Billy Porter
Born: 1969-09-21 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA
Known For: Acting
Biography
William Ellis Porter II (born September 21, 1969) is an American actor and singer. Porter gained notice performing on Broadway before starting a solo career as a singer and actor. For his role as Lola in Kinky Boots, Porter won the 2013 Tony Award for Best Actor in a Musical, the Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Actor in a Musical and the Outer Critics Circle Award for Outstanding Actor in a Musical. He credits the part for "cracking open" his feminine side to confront toxic masculinity. Porter also won the 2014 Grammy Award for Best Musical Theater Album for the musical's accompanying album. Porter starred in all three seasons of the television series Pose, for which he was nominated for three Golden Globe Awards and won the 2019 Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series, becoming the first gay black man to be nominated and win in any lead acting category at the Primetime Emmys. In 2020, he was included on Time's list of the 100 most influential people in the world. In 2022, he won another Tony Award for Best Musical as a producer for the musical A Strange Loop. He made his directorial debut in 2022 with the romantic comedy film Anything's Possible. Porter received the Isabelle Stevenson Award at the 77th Tony Awards for his humanitarian work with the Elizabeth Taylor AIDS Foundation and Entertainment Community Fund. Description above from the Wikipedia article Billy Porter, licensed under CC-BY-SA, full list of contributors on Wikipedia.
Filmography
2026
- The Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping as Magno Stift
- Billy Preston: That's the Way God Planned It as Self
2025
- My Happy Place as Self
- I Was Born This Way as Self
- Christmas Karma as The Ghost of Christmas Present
- Freeman Vines ... (Executive Producer)
2024
- Live from the Other Side with Tyler Henry as Self
- Eric André Live Near Broadway as Self
- (pride/prom) ... (Executive Producer)
- Disco's Revenge as Self
2023
- Accused ... (Director)
- 80 for Brady as Gugu
- Our Son as Gabriel
- Little Richard: I Am Everything as Self
- Carol Burnett: 90 Years of Laughter + Love as Self - Guest
- Let the Canary Sing as Self
- Queen of New York
- Truth Be Told
2022
- The Jennifer Hudson Show
- Sherri as Self - Guest
- The Proud Family: Louder and Prouder as Randall (voice)
- Who's Talking to Chris Wallace? as Self
- RuPaul's Drag Race UK vs The World as Self - Special Guest
- PRIDE: To Be Seen - A Soul of a Nation Presentation as Pray Tell (archive footage)
- Homeward Bound: A Grammy Salute to the Songs of Paul Simon as Self
- Anything's Possible ... (Director)
- Mariah Carey: Merry Christmas to All! as Self
- A Tree of Life: The Pittsburgh Synagogue Shooting ... (Executive Producer)
2021
- Gossip Girl as Singer
- Never Mind the Buzzcocks as Self - Panellist
- Middlemost Post as Recycle King (voice)
- That's My Jam as Self - Guest
- That Damn Michael Che
- Cinderella as Fabulous Godmother
- 25 Years of Rent: Measured in Love
- The Circuit as Self - Singer/Actor
- Where Love Lives: A Story of Dancefloor Culture & Expression as (Himself)
- Smoke, Lilies and Jade
- Sanctuary ... (Writer)
2020
- The Drew Barrymore Show as Self
- Stars in the House as Self
- Visible: Out on Television as Self
- Dear... as Self
- Like a Boss as Barrett
- Equal as Narrator
- Together in Pride: You Are Not Alone as Self
- Pose-a-Thon for Pride as Self
2019
- The Kelly Clarkson Show as Self
- The Tamron Hall Show as Self - Guest
- Desus & Mero as Self - Illustrious Guest
- The Twilight Zone
- Glow Up: Britain's Next Make-Up Star as Self - Guest Judge
2018
- POSE as Pray Tell
- Every Act of Life as Self
2017
- Big Mouth as Ocean (voice)
2015
- The Late Show with Stephen Colbert as Self
- The Late Late Show with James Corden as Self - Guest
- Close Up with The Hollywood Reporter as Self
- Celebrity Family Feud as Self
2014
- The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon as Self
- Late Night with Seth Meyers as Self
- Last Week Tonight with John Oliver as Self
- Variety Studio: Actors on Actors as Self
- Trailblazer Honors as Self - Speaker
- The Humbling as Prince
2012
- The Savoy King: Chick Webb & the Music That Changed America as Dizzy Gillespie (voice)
2011
- American Horror Story as Behold Chablis
- Heart of Broadway: The Ensemble Behind Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS as Himself
- The Shoe
2010
- Who Do You Think You Are? as Self
2009
- Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen as Self - Guest
2008
2007
- The Graham Norton Show as Self
- Keeping Up with the Kardashians as Self
- Indie Sex as Self
2006
- Germany's Next Topmodel as Self - Guest Judge
- Fabulous! The Story of Queer Cinema as Self
- All Aboard! Rosie's Family Cruise as Himself
2005
- Dancing with the Stars as Self - Guest Judge
2004
- Project Runway as Self - Guest Judge
- Noel as Randy
2003
- Jimmy Kimmel Live! as Self - Guest
2000
- The Broken Hearts Club: A Romantic Comedy as Taylor
- Intern as Sebastian Niederfarb
1999
- Law & Order: Special Victims Unit as Jackie Walker
- Colorz of Rage as Street Performer
1997
- The View as Self - Guest
1996
- The Daily Show as Self
- The Rosie O'Donnell Show as Self - Guest
- Twisted as Shiniqua, Angel's friend
1992
- MTV Movie & TV Awards as Self - Presenter
1991
- Shake, Rattle and Roll: An American Love Story as Little Richard
1990
- Law & Order as Greg Ellison
1989
- The Simpsons as Desmond (voice)
1988
- LIVE with Kelly and Mark as Self - Guest
1984
1981
- Olivier Awards as Self - Host
1980
- Newsnight as Self
1975
- Saturday Night Live as Self - Cameo (uncredited)
- People's Choice Awards as Self - Presenter
1959
- The Grammys as Self
1953
- The Oscars as Self
1944
- Golden Globe Awards as Self - Presenter