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Billy Porter

Date of birth: 1969-09-21

Place of birth: Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA

Known for: Acting

Also known as:

Billy Porter

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.

Movie Credits

80 for Brady
3.1

80 for Brady

2023-02-03

Four lifelong friends set out on an unforgettable journey to see their hero Tom Brady play in Super

The Broken Hearts Club: A Romantic Comedy
3.1

The Broken Hearts Club: A Romantic Comedy

2000-02-01

A close-knit group of gay friends share the emotional roller coster of life, relationships, the deat

Camp
0

Camp

Sixteen-year-old Randy Kapplehoff loves spending the summer at Camp Outland, a camp for queer teens.

Little Richard: I Am Everything
3.2

Little Richard: I Am Everything

2023-04-11

The story of the black, gay origins of rock n' roll. It explodes the whitewashed canon of American p

Carol Burnett: 90 Years of Laughter + Love
4.2

Carol Burnett: 90 Years of Laughter + Love

2023-04-26

Paying tribute to a beloved national icon for her birthday, NBC celebrates Carol Burnett’s illustrio

Twisted
1.4

Twisted

1996-11-14

This retelling of Charles Dickens's Oliver Twist may be populated by drug pushers, pimps and prostit

Truth Be Told
0

Truth Be Told

2023-07-20

While an important cultural epicenter with a rich political history of antiracist organizing, the Bl

The Shoe
0

The Shoe

2011-07-21

The directorial debut of French cultural provocateur André Saraiva is a collaboration with luxury fo

Queen of New York
0

Queen of New York

2023-10-16

Welcome to a different kind of drag race! As NYC emerges from the chaos of 2020, Marti Cummings (the

Our Son
2.9

Our Son

2023-10-14

When his husband Gabriel files for divorce, Nicky fights for custody of their 8-year-old son Owen, a

PRIDE: To Be Seen - A Soul of a Nation Presentation
3.8

PRIDE: To Be Seen - A Soul of a Nation Presentation

2022-06-09

It’s the resilience and love that keeps this community marching to the beat of its own drum; each ge

Together in Pride: You Are Not Alone
5

Together in Pride: You Are Not Alone

2020-04-26

Online special co-hosted by Billy Eichner and Lilly Singh in response to COVID-19 featuring celebrit

Pose-a-Thon for Pride
0.5

Pose-a-Thon for Pride

2020-06-26

Bringing together the voices of "Pose" for stories, songs, and support of LGBTQ education, social ch

Noel
2.9

Noel

2004-11-12

Christmas Eve in New York, and the lonely divorced publisher, Rose Collins, needs a miracle to impro

Eric André Live Near Broadway
2.8

Eric André Live Near Broadway

2024-01-19

Gonzo comedian Eric André drags his anarchic comedy show across the globe with a star-studded cast a

Raquel: Total Beauty and Fitness
3.5

Raquel: Total Beauty and Fitness

1984-10-10

Raquel Welch demonstrates a series of practical yoga exercises inspired by hatha yoga.

Broadway: The Next Generation
5

Broadway: The Next Generation

2017-11-16

A look at the past, present and future of the Great White Way.

Mariah Carey: Merry Christmas to All!
2.9

Mariah Carey: Merry Christmas to All!

2022-12-20

Filmed in New York City at Madison Square Garden, the concert special will feature the singer-songwr

Homeward Bound: A Grammy Salute to the Songs of Paul Simon
0

Homeward Bound: A Grammy Salute to the Songs of Paul Simon

2022-09-06

A special tribute concert honoring 16-time Grammy winner Paul Simon that took place on April 6 2022

All Aboard! Rosie's Family Cruise
1.6

All Aboard! Rosie's Family Cruise

2006-04-06

A documentary on the maiden cruise of R Family Vacations, the travel company founded by Rosie and Ke

Christmas Karma
2.6

Christmas Karma

2025-11-14

In modern-day London, an unkind British-Indian businessman is compelled by three ghosts to reflect o

Anastasia
3.8

Anastasia

1997-11-20

Ten years after she was separated from her family, an eighteen-year-old orphan with vague memories o

Fabulous! The Story of Queer Cinema
2.7

Fabulous! The Story of Queer Cinema

2006-02-12

A chronological look at films by, for, or about gays and lesbians in the United States, from 1947 to

Intern
1.7

Intern

2000-01-21

A young, underappreciated intern at the ultra-hip magazine Skirt must learn to deal with kissy-face

Every Act of Life
3.2

Every Act of Life

2018-04-23

The life of Tony-winning playwright Terrence McNally (Master Class, Ragtime): 60 years of groundbrea

Like a Boss
3.1

Like a Boss

2020-01-09

Two female friends with very different ideals decide to start a beauty company together. One is more

Cinderella
3.2

Cinderella

2021-09-03

Cinderella, an orphaned girl with an evil stepmother, has big dreams and with the help of her Fabulo

The Humbling
2.5

The Humbling

2014-12-31

Following a breakdown and suicide attempt, an aging actor becomes involved with a much younger woman

Smoke, Lilies and Jade
0.5

Smoke, Lilies and Jade

2021-08-13

Alex, a young artist of the Harlem Renaissance, flirts with the idea of bisexuality through posturin

25 Years of Rent: Measured in Love
5

25 Years of Rent: Measured in Love

2021-03-02

A quarter century ago, Jonathan Larson’s groundbreaking musical, RENT, opened at New York Theatre Wo

Heart of Broadway: The Ensemble Behind Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS
0

Heart of Broadway: The Ensemble Behind Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS

2011-09-09

Heart of Broadway goes inside Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS for an in-depth look at the organiza

Where Love Lives: A Story of Dancefloor Culture & Expression
2

Where Love Lives: A Story of Dancefloor Culture & Expression

2021-03-18

Documentary by the music label Defected and its brand Glitterbox about electronic music, its beginni

Disco’s Revenge
3

Disco’s Revenge

2024-05-02

Born underground, on the heels of the Civil Rights Movement and the Stonewall Riots, disco’s nascent

Let the Canary Sing
3.1

Let the Canary Sing

2023-06-14

A chronicle of Cyndi Lauper's meteoric ascent to stardom and her profound impact on generations thro

I Was Born This Way
0

I Was Born This Way

2025-06-05

Surviving childhood abuse during his upbringing in Baltimore, Archbishop Carl Bean forged a path to

The Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping
0

The Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping

2026-11-18

Return to the world of Panem 24 years before the events of The Hunger Games for the reaping of the 5

Colorz of Rage
2.5

Colorz of Rage

1999-01-01

Writer-director Dale Resteghini's indie drama follows a young interracial couple (Resteghini and Nic