Terrence Howard says he would “cut his lips off” if he had to kiss a man for a role

Actor Terrence Howard has made his stance crystal clear about his on-screen boundaries, stating he would never kiss a man for a role and dramatically declaring he’d “cut his lips off” if forced into such a situation.

The topic came up during Howard’s appearance on Club Random with Bill Maher while discussing potential roles he could have played, including portrayals of Smokey Robinson, Marvin Gaye, and Billy Dee Williams‘ son.

Terrence Howard Star Ceremony - Los Angeles, USA — LOS ANGELES, USA. September 24, 2019: Terrence Howard at Hollywood Walk of Fame Star Ceremony for actor Terrence Howard. Photo credit: depositphotos.com

Howard revealed his biggest career regret was passing on a Robinson biopic because he had verbally committed to Lee Daniels for a Marvin Gaye project. Though neither film materialized, Howard mentioned that the legendary Quincy Jones once confirmed to him that Gaye was secretly gay. This revelation ended Howard’s interest in portraying the soul music icon.

“I’m asking Quincy, I’m hearing rumors that Marvin was gay…and I’m like, ‘was he?’ And Quincy’s like, ‘Yes.’ They would’ve wanted to do that, and I wouldn’t have been able to do that,” Howard explained about depicting a gay relationship as Marvin.

54th Annual NAACP Image Awards - Arrivals — Terrence Howard arrives at the 54th Annual NAACP Image Awards held at the Pasadena Civic Auditorium on February 25, 2023 in Pasadena, Los Angeles, California, United States. Photo credit: depositphotos.com

“You mean you couldn’t kiss a guy in a movie?” Maher questioned, to which Howard responded, “No, because I don’t fake it.” Maher agreed he wouldn’t kiss a man for work either, as Howard added, “that would f**k me, I would cut my lips off.”

If I had to kiss a man, I would cut my lips off."

Terrence Howard reveals Quincy Jones confirmed Marvin Gaye was g*y, and says the biggest mistake in his career was rejecting Smokey Robinson’s request to play him in a movie.

(🎥 Club Random Podcast/YouTube) pic.twitter.com/Lbnni6pHaU
— The Art Of Dialogue (@ArtOfDialogue_) April 27, 2025

“Well, I would not do that,” Maher replied, “but it does not make me homophobic to not want to kiss a man.”

The conversation also covered Howard’s “clashing with studios over money, why Empire was both a blessing and a headache,” and included “swap stories about celebrity parties and canceled careers,” among other topics.

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