Site Revisions Underway Some Features May Not Work
Photo of Billy Porter

Billy Porter

Acting 56 years old Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA ★ 1.1
Born: September 21, 1969

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

Acting Credits (105)

The Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping
The Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping Magno Stift 2026
Billy Preston: That's the Way God Planned It
Billy Preston: That's the Way God Planned It Self 2026
Christmas Karma
Christmas Karma The Ghost of Christmas Present 2025
I Was Born This Way
I Was Born This Way Self 2025
My Happy Place
My Happy Place Self 2025
Live from the Other Side with Tyler Henry
Live from the Other Side with Tyler Henry Self 2024
Disco’s Revenge
Disco’s Revenge 2024
Eric André Live Near Broadway
Eric André Live Near Broadway Self 2024
Queen of New York
Queen of New York 2023
Our Son
Our Son Gabriel 2023
Truth Be Told
Truth Be Told 2023
Let the Canary Sing
Let the Canary Sing Self 2023
Carol Burnett: 90 Years of Laughter + Love
Carol Burnett: 90 Years of Laughter + Love Self - Guest 2023
Little Richard - I Am Everything
Little Richard - I Am Everything Self 2023
80 for Brady
80 for Brady Gugu 2023
Mariah Carey: Merry Christmas to All!
Mariah Carey: Merry Christmas to All! Self 2022
Who's Talking to Chris Wallace?
Who's Talking to Chris Wallace? Self 2022
The Jennifer Hudson Show
The Jennifer Hudson Show 2022
Sherri
Sherri Self - Guest 2022
Homeward Bound: A Grammy Salute to the Songs of Paul Simon
Homeward Bound: A Grammy Salute to the Songs of Paul Simon Self 2022
PRIDE: To Be Seen - A Soul of a Nation Presentation
PRIDE: To Be Seen - A Soul of a Nation Presentation Pray Tell (archive footage) 2022
The Proud Family: Louder and Prouder
The Proud Family: Louder and Prouder Randall (voice) 2022
RuPaul's Drag Race UK vs The World
RuPaul's Drag Race UK vs The World Self - Special Guest 2022
That's My Jam
That's My Jam Self - Guest 2021
Never Mind the Buzzcocks
Never Mind the Buzzcocks Self - Panellist 2021
Cinderella
Cinderella Fabulous Godmother 2021
Smoke, Lilies and Jade
Smoke, Lilies and Jade 2021
The Circuit
The Circuit Self - Singer/Actor 2021
Middlemost Post
Middlemost Post Recycle King (voice) 2021
Gossip Girl
Gossip Girl Singer 2021
That Damn Michael Che
That Damn Michael Che 2021
Where Love Lives: A Story of Dancefloor Culture & Expression
Where Love Lives: A Story of Dancefloor Culture & Expression (Himself) 2021
25 Years of Rent: Measured in Love
25 Years of Rent: Measured in Love 2021
Equal
Equal Narrator 2020
The Drew Barrymore Show
The Drew Barrymore Show Self 2020
Pose-a-Thon for Pride
Pose-a-Thon for Pride 2020
Dear...
Dear... Self 2020
Together in Pride: You Are Not Alone
Together in Pride: You Are Not Alone Self 2020
Stars in the House
Stars in the House Self 2020
Visible: Out on Television
Visible: Out on Television Self 2020
Like a Boss
Like a Boss Barrett 2020
Tamron Hall
Tamron Hall Self - Guest 2019
The Kelly Clarkson Show
The Kelly Clarkson Show Self 2019
The Twilight Zone
The Twilight Zone 2019
Glow Up: Britain's Next Make-Up Star
Glow Up: Britain's Next Make-Up Star Self - Guest Judge 2019
Desus & Mero
Desus & Mero Self - Illustrious Guest 2019
POSE
POSE Pray Tell 2018
Every Act of Life
Every Act of Life Self 2018
Big Mouth
Big Mouth Ocean (voice) 2017
Big Mouth
Big Mouth 2017
The Late Show with Stephen Colbert
The Late Show with Stephen Colbert Self 2015
The Late Show with Stephen Colbert
The Late Show with Stephen Colbert Self - Guest 2015
Close Up with The Hollywood Reporter
Close Up with The Hollywood Reporter Self 2015
Celebrity Family Feud
Celebrity Family Feud Self 2015
The Late Late Show with James Corden
The Late Late Show with James Corden Self - Guest 2015
The Humbling
The Humbling Prince 2014
Variety Studio: Actors on Actors
Variety Studio: Actors on Actors Self 2014
Trailblazer Honors
Trailblazer Honors Self - Speaker 2014
Last Week Tonight with John Oliver
Last Week Tonight with John Oliver Self 2014
Late Night with Seth Meyers
Late Night with Seth Meyers Self 2014
Late Night with Seth Meyers
Late Night with Seth Meyers Self - Guest 2014
The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon
The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon Self 2014
The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon
The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon Self - Guest 2014
American Horror Story
American Horror Story Behold Chablis 2011
Heart of Broadway: The Ensemble Behind Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS
Heart of Broadway: The Ensemble Behind Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS Himself 2011
The Shoe
The Shoe 2011
Who Do You Think You Are?
Who Do You Think You Are? Self 2010
Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen
Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen Self - Guest 2009
Indie Sex: Teens
Indie Sex: Teens 2008
Keeping Up with the Kardashians
Keeping Up with the Kardashians Self 2007
Indie Sex
Indie Sex Self 2007
The Graham Norton Show
The Graham Norton Show Self 2007
All Aboard! Rosie's Family Cruise
All Aboard! Rosie's Family Cruise Himself 2006
Fabulous! The Story of Queer Cinema
Fabulous! The Story of Queer Cinema Self 2006
Dancing with the Stars
Dancing with the Stars Self - Guest Judge 2005
Project Runway
Project Runway Self - Guest Judge 2004
Noel
Noel Randy 2004
Jimmy Kimmel Live!
Jimmy Kimmel Live! Self - Guest 2003
The Broken Hearts Club: A Romantic Comedy
The Broken Hearts Club: A Romantic Comedy Taylor 2000
Intern
Intern Sebastian Niederfarb 2000
Law & Order: Special Victims Unit
Law & Order: Special Victims Unit Jackie Walker 1999
Colorz of Rage
Colorz of Rage Street Performer 1999
Anastasia
Anastasia Ensemble and Character Vocals (voice) 1997
The View
The View Self - Guest 1997
The View
The View Self 1997
Twisted
Twisted Shiniqua, Angel's friend 1996
The Daily Show
The Daily Show Self 1996
The Rosie O'Donnell Show
The Rosie O'Donnell Show Self - Guest 1996
MTV Movie & TV Awards
MTV Movie & TV Awards Self - Presenter 1992
Shake, Rattle and Roll: An American Love Story
Shake, Rattle and Roll: An American Love Story Little Richard 1991
Law & Order
Law & Order Greg Ellison 1990
The Simpsons
The Simpsons Desmond (voice) 1989
LIVE with Kelly and Mark
LIVE with Kelly and Mark Self - Guest 1988
Raquel: Total Beauty and Fitness
Raquel: Total Beauty and Fitness 1984
MTV Video Music Awards
MTV Video Music Awards Self 1984
Olivier Awards
Olivier Awards Self - Host 1981
Newsnight
Newsnight Self 1980
Saturday Night Live
Saturday Night Live Self - Cameo (uncredited) 1975
People's Choice Awards
People's Choice Awards Self - Presenter 1975
Dick Clark's New Year's Rockin' Eve with Ryan Seacrest
Dick Clark's New Year's Rockin' Eve with Ryan Seacrest Self - Co-Host (New Orleans) 1972
The Grammys
The Grammys Self 1959
The Oscars
The Oscars Self 1953
Golden Globe Awards
Golden Globe Awards Self - Presenter 1944
Camp
Camp Mark
Broadway: The Next Generation
Broadway: The Next Generation Self

Writing Credits (1)

Powered by

TMDB
× Person photo
Back to Person Search