Best Billy Porter Movies and TV Shows: Billy Porter is a talented actor, singer, and fashion icon. He has had a long and successful career, which includes Broadway shows, movies, and TV shows.
In this blog post, I will recommend the 8 best Billy Porter movies and TV shows. These shows and movies showcase Porter’s talent and range, and they are all worth watching.
CHECK THIS OUT: A Beautiful Life: Plot, Cast, Release Date, and Everything You Need to Know
8 Best Billy Porter Movies and TV Shows
1. Kinky Boots
Kinky Boots is a 2013 musical about a struggling shoe factory that is saved by a drag queen named Lola. It is one of the best Billy Porter movies and it won him the Tony Award for Best Actor in a Musical for his performance as Lola. In 2015, the show was adapted into a movie.
Charlie Price is a struggling shoe factory owner in Northampton. His father has recently died, and he is facing bankruptcy. One day, Charlie meets Lola, a drag queen looking for shoes for her act. Charlie and Lola strike a deal, and they start to design and sell a line of high-heeled boots for drag queens. The business is a success, and Charlie’s factory is saved. The movie ends with Charlie and Lola performing together on stage.
Along the way, Charlie and Lola learn to accept each other for who they are. Charlie learns to be more open-minded and accepting of drag queens, while Lola learns to be more confident in herself and her abilities. The movie sheds light on bullying, prejudice, and self-acceptance.
2. Pose
Pose is an American drama television series that aired on FX from 2018 to 2021. It makes the list of the best Billy Porter movies and Tv shows. It won the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Drama Series.
The show follows the lives of several transgender and queer people of color in New York City in the 1980s and 1990s. It explores the underground ball culture of the time, as well as the challenges faced by these individuals in a society that often marginalized and discriminated against them.
The main characters include Blanca Rodriguez (MJ Rodriguez), a transgender woman who runs a house for young queer people; Pray Tell (Billy Porter), a flamboyant emcee and ballroom legend; Angel Evangelista (Indya Moore), a young transgender woman who dreams of becoming a fashion model; and Damon Richards (Ryan Jamaal Swain), a young gay man who is struggling to come to terms with his sexuality.
Pose has three seasons. The first season of Pose focuses on the formation of the House of Evangelista, Blanca’s house for young queer people. The house competes in ballroom competitions, where they showcase their talents in fashion, dance, and performance. The lives of the other main characters are also emphasized, including Pray Tell’s battle with AIDS, Angel’s journey to becoming a fashion model, and Damon’s coming-of-age story.
In The second season of Pose, the House of Evangelista deals with the AIDS crisis. You’ll get to see the gentrification of New York City and the impact it has on the ballroom community. The season ends with the death of Pray Tell, a devastating loss for the community.
The third and final season of Pose takes place in 1990. The House of Evangelista continues to compete in ballroom competitions and navigate life’s challenges in New York City. The season ends with a hopeful message about the future of the ballroom community.
3. The Get Down
The Get Down is a historical drama television series on Netflix created by Baz Luhrmann and Stephen Adly Guirgis. It is set in the South Bronx in the late 1970s.
A group of teenagers who are coming of age during the birth of hip-hop and a world of poverty, violence, and the power of music.
The series begins with Zeke, a young poet who lives with his aunt Wanda following the death of his parents. He meets Shaolin Fantastic, a graffiti artist and aspiring DJ. The two band together with Zeke’s friends to become “The Get Down Brothers,” with a dream to become successful music artists and take over the city.
There is also Mylene Cruz, a young singer who dreams of becoming a disco star. She is torn between her traditional Puerto Rican family and her desire to pursue her dreams.
4. Anything’s Possible
Another one of the best Billy Porter movies is Anything’s Possible. This 2022 American romantic comedy film was directed by Billy Porter and stars Eva Reign and Abubakr Ali.
Eva Reign plays the role of Kelsa, a transgender high school student who falls in love with Khal (Abubakr Ali), a cisgender boy.
Kelsa is a confident and outgoing teenager who is well-liked by her classmates. She is also a talented artist and filmmaker, and she uses her YouTube channel to share her experiences as a transgender woman. Khal is a kind and thoughtful boy who is struggling to come to terms with his sexuality. When he develops a crush on Kelsa, he musters up the courage to ask her out, despite the drama he knows it could cause.
So Kelsa and Khal try to navigate their first relationship, while also dealing with the challenges of being transgender teenagers in high school. The film is an uplifting story about love, acceptance, and self-discovery.
RELATED: I Am a Ghost Review: A Suspenseful Korean Horror Film
5. American Horror Story
American Horror Story is an American anthology horror television series created by Ryan Murphy and Brad Falchuk. The series has been running since 2011, and it has featured a wide variety of different characters and storylines.
Porter appeared in the sixth season of the show, titled “Roanoke,” as a fictionalized version of himself. Porter’s performance earned him a nomination for a Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Guest Actor in a Drama Series.
In American Horror Story, Porter plays a fictionalized version of himself who is invited to participate in a reality show about the haunted Roanoke Colony.
6. The Boys in the Band
The Boys in the Band is a 2021 American comedy-drama film directed by Joe Mantello and written by Mart Crowley, based on his 1968 play of the same name.
The film stars an ensemble cast of Jim Parsons, Zachary Quinto, Matt Bomer, Andrew Rannells, Brian Tyree Henry, Tuc Watkins, Charlie Carver, Robin de Jesus, and Michael Benjamin Washington as a group of gay men who gather for a birthday party in New York City.
As the film begins, we’ll see Michael (Parsons), the host of the party, giving a toast to Harold (Quinto), the guest of honor. As the night progresses, the men drink and talk, and their insecurities and prejudices begin to surface. Michael, who is struggling with his own internalized homophobia, becomes increasingly controlling and judgmental of the other men.
The party reaches a breaking point when Alan (Rannells), a new arrival, reveals that he is HIV-positive. The men are initially shocked and scared, but they eventually come to accept Alan and offer him their support.
The film ends with the men gathered around the piano, singing “Happy Birthday” to Harold. The song is a moment of catharsis for the men, as they come to terms with their own identities and their place in the world.
The Boys in the Band is a powerful and moving film about the lives of gay men in the 1960s. The film is well-acted and beautifully directed, and it’s among the best Billy Porter movies so far.
7. Widows
Widows is a 2018 American heist thriller film directed by Steve McQueen and written by McQueen and Gillian Flynn. It’s about four women who are each left with debt following the death of their criminal husbands. They decide to pull off a heist to pay off the debt and secure their futures.
The film is set in Chicago. Veronica Rawlins (Davis), is left with a debt of $2 million following the death of her husband, Harry (Neeson). Porter plays Jamal Manning, a powerful and corrupt politician who is determined to take over the city of Chicago. Jamal Manning approaches Veronica to help him with a heist. Veronica agrees, and she recruits three other widows: Linda Perelli (Rodriguez), Alice Fletcher (Debicki), and Belle (Erivo).
The women plan to rob a Chicago casino but soon find themselves in over their heads. They are pursued by the police, as well as by Jamal’s brother, Jatemme (Kaluuya). The women must use all of their skills and resources to pull off the heist and survive.
The film grossed over $105 million worldwide and was outstanding for its strong female characters, its suspenseful plot, and McQueen’s direction. It was nominated for seven Academy Awards, including Best Picture, Best Director, and Best Supporting Actress for Davis.
Conclusion
These are just a few of the best Billy Porter movies and TV shows. If you’re a fan of Porter’s work, you should check out these shows and movies.
