
Billy Porter
- Known for
- Acting
- Born
- September 21, 1969
- Birthplace
- Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA
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
- To Be Real
To Be Real TBA
Executive Producer, Director

Broadway: The Next Generation TBA
as Self
- Camp
Camp TBA
as Mark, Director

The Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping 2026
as Magno Stift

Billy Preston: That's the Way God Planned It 2026
as Self

Christmas Karma 2025
as The Ghost of Christmas Present

Freeman Vines 2025
Executive Producer

I Was Born This Way 2025
as Self, Executive Producer

(pride/prom) 2024
Executive Producer

Disco's Revenge 2024
as Self

Eric André Live Near Broadway 2024
as Self

Queen of New York 2023
Actor

Our Son 2023
as Gabriel

Truth Be Told 2023
Actor

Let the Canary Sing 2023
as Self

Carol Burnett: 90 Years of Laughter + Love 2023
as Self - Guest

Little Richard: I Am Everything 2023
as Self

80 for Brady 2023
as Gugu

Mariah Carey: Merry Christmas to All! 2022
as Self

A Tree of Life: The Pittsburgh Synagogue Shooting 2022
Executive Producer

Homeward Bound: A Grammy Salute to the Songs of Paul Simon 2022
as Self

Anything's Possible 2022
Director

PRIDE: To Be Seen - A Soul of a Nation Presentation 2022
as Pray Tell (archive footage)

Cinderella 2021
as Fabulous Godmother

Smoke, Lilies and Jade 2021
Actor

Sanctuary 2021
Writer

Where Love Lives: A Story of Dancefloor Culture & Expression 2021
as (Himself)

25 Years of Rent: Measured in Love 2021
Actor

Pose-a-Thon for Pride 2020
as Self

Together in Pride: You Are Not Alone 2020
as Self

Like a Boss 2020
as Barrett

Every Act of Life 2018
as Self

The Humbling 2014
as Prince

The Savoy King: Chick Webb & the Music That Changed America 2012
as Dizzy Gillespie (voice)

Heart of Broadway: The Ensemble Behind Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS 2011
as Himself
- The Shoe
The Shoe 2011
Actor

Indie Sex: Teens 2008
Actor

All Aboard! Rosie's Family Cruise 2006
as Himself

Fabulous! The Story of Queer Cinema 2006
as Self, Original Music Composer

Noel 2004
as Randy

The Broken Hearts Club: A Romantic Comedy 2000
as Taylor

Intern 2000
as Sebastian Niederfarb

Colorz of Rage 1999
as Street Performer

Twisted 1996
as Shiniqua, Angel's friend

Raquel: Total Beauty and Fitness 1984
Actor
Credits from TMDB.