Billy Porter on being a queer Black man in the music industry, the actors' strike & Trump's America

Billy Porter started singing in church when he was about five years old, and growing up saw performance as a lifeline out of the trauma and rejection he experienced as a Black gay man.
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The multi-hyphenate star won a Grammy and a few Tonys since his breakout role on Broadway with 2013's Kinky Boots, and was the first openly gay Black man to win a lead acting Emmy for his role in the drama series Pose in 2019. Now Porter is returning to mainstream music with his fifth studio album, Black Mona Lisa, which he hopes will continue to craft an empowering legacy for the queer youth of colour.
Today on Ways to Change the World, he tells Krishnan Guru-Murthy about the challenges he faced due to homophobia in the music industry in the '90s, the harsh reality of being an actor in the golden age of streaming and what success means to him.
Produced by Silvia Maresca
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[@zadadazadada4298]

Awesome and inspirational story! Love you Billy and thank you for all you do!

[@MrDJCue]

Why does the interviewer look like he is holding back laughter the whole time. 😅

[@shhh3185]

he's a human mocking bird. Horrid.

[@SharonIfe]

😂😂😂😂😂😂😂

[@Toodle.Pipp001]

Make the arts accessible to Everyone! Not just rich kids, bring back Theatre in Education!

[@gregorybiestek3431]

If you want to pay for fine, otherwise crawl back into your basement and let the 90% of people in the USA who don't care one way or another alone. Look at the low number of views & responses.

[@kameronspann385]

‼️‼️‼️‼️

[@denisebrown4135]

@ gregorybiestek3431 What are you saying ???

[@annmarieknapp]

I love this guy. He's authentic and real.

[@Malik_Maverick]

6 cents for a residual check is insane. It costs more to print and mail that check than it’s actually worth 😮

[@Seabasstien]

Love Billy Porter ever since Kinky Boots! Loved Pose and I love his beautiful romantic duet with Luke Evans. And I thank him for voicing a lot of my truth as a gay black man in this interview. I so admire his talent and his bravery and I agree with his philosophy. It's our turn to stand up, and see that Rome doesn't fall on our Watch.

[@Jade-soso]

Billy talks highly about Murphy but if he really cared about the pose cast members he would’ve made sure they are paid!! He just wanted to get rich just like the rest, while exploiting the talent.

[@MsRedd_86]

“We are Blue collar freelance workers, period.” I’ve ALWAYS said the entertainment industry and Hollywood is just a huge Temp agency Overall, Billy Porter dropped quite a few gems. Great interview🫶🏾

[@sophiaisabelle01]

Billy Porter has teleporting skills. He can easily transform the whole industry with his sense of intellect and pride.

[@thefacelessvaper2833]

Yeah right pmsl 😂😅

[@karlhibell278]

You do realise pride is a sin right?

[@kameronspann385]

@@karlhibell278you do realize your religion isn’t everyone’s right ?

[@karlhibell278]

@@kameronspann385 Not even religious so jumped out the window with that one, still stands that pride is a sin whether you want to heed the warning or not. 🤡

[@jerdonsbabbler3515]

@@kameronspann385 Oh, cool! So pride is a virtue in all the other religions? I had no idea!

[@ckiadii2]

Jesus Saves.

[@chrisfrancis9555]

Amen 🙏

[@YeshuaIsLord7777]

Amen

[@ralphmaver1489]

Why do you people always bring religion into everything?

[@onelife7247]

@ralphmaver So regressive...

[@YeshuaIsLord7777]

@ralphmaver1489 Jesus is the beginning and the last. Billy Porter needs Jesus

[@odeode4338]

Okay, I‘m done now with the interview. Somehow artists seem to live in another sphere and it seems so fake and annoying. Go out, talk to a regular person like a school teacher, a carpenter, a train driver, a homeless, a drug addict (that is not an artist), anyone but these self obsessed and perpetual victims who live lavishly compared with regular people.

[@Gold_gyrl]

Correct I just unsubscribed I’m disgusted

[@ameddayr]

I would love have them a homeless person sitting in that chair. :D But sure, Billy Porter has it good now, but if you actually listen to him, you find out that that wasn't always the case. His status now is hard won. And he got lucky, of course. He is far from self obsessed.

[@odeode4338]

@@ameddayr I know that he had it hard, so did many others that are not in his privileged position now. This is what makes him shallow, lacking depth, especially while trying to find whatever artistic lyric phrasing to express it instead of just talking as it is and acknowledging how privileged he is. Not just compared to other black, gay men. Let‘s be brutally honest. If a straight white artist would sit here and talk like that, we all would tear him apart. Rightly so.

[@kameronspann385]

So are you mad that they don’t share your same experience ? Or are you mad they made the choice to live freely while you exist in a shell ?

[@Sue-b5o]

Sorry you missed the point of this interview… love, hope & honesty. He’s spot on. You sound uneducated and/or homophobic; that’s sad for you. He’s speaking honestly of real life issues for human beings that are black & gay. Brilliant interview. ❤️

[@thefacelessvaper2833]

Who gives two you know what's

[@nzelver559]

I really empathize with him - I hope he gets to go back to work, I also think if I were able to give him advice is that he does something else and not rely on this career as his primary source of income anymore. He will be more secure having other avenues to earn some money so that this strike doesn't cripple him financially as it has proven to do already.

[@normandy2501]

Most smaller artists have had to do that for years now. "I became a teacher so I don't have to create s**t." Musicians often become teachers, and photographers sell Lightroom presets or the same "how to get rich" courses that your average self-help guru does. Very interesting times we're surviving in.

[@Geo7LFG]

The sad reality is most people in the entertainment industry, unless on a Brad Pitt or Will Smith level, will struggle to earn steady income. Often time it's difficult for them to obtain AND maintain a regular job due to the notoriety they gain from fame. And even if they land a role, it means they're having to work 20 hour days at time and you can work a full-time job while being an actor. I mean just look how they tried to clown this one actor because he worked in a grocery store, and there was one girl on Orange is the New Black that literally had to take a bus to film 20 hour days on a set and got pennies in residuals. My thing with Billy is he's been in the industry for so long. Pose may not have paid him as much but he did own 2 homes. I think what hurt him is his finances are most likely not in order and he did go through a divorce in summer of 2023 just as the strikes were around the corner, it wouldn't surprise me if his ex-husband got some type of spousal support that's being paid out by Billy.

[@jacobw2570]

He always has an excuse as to why he is not as successful as he we wants to be. Like maybe people just don’t like you or you’re not good enough.

[@daisyb4614]

😂

[@kameronspann385]

This sounds like projection . Maybe what you tell yourself doesn’t apply to others 🤣

[@Scoutbq1l]

He's pretty freaking talented. People would like him more if he had a heteronormative comportment.

[@IamLinLin]

He is such a victim 🙄

[@ameddayr]

nah.

[@gregorybiestek3431]

He's not a victim, he's lucky. Despite everything he became successful. The real victims are the hundreds of kids in poverty suffering today. Have you done anything to change that? Did you volunteer at a community center or school, did you donate a few of your hard earned pennies to a charity even if it means you have to eat noodles for a week, did you even bother to just go out and vote for a politician who might help? Don't sit there and be a key board warrior, come back to me when you done even a few of those things like I have

[@ameddayr]

@@gregorybiestek3431 oh boy, i really got confused there for a second, I hope you won't have a clue why i'm writing this. 😅 it's hard to keep track of who says what to whom here sometimes...

[@IamLinLin]

@@gregorybiestek3431 he always complains in every interview…oh him…he ain’t no different than any other black male with HIV. My best friend is a black man living with HIV and he isn’t complaining all the time. And my friend is broke, jobless and homeless. Mr Porter needs to be grateful and thankful for all his blessing and stop complaining because their are many people worse off than him.

[@gregorybiestek3431]

@@ameddayr I was NOT posting anything to you. I was responding to the high & mighty social justice warrior who never actually does anything help people in need.

[@sheltonbailey6548]

Great interview! Thank you Billy Porter for your honesty.

[@inspectorfunk]

Powerful interview

[@j9670]

Great interview! ❤️❤️❤️

[@MissHeird]

Not interested and don't care Channel4.

[@Mumra2K]

Bye Felicia.

[@verandisoldusty6834]

Why are you choosing to waste your own time if you don't give an F? You're the one that choose to watch? Don't let the bots hit you on the way out.

[@flickrebeat8936]

​@@verandisoldusty6834❤😂

[@gregorybiestek3431]

@@verandisoldusty6834 I'm here occasionally just to give people like you a very hard time. I enjoy sticking to you folk sideways.

[@daisyb4614]

Why are you here?

[@steeldriver1776]

No one cares

[@ameddayr]

you wouldn't say it if you didn't care

[@denisebrown4135]

This man is so deep, well spoken. His gives so much thought in his Presentation as he speaks, the way he communicates his thoughts is amazing.😮 32:53 32:53 the people listening to this podcast. Yes COVID in 2020 changed and will have a very powerful and disruptive effect on us as a people and a nation for years to come. The isolation, pain of losing love ones without closure and without proper burial’s etc. We Still don’t know and will never know how many people lost their lives due to COVID. A lot of people weren’t accounted for. Some people had Covid that didn’t even know it. Many people are Still have ongoing effects like memory and foggy brain. Some still don’t have their smell and taste and it may never come back. The medical community aren’t addressing these issues with patients. I could go on. We as US citizens should/ deserve better healthcare. I also believe that the mental instability in children and adults are from COVID… high level of mental instability in children and adults are do to COVID.

[@Envy_me94]

Pretty sure there is more important things going on than a gay musician who happens to be black.

[@MissHeird]

I certainly agree @Envy_me94.

[@ReviewBoard-uy5nv]

Practicing empathy & compassion with people you don’t share anything with in common might just make you a better citizen and improve your life. Lack of compassion for others begets a society that does not care for you

[@URBeingLiedTo]

Absolutely!

[@TheAArmstrong]

B…b..but he’s black and gay. Hero!!! 😮

[@gregorybiestek3431]

@@TheAArmstrong A hero to 2% of the US population, a f**king bas***d to 8% and completely irrelevant & total unimportant to 90% of the USA. Nobody cares one way or the other.

[@jeffbassett700]

Yuk

[@verandisoldusty6834]

Yes, you are a completely yuk-ky individual.

[@Love-Within]

Love you Billy. You ARE the black Mona Lisa new Da Vinci and all of it. We see the light with you :) keep spreading your message. Beautiful soul.

[@ec3076]

'Millionaire has a whinge'

[@ameddayr]

he's not a millionaire. actually listen to him.

[@ec3076]

@ameddayr He's just another whiner. "Billy Porter has a net worth of an estimated $1 million." That makes him a millionaire, genius.

[@baileybutterfly320]

Now, I’m going listen to his audio book.

[@URBeingLiedTo]

There has never been a more open and equal time in history....and yet here they are pushing identity politics 🤦

[@ameddayr]

says the man from the ivory tower.

[@URBeingLiedTo]

@@ameddayr What the f... are you on about? Weirdo.

[@kameronspann385]

The entitlement of you people is hilarious 🤣

[@URBeingLiedTo]

@@kameronspann385 Explain your comment, if you can that is.

[@ChristineBarger]

I never gave much thought to Billy Porter but after this I absolutely adore him!

[@Sue-b5o]

Brilliant, interesting artist. artist. Well spoken too. I simply adore him. ❤🎶🎤🙏❤️

[@andreabertozzi8199]

Truly AN inspiration, thank you Billy and Channel 4 🌈❤️🔥

[@Gold_gyrl]

I thought this was a respectable news channel this is a privileged black male in America and you let him tell the sob story that’s not true OK

[@surgedeb]

🙄

[@GodenClark]

We love billy 💖

[@danh5637]

Mona Lisa would have got both top and bottom sets of veneers.

[@dlsmith300201]

SHADE.

[@danh5637]

@@dlsmith300201 in fairness he bought his downfall upon himself when he came for Anna Wintour who in no small part gave him his up. Now he’s crying. Thought I’m sure album sales will be plentiful.

[@brittanyroberts3401]

Great Interview 🫶🏽🫶🏽🙏🏽🙏🏽

[@citrusbutter7718]

Bla bla bla.

[@Gold_gyrl]

Unsubscribed

[@Mumra2K]

I've noticed you write at least 4 comments. Two of them are you saying you've unsubscribed. Lady, close the door firmly on your way out. Thank you, kindly.

[@itsjemmabond]

Bye.

[@joanneward6746]

Love this guy

[@francoisbessing]

Me too.

[@thespunkavenue3471]

I don't know why I love him . Can't explain it but I do

[@jjayguy23]

He's just so REAL. That's why I love him. He's unapologetically honest, and himself. Not fake.

[@noblestrength]

Six cents checks 14:17

[@SumKnight-iw4rw]

You have Hamas leader last night and gay musician tonight. Bravo!!!

[@ameddayr]

so you're saying they're basically the same? wow, not bad! XD

[@SumKnight-iw4rw]

@@ameddayr No I’m saying totally opposite and not the same type of people which makes it more interesting.

[@LawrenceHill-u2f]

Thank you for your truth. I can only say you are loved This life is really short. Tell your man and child that you love them You have absolutely earn it. Mostly treat yourself the way you treat everyone else.You matter and always have been even if you never felt it Thank you for playing it through. YOU HAVE NOTHING TO PROVE

[@PurpleMonkeyDishwasher-69]

The best way to spot the real racists is to look out for those constantly bleating on about race.

[@daisyb4614]

He’s not racist his ex husband is white 😒

[@itsjemmabond]

​@@daisyb4614To be fair, it's possible to marry outside your race and still be racist, but I don't think Billy is like that.

[@kameronspann385]

A BLACK man discusses race .. Racists : He’s so racist ! Get over yourself

[@Elphin89]

People like you are hilariously transparent

[@NattyByNature-]

I think the world has to be more accepting and tolerant because this generation is different. They are not as religious and that’s where the issue has always been. It shapes society and society is seeing that religion is flawed so why hold our whole existence to it

[@sedecim]

Unconditionally ! Hear that blk folks! And give mamma some peace. Peace!

[@5942jh]

The words of the album are remarkably generic NOT VERY PROFOUND LOL

[@Magaly-w5v]

FEAR NO HUMANITY. FEAR ONLY OUR CREATOR FATHER GOD HE KNOWS ALL..

[@MexiMelt1988]

151 Comments

[@dionneking8]

Artist's need to be laid and paid

[@lakeshafinney-so1sn]

i love u billie❤😊😊😊😊😊😊

[@kumpircan]

He is a great actor

[@viviankirkham1677]

Billy Porter..You are an inspiration to me. I'm not a star on stage. I'm a regular person but I look for you everywhere on TV. Thank you for speaking up ❤❤❤❤❤ And I love your thought of how religion weaponizes...right on!!

[@jameskhan1320]

Born gay……so babies have sexuality

[@kameronspann385]

Do babies have birth defects ? 😏

[@tylermason863]

Are they born straight ?

[@benfisher1376]

Exhausting 🙄

[@p.1019]

Ironic that Krishnan has given a voice to an African American like Billy Porter(wonderful interviewee btw), but would never think of giving the same chance to express himself to a British equivalent of Billy Porter.

[@martintinajero9140]

What’s Hollywood and the actors going to do about streaming and digital acing movie theaters, and physical copies?

[@saleemapearson7669]

Heavy on the STOP WEAPONIZING YOUR FAITH AND GOD AGAINST PEOPLE .

[@belkentens]

😂fantastic…

[@terrymoser2028]

What is success? The guy is talented. 😮😮😮 Something is just off??

[@tiairadent602]

Love you Billy! ❤

[@DesignerVamp]

such a queen

[@huck638]

It's outrageous what they've been paying them.

[@stalkingshadows]

Covid was a cake walk for me

[@melanin_Stitches]

I love me some billy porter ❤

[@MaheshSah-wn6bx]

It's no longer a story that the world is experiencing a global economic downturn, I'm so happy that I've been receiving $64,000 from my $15,000 investment every 8 days

[@MaheshSah-wn6bx]

The crypto market is highly profitable with an expert broker just like Deborah Lee Clark. I got recommended to her and since then my financial life has been a success

[@MaheshSah-wn6bx]

It was a very awesome transformation, No greater joy than seeing my progress in an initial decision

[@MaheshSah-wn6bx]

Make a note to Mrs Deborah regarding your interest in investing

[@MaheshSah-wn6bx]

+184

[@MaheshSah-wn6bx]

8294

[@daisyb4614]

6 cents!!!! Wow

[@aleugenio]

✊🏽💓✊🏽💓✊🏽💓✊🏽💓

[@philsophkenny]

❤

[@PisceanWarrior]

#ClaudiaJordan

[@Dracul972]

My mother, noticing I was different never missed an opportunity to beat me good when I was a child, now that I'm an adult, she doesn't want to be near me... I'm gay and I have no family...

[@bunandcheese4445]

Channel 4 does podcasts now? 😂😂😂😂 ok

[@michaelmusco1414]

"Friends " gets 100m yearly checks because they were great. You get 6 cents because you have no where near the talent they did. Actually you kinda suck.