Terrence Howard, the actor, turned down the role of Marvin Gaye in a biopic because he said he was not willing to kiss another man.

Howard said that he would have “cut my lips off” if he filmed a homosexual scene with another man while playing the late soul singer.

During his lifetime Gaye did not come out as either gay or bisexual but Howard claimed that Quincy Jones, the legendary music producer, told him the musician was in fact gay.

Howard, who starred in “Iron Man” and the TV series “Empire”, was speaking to Bill Maher, the chat show host, for his “Club Random” podcast.