also took the time to specify his belief that “It does not make me homophobic to not want to kiss a man.”
Whatever you say, man. If you want to listen to the entire interview with Bill — first of all, why? But if you must, it’s right here.
Vancouver based journalist and entrepreneur covering business, innovation, and leadership for Forbes Canada. With a keen eye for emerging trends and transformative strategies.
