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.

Known For

Law & Order: Special Victims Unit

Law & Order

The Simpsons

The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon

Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen

Late Night with Seth Meyers

All Movies (39)

The Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping2026 · as Magno Stift
Billy Preston: That's the Way God Planned It2026 · as Self
Christmas Karma2025 · as The Ghost of Christmas Present
I Was Born This Way2025 · as Self
Disco's Revenge2024
Eric André Live Near Broadway2024 · as Self
Queen of New York2023
Our Son2023 · as Gabriel
Truth Be Told2023
Let the Canary Sing2023 · as Self
Carol Burnett: 90 Years of Laughter + Love2023 · as Self - Guest
Little Richard: I Am Everything2023 · as Self
80 for Brady2023 · as Gugu
Mariah Carey: Merry Christmas to All!2022 · as Self
Homeward Bound: A Grammy Salute to the Songs of Paul Simon2022 · as Self
PRIDE: To Be Seen - A Soul of a Nation Presentation2022 · as Pray Tell (archive footage)
Cinderella2021 · as Fabulous Godmother
Smoke, Lilies and Jade2021
Where Love Lives: A Story of Dancefloor Culture & Expression2021 · as (Himself)
25 Years of Rent: Measured in Love2021
Pose-a-Thon for Pride2020 · as Self
Together in Pride: You Are Not Alone2020 · as Self
Like a Boss2020 · as Barrett
Every Act of Life2018 · as Self
The Humbling2014 · as Prince
Heart of Broadway: The Ensemble Behind Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS2011 · as Himself
The Shoe2011
Indie Sex: Teens2008
All Aboard! Rosie's Family Cruise2006 · as Himself
Fabulous! The Story of Queer Cinema2006 · as Self
Noel2004 · as Randy
The Broken Hearts Club: A Romantic Comedy2000 · as Taylor
Intern2000 · as Sebastian Niederfarb
Colorz of Rage1999 · as Street Performer
Anastasia1997 · as Ensemble and Character Vocals (voice)
Twisted1996 · as Shiniqua, Angel's friend
Raquel: Total Beauty and Fitness1984
Camp— · as Mark
Broadway: The Next Generation— · as Self

All TV Shows (66)

My Happy Place2025 · as Self
Live from the Other Side with Tyler Henry2024 · as Self
Who's Talking to Chris Wallace?2022 · as Self
The Jennifer Hudson Show2022
Sherri2022 · as Self - Guest
The Proud Family: Louder and Prouder2022 · as Randall (voice)
RuPaul's Drag Race UK vs The World2022 · as Self - Special Guest
That's My Jam2021 · as Self - Guest
Never Mind the Buzzcocks2021 · as Self - Panellist
The Circuit2021 · as Self - Singer/Actor
Middlemost Post2021 · as Recycle King (voice)
Gossip Girl2021 · as Singer
That Damn Michael Che2021
Equal2020 · as Narrator
The Drew Barrymore Show2020 · as Self
Dear...2020 · as Self
Stars in the House2020 · as Self
Visible: Out on Television2020 · as Self
Tamron Hall2019 · as Self - Guest
The Kelly Clarkson Show2019 · as Self
The Twilight Zone2019
Glow Up: Britain's Next Make-Up Star2019 · as Self - Guest Judge
Desus & Mero2019 · as Self - Illustrious Guest
POSE2018 · as Pray Tell
Big Mouth2017 · as Ocean (voice)
Big Mouth2017
The Late Show with Stephen Colbert2015 · as Self
The Late Show with Stephen Colbert2015 · as Self - Guest
Close Up with The Hollywood Reporter2015 · as Self
Celebrity Family Feud2015 · as Self
The Late Late Show with James Corden2015 · as Self - Guest
Variety Studio: Actors on Actors2014 · as Self
Trailblazer Honors2014 · as Self - Speaker
Last Week Tonight with John Oliver2014 · as Self
Late Night with Seth Meyers2014 · as Self
Late Night with Seth Meyers2014 · as Self - Guest
The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon2014 · as Self
The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon2014 · as Self - Guest
American Horror Story2011 · as Behold Chablis
Who Do You Think You Are?2010 · as Self
Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen2009 · as Self - Guest
Keeping Up with the Kardashians2007 · as Self
Indie Sex2007 · as Self
The Graham Norton Show2007 · as Self
Dancing with the Stars2005 · as Self - Guest Judge
Project Runway2004 · as Self - Guest Judge
Jimmy Kimmel Live!2003 · as Self - Guest
Law & Order: Special Victims Unit1999 · as Jackie Walker
The View1997 · as Self - Guest
The View1997 · as Self
The Daily Show1996 · as Self
The Rosie O'Donnell Show1996 · as Self - Guest
MTV Movie & TV Awards1992 · as Self - Presenter
Shake, Rattle and Roll: An American Love Story1991 · as Little Richard
Law & Order1990 · as Greg Ellison
The Simpsons1989 · as Desmond (voice)
LIVE with Kelly and Mark1988 · as Self - Guest
MTV Video Music Awards1984 · as Self
Olivier Awards1981 · as Self - Host
Newsnight1980 · as Self
Saturday Night Live1975 · as Self - Cameo (uncredited)
People's Choice Awards1975 · as Self - Presenter
Dick Clark's New Year's Rockin' Eve with Ryan Seacrest1972 · as Self - Co-Host (New Orleans)
The Grammys1959 · as Self
The Oscars1953 · as Self
Golden Globe Awards1944 · as Self - Presenter