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 in...
Known For
Top 40 Movies
The Humbling
2014
Anastasia
1997
The Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping
2026
Cinderella
2021
Noel
2004
80 for Brady
2023
Like a Boss
2020
Broadway: The Next Generation
N/A
Our Son
2023
The Broken Hearts Club: A Romantic Comedy
2000
Every Act of Life
2018
Christmas Karma
2025
Carol Burnett: 90 Years of Laughter + Love
2023
Intern
2000
Fabulous! The Story of Queer Cinema
2006
PRIDE: To Be Seen - A Soul of a Nation Presentation
2022
Twisted
1996
Heart of Broadway: The Ensemble Behind Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS
2011
Mariah Carey: Merry Christmas to All!
2022
Let the Canary Sing
2023
Together in Pride: You Are Not Alone
2020
Disco’s Revenge
2024
Where Love Lives: A Story of Dancefloor Culture & Expression
2021
Eric André Live Near Broadway
2024
Little Richard: I Am Everything
2023
Homeward Bound: A Grammy Salute to the Songs of Paul Simon
2022
Queen of New York
2023
Indie Sex: Teens
2008
Pose-a-Thon for Pride
2020
25 Years of Rent: Measured in Love
2021
I Was Born This Way
2025
Billy Preston: That's the Way God Planned It
2026
Raquel: Total Beauty and Fitness
1984
Smoke, Lilies and Jade
2021
Truth Be Told
2023
Giving and Receiving
2018
Colorz of Rage
1999
All Aboard! Rosie's Family Cruise
2006