Why Billy Porter Calls His Queerness His "Superpower"
Billy Porter's greatest strength is being his true, authentic self.
After taking home the Achievement Award at the 2022 OutFest film festival on July 14, Porter looked back at how far he's come since his early struggles as a queer actor.
"Everybody told me that my queerness would be my liability, both allies and haters alike, because that was the world that we were in," the Pose star told E! News' Daily Pop's Francesca Amiker. "And it was my liability for decades, and now it's my superpower. And that is redemptive."
The 52-year-old is continuing to uplift LGBTQ+ voices in the media with his directorial debut, Anything's Possible, which premieres on Prime Video July 22. The coming-of-age film, which was shot in his hometown in Pittsburgh, follows transgender teen Kelsa (Eva Reign) as she sparks a romance with her classmate, Khal (Abubakr Ali).
"This movie is a romantic comedy celebrating transness and trans joy," he said, "and I am just so grateful to be here and be a part of that."
Already an Emmy, Tony and Grammy award winner, Porter is just an Oscar away from earning an EGOT title, something he hopes to achieve through the film's original soundtrack.
"I wrote five new pop songs that made it onto the album and in the film," Porter shared. "So, let's speak it into existence. Oscars Best Song, c'mon."
Check out the interview above.
Anything's Possible premieres Friday, July 22, on Prime Video.