Billy Porter

Billy Porter

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.

KNOWN FOR
CREDITS
PHOTOS

TV Series

Tamron Hall

Tamron Hall

5.1
LIVE with Kelly and Mark

LIVE with Kelly and Mark

5.543
Law & Order

Law & Order

7.4
That's My Jam

That's My Jam

6.1
The Circuit

The Circuit

0
Middlemost Post

Middlemost Post

7.5
The Daily Show

The Daily Show

6.378
The Graham Norton Show

The Graham Norton Show

7.185
Law & Order: Special Victims Unit

Law & Order: Special Victims Unit

7.933
The Late Show with Stephen Colbert

The Late Show with Stephen Colbert

6.281
Gossip Girl

Gossip Girl

7.347
The Late Late Show with James Corden

The Late Late Show with James Corden

5.281
Dear...

Dear...

5
MTV Video Music Awards

MTV Video Music Awards

7.6
Never Mind the Buzzcocks

Never Mind the Buzzcocks

7.8
The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon

The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon

5.8
Dancing with the Stars

Dancing with the Stars

6
The Proud Family: Louder and Prouder

The Proud Family: Louder and Prouder

5.81
Late Night with Seth Meyers

Late Night with Seth Meyers

5.323
Big Mouth

Big Mouth

7.659
The Jennifer Hudson Show

The Jennifer Hudson Show

6.2
Indie Sex

Indie Sex

5.2
The Kelly Clarkson Show

The Kelly Clarkson Show

6.5
Sherri

Sherri

3.8
Variety Studio: Actors on Actors

Variety Studio: Actors on Actors

5
POSE

POSE

8.293
Dick Clark's New Year's Rockin' Eve with Ryan Seacrest

Dick Clark's New Year's Rockin' Eve with Ryan Seacrest

6.5
The Rosie O'Donnell Show

The Rosie O'Donnell Show

3.938
The View

The View

4.363
Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen

Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen

5.1
Who Do You Think You Are?

Who Do You Think You Are?

6.6
Trailblazer Honors

Trailblazer Honors

7.5
The View

The View

4.363
Who's Talking to Chris Wallace?

Who's Talking to Chris Wallace?

3.7
RuPaul's Drag Race UK vs The World

RuPaul's Drag Race UK vs The World

6.1
Project Runway

Project Runway

6.3
Stars in the House

Stars in the House

0
Saturday Night Live

Saturday Night Live

7
American Horror Story

American Horror Story

8.1
Celebrity Family Feud

Celebrity Family Feud

7.846
That Damn Michael Che

That Damn Michael Che

6.421
Close Up with The Hollywood Reporter

Close Up with The Hollywood Reporter

5.972
The Oscars

The Oscars

7.056
Visible: Out on Television

Visible: Out on Television

7.1
The Simpsons

The Simpsons

8.013
The Twilight Zone

The Twilight Zone

6.69
Last Week Tonight with John Oliver

Last Week Tonight with John Oliver

7.8
The Drew Barrymore Show

The Drew Barrymore Show

6.231
Equal

Equal

1.5
Keeping Up with the Kardashians

Keeping Up with the Kardashians

7.377
Desus & Mero

Desus & Mero

5.1
Live from the Other Side with Tyler Henry

Live from the Other Side with Tyler Henry

7
Shake, Rattle and Roll: An American Love Story

Shake, Rattle and Roll: An American Love Story

0
My Happy Place

My Happy Place

0
Glow Up: Britain's Next Make-Up Star

Glow Up: Britain's Next Make-Up Star

6.705
Big Mouth

Big Mouth

7.659
The Grammys

The Grammys

8.7
Golden Globe Awards

Golden Globe Awards

7.2
Marvelous Moments with Maisel

Marvelous Moments with Maisel

0

Movies

80 for Brady

80 for Brady

6.3
The Broken Hearts Club: A Romantic Comedy

The Broken Hearts Club: A Romantic Comedy

6.3
Camp

Camp

0
Little Richard: I Am Everything

Little Richard: I Am Everything

6.44
Carol Burnett: 90 Years of Laughter + Love

Carol Burnett: 90 Years of Laughter + Love

8.4
Twisted

Twisted

3.1
Truth Be Told

Truth Be Told

0
The Shoe

The Shoe

0
Queen of New York

Queen of New York

0
Our Son

Our Son

5.692
PRIDE: To Be Seen - A Soul of a Nation Presentation

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

7.5
Together in Pride: You Are Not Alone

Together in Pride: You Are Not Alone

10
Pose-a-Thon for Pride

Pose-a-Thon for Pride

1
Noel

Noel

5.8
Eric André Live Near Broadway

Eric André Live Near Broadway

5.5
Raquel: Total beauty and fitness

Raquel: Total beauty and fitness

7
Broadway: The Next Generation

Broadway: The Next Generation

10
Mariah Carey: Merry Christmas to All!

Mariah Carey: Merry Christmas to All!

5.7
Homeward Bound: A Grammy Salute to the Songs of Paul Simon

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

0
All Aboard! Rosie's Family Cruise

All Aboard! Rosie's Family Cruise

4
Christmas Karma

Christmas Karma

0
Anastasia

Anastasia

7.609
Fabulous! The Story of Queer Cinema

Fabulous! The Story of Queer Cinema

5.7
Intern

Intern

3.462
Every Act of Life

Every Act of Life

7
Like a Boss

Like a Boss

6.24
Cinderella

Cinderella

6.35
The Humbling

The Humbling

5.1
Smoke, Lilies and Jade

Smoke, Lilies and Jade

1
25 Years of Rent: Measured in Love

25 Years of Rent: Measured in Love

10
Heart of Broadway: The Ensemble Behind Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS

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

0
Where Love Lives: A Story of Dancefloor Culture & Expression

Where Love Lives: A Story of Dancefloor Culture & Expression

4
Disco’s Revenge

Disco’s Revenge

7
Let the Canary Sing

Let the Canary Sing

6.3
I Was Born This Way

I Was Born This Way

0
The Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping

The Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping

0
Colorz of Rage

Colorz of Rage

5