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 ...
Known For
Complete Filmography
The Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping
2026
as Magno Stift
Return to the world of Panem 24 years before the events of The Hunger Games for the reaping of the 50th Hunger Games, also known as the Second Quarter...
Christmas Karma
2025
A story of an Indian who votes for the Conservative Party and hates refugees.
I Was Born This Way
2025
as Self
Surviving childhood abuse during his upbringing in Baltimore, Archbishop Carl Bean forged a path to New York and Hollywood to do the one thing he knew...
I Was Born This Way
2025
Executive Producer
Surviving childhood abuse during his upbringing in Baltimore, Archbishop Carl Bean forged a path to New York and Hollywood to do the one thing he knew...
(pride/prom)
2024
Executive Producer
For ten years, the Andy Warhol Museum has hosted an LGBTQ+ Prom for students who aren’t comfortable – or perhaps aren’t welcome – attending their own ...
Disco’s Revenge
2024
Born underground, on the heels of the Civil Rights Movement and the Stonewall Riots, disco’s nascent popularity saw the spectacular takeover of the da...
Eric André Live Near Broadway
2024
as Self
Gonzo comedian Eric André drags his anarchic comedy show across the globe with a star-studded cast as we capture his most electric performance yet.
Queen of New York
2023
Welcome to a different kind of drag race! As NYC emerges from the chaos of 2020, Marti Cummings (they/them), an audacious and big-hearted drag queen, ...
Our Son
2023
as Gabriel
When his husband Gabriel files for divorce, Nicky fights for custody of their 8-year-old son Owen, as he struggles to come to terms with what it means...
Truth Be Told
2023
While an important cultural epicenter with a rich political history of antiracist organizing, the Black church has historically fallen short when it c...
Let the Canary Sing
2023
as Self
A chronicle of Cyndi Lauper's meteoric ascent to stardom and her profound impact on generations through her music, ever-evolving punk style, unwaverin...
Carol Burnett: 90 Years of Laughter + Love
2023
as Self - Guest
Paying tribute to a beloved national icon for her birthday, NBC celebrates Carol Burnett’s illustrious career with a star-studded event featuring an A...
Little Richard: I Am Everything
2023
as Self
The story of the black, gay origins of rock n' roll. It explodes the whitewashed canon of American pop music to reveal the innovator – the originator ...
80 for Brady
2023
as Gugu
Four lifelong friends set out on an unforgettable journey to see their hero Tom Brady play in Super Bowl LI and witness one of the greatest comebacks ...
Mariah Carey: Merry Christmas to All!
2022
as Self
Filmed in New York City at Madison Square Garden, the concert special will feature the singer-songwriter performing a repertoire of Carey's festive ho...
A Tree of Life: The Pittsburgh Synagogue Shooting
2022
Executive Producer
On October 27th, 2018, a gunman opened fire inside a Pittsburgh synagogue, killing eleven people as they prayed, in what would become the deadliest an...
Homeward Bound: A Grammy Salute to the Songs of Paul Simon
2022
as Self
A special tribute concert honoring 16-time Grammy winner Paul Simon that took place on April 6 2022 with a special appearance by the legendary singer/...
Anything's Possible
2022
Director
Anything’s Possible is a delightfully modern Gen Z coming-of-age story that follows Kelsa, a confident high school girl who is trans, as she navigates...
PRIDE: To Be Seen - A Soul of a Nation Presentation
2022
as Pray Tell (archive footage)
It’s the resilience and love that keeps this community marching to the beat of its own drum; each generation redefining what it means to be queer and ...
Cinderella
2021
as Fabulous Godmother
Cinderella, an orphaned girl with an evil stepmother, has big dreams and with the help of her Fabulous Godmother, she perseveres to make them come tru...
Smoke, Lilies and Jade
2021
Alex, a young artist of the Harlem Renaissance, flirts with the idea of bisexuality through posturing and conversations he has with his girlfriend, Me...
Sanctuary
2021
Writer
What is God? God is love! Plain and simple. SANCTUARY, with book by Billy Porter and music and lyrics by Kurt Carr, invites audiences to fellowship an...
Where Love Lives: A Story of Dancefloor Culture & Expression
2021
as (Himself)
Documentary by the music label Defected and its brand Glitterbox about electronic music, its beginning in New York and its importance for minorities a...
25 Years of Rent: Measured in Love
2021
A quarter century ago, Jonathan Larson’s groundbreaking musical, RENT, opened at New York Theatre Workshop. From its humble beginnings at NYTW, this r...
Pose-a-Thon for Pride
2020
Bringing together the voices of "Pose" for stories, songs, and support of LGBTQ education, social change for sexual and gender minority people of colo...
Together in Pride: You Are Not Alone
2020
as Self
Online special co-hosted by Billy Eichner and Lilly Singh in response to COVID-19 featuring celebrities and live performances raising funds for LGBTQ ...
Like a Boss
2020
as Barrett
Two female friends with very different ideals decide to start a beauty company together. One is more practical, while the other wants to earn her fort...
Every Act of Life
2018
as Self
The life of Tony-winning playwright Terrence McNally (Master Class, Ragtime): 60 years of groundbreaking plays and musicals, the struggle for gay righ...
Broadway: The Next Generation
2017
as Self
A look at the past, present and future of the Great White Way.
The Humbling
2014
as Prince
Following a breakdown and suicide attempt, an aging actor becomes involved with a much younger woman but soon finds that it's difficult to keep pace w...
Heart of Broadway: The Ensemble Behind Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS
2011
as Himself
Heart of Broadway goes inside Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS for an in-depth look at the organization and its key players. Since 1988, they have ra...
The Shoe
2011
The directorial debut of French cultural provocateur André Saraiva is a collaboration with luxury footwear brand J.M. Weston, featuring his actress gi...
All Aboard! Rosie's Family Cruise
2006
as Himself
A documentary on the maiden cruise of R Family Vacations, the travel company founded by Rosie and Kelli O'Donnell, which specializes in gay family vac...
Fabulous! The Story of Queer Cinema
2006
as Self
A chronological look at films by, for, or about gays and lesbians in the United States, from 1947 to 2005, Kenneth Anger's "Fireworks" to "Brokeback M...
Fabulous! The Story of Queer Cinema
2006
Original Music Composer
A chronological look at films by, for, or about gays and lesbians in the United States, from 1947 to 2005, Kenneth Anger's "Fireworks" to "Brokeback M...
Noel
2004
as Randy
Christmas Eve in New York, and the lonely divorced publisher, Rose Collins, needs a miracle to improve the health of her mother, interned in a hospita...
The Broken Hearts Club: A Romantic Comedy
2000
as Taylor
A close-knit group of gay friends share the emotional roller coster of life, relationships, the death of friends, new beginnings, jealousy, fatherhood...
Intern
2000
as Sebastian Niederfarb
A young, underappreciated intern at the ultra-hip magazine Skirt must learn to deal with kissy-face phoniness, model tantrums and bulimic editors, whi...
Colorz of Rage
1999
as Street Performer
Writer-director Dale Resteghini's indie drama follows a young interracial couple (Resteghini and Nicki Richards) whose recent move to New York from th...
Anastasia
1997
as Ensemble and Character Vocals (voice)
Ten years after she was separated from her family, an eighteen-year-old orphan with vague memories of the past sets out to Paris in hopes of reuniting...
Twisted
1996
as Shiniqua, Angel's friend
This retelling of Charles Dickens's Oliver Twist may be populated by drug pushers, pimps and prostitutes, but the book's classic themes remain the sam...
Raquel: Total beauty and fitness
1984
Camp
N/A
as Mark
Sixteen-year-old Randy Kapplehoff loves spending the summer at Camp Outland, a camp for queer teens. It’s where he met his best friends. It’s where he...
To Be Real
N/A
Director, Executive Producer
An edgy, laugh out loud comedy about three queer high school seniors who go on the ultimate quest to attend their first New York Pride parade.
Camp
N/A
Director
Sixteen-year-old Randy Kapplehoff loves spending the summer at Camp Outland, a camp for queer teens. It’s where he met his best friends. It’s where he...