#86 - Billy Porter: Leaning into Your Authenticity

“Well, I’m first generation post Civil Rights movement. I came out
in 1985, right in the middle of the AIDS crisis. And we went
straight to the front lines to fight for our lives. It was Broadway
Cares / Equity Fights AIDS and The Actor’s Fund that taught an
entire generation how to activate. I was always activated, I have
no other choice, I don’t know anything else.” - Billy Porter Billy
Porter. Need I say anything else? An icon, mother, a trailblazer,
an Emmy, Tony, and Grammy winner… and here’s what we talk about in
this incredible episode: Incredible and inspiring stories of
rejection in auditions Facing racism in the industry Saying ‘No’
and seeing what that did to his career Creating Lola in Kinky Boots
Not working for 12 years and coming back Prepping for his new tour
The Black Mona Lisa Tour: Volume One This episode is chock full of
deeply personal insight, first hand stories, unabashed truth
regarding the industry and Billy’s life. It doesn’t matter if you
are an artist or not – this conversation is full of life lessons
that will just make you an overall better human.  Billy Porter
is a Grammy, Emmy, and Tony Award winner. Porter began his music
career in 1997 with the release of his self-titled (aka Untitled)
debut album which spawned the Top 10 "Bubbling Under" single, "Show
Me," and the monster ballad, "Love Is On The Way," which also
appeared at the pivotal moment in the film, "First Wives Club." He
went on to release "At the Corner of Broadway + Soul" (2005),
"Billy's Back on Broadway" (2014), and "The Soul of Richard
Rodgers" (2017) featuring Pentatonix, India.Arie, Leslie Odom Jr.
and Cynthia Erivo, among others. Porter scored his first #1 with
"Love Yourself" in 2019 on the US Dance Club Songs Chart. He
followed that up with his 2020 reimagining of the legendary Buffalo
Springfield anthem, "For What It's Worth," and a fierce collab with
The Shapeshifters on "Finally Ready." 2021 saw Porter covering
Juliet Roberts club classic "Caught in The Middle" for Red Hot +
Free, which supports underserved communities afflicted with
HIV/AIDS. He was also enlisted by multiplatinum international
superstar Jessie J for "I Want Love." And he delivered a magical
turn on Earth, Wind, and Fire's iconic "Shining Star" as Fab G, the
Fairy Godmuva, in the 2021 remake of "Cinderella." Porter is a
veteran of the theater (Miss Saigon, Angels in America, Grease),
and a two time Tony(r) winner, including "Best Leading Actor in a
Musical" for Kinky Boots in 2013 and "Best Musical" as a producer
for A Strange Loop in 2022. He has also received a GRAMMY(r) for
the Kinky Boots Official Soundtrack in the category of "Best
Musical Theater Album" in 2014. Porter took home the EMMY(r) Award
for "Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series" in 2019 for his work
as Pray Tell on Pose, making history as being the first openly gay
man to do so. Time Magazine named him one of the "100 Most
Influential People" of 2020. Billy released his highly anticipated
memoir, "Unprotected," in October 2021. His directorial film debut,
"Anything's Possible," dropped Summer 2022 to much acclaim. Now,
Billy kicks off his next chapter in music, his first love, with new
single “Baby Was A Dancer” arriving March 24th. @thebillyporter
“Lin Manuel Miranda changed everything for me and I’m ten years
older than him. The internet cracked open a space for the young
people to understand their worth. I did not understand my worth
early on – I did not understand that the stories could and should
come from me. Who could tell the Black, Queer stories better than
me? The audacity to understand that and know that and then step
into the fullness of it. And that’s what I spent my 30’s trying to
do!” - Billy Porter Learn more about your ad choices. Visit
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