Marvel actor claims he’s been forced out of Hollywood after suing Disney

A popular US star has claimed his decision to sue Disney has left him unable to get roles, despite having a decades-long career.

US actor Terrence Howard has claimed he has been black-listed from Hollywood after he sued Disney.

Howard, best known for his roles in projects such as Iron Man, Empire and the Oscar-winning movie Crash, sued 20th Century Fox, owned by Disney, in 2021, over allegations of unpaid royalties related to his starring role in the hit series Empire.

Speaking on Bill Maher’s Club Random podcast, Howard said: “My whole goal now is to disappear from that side of it.”

Terrence Howard has claimed that Disney have forced him out of Hollywood. Picture: Getty.

Asked by Maher if that meant he intends to quit acting, Howard responded: “I’ve got to, dude. I’m on the Chitlin’ Circuit now, after I sued Fox.”

When pushed to explain his remark, he continued: “No studio movies. No big television stuff. Everything is on the outskirts. Why? Because you don’t f*** with the Mouse. I f***ed with the Mouse. I sued the Mouse, I sued Fox, and I’m suing CAA right now. But it’s about my money. If someone takes $300 million from you, you’re like: ‘Dude!’ You’ve got to go for it.”

Disney purchased Fox in 2019 in a huge deal that saw the Hollywood giants merge.

At its height, Empire, that also stars Taraji P. Henson, hauled in around $USD100 million in advertising for 20th Century Fox.

Howard later went on to sue his talent agency, CAA, for an alleged conflict of interest over his salary on the same show.

He alleged that they pressured him to accept a below-market salary during his six-season stint on the series, which CAA has denied.

Kevin Hart, Terrence Howard, Don Cheadle, Taraji P. Henson and Samuel L. Jackson attend Peacock's Fight Night: The Million Dollar Heist World Premiere. Picture: Getty.

“I trusted CAA to look after me, and they looked after themselves,” said Howard.

During the same interview with Maher, Howard went on to share that he turned down the chance to play Marvin Gaye in the star’s biopic because he “refused to kiss another male actor”.

Howard said he passed on the project after he found out about Gaye’s sexuality from another legendary musician, Quincy Jones.

“I was over at Quincy Jones’ house and I’m asking Quincy, ‘I’m hearing rumours that Marvin was gay’ and I’m like, ‘Was he gay?’” Howard explained. “And Quincy’s like, ‘Yes.’”

“They would’ve wanted to do that, and I wouldn’t have been able to do that,” he said of playing a gay man.

“I would cut my lips off. If I kissed some man, I would cut my lips off,” he added, before insisting that his refusal to play the role doesn’t speak to his view of the LGBTQ+ community. “It does not make me homophobic to not want to kiss a man,” he claimed.