Before Billy Porter became the trailblazer he is today, the 'Pose' actor had many challenges to overcome — his relationship with his body being one of them.
Porter referred to a photo of himself as"Juicy Billy," when he was 24 recording"Beauty School Dropout" for the 1994 Broadway revival of"Grease."This was around the same time Porter was also trying to carve out a space for himself as a Black queer artist.
"They told me that I was too Black, too much, too gay, all of these things," Porter told"GMA.""I always knew that I had gifts that transcended what anybody thought about me. I knew I had gifts that could transcend that dismissal."Porter's latest gift to the world is his new memoir,"Unprotected," where he gets raw and real about so much of his life, including his HIV-positive status.
"There's so much work left to do on this planet," Porter said."And I wanted to be around to do it. And I understood that in order for me to be around to do it, I would have to release the darkest and deepest shame." When asked why he decided to share his status with the world, Porter said he wanted to free not just himself but others around him.
"I would have to remove that shame from my life and free myself to be the best human being that I can be," Porter said."That's why I did that, to free myself. And in turn, hopefully, help others get free."
United States Latest News, United States Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Best-Selling Celebrity Memoirs: Billy Porter Joins the RanksSome people’s lives are so extraordinary it would feel remiss not to memorialize their stories on the page. When it has a real-life Hollywood ending, even better. Some of the most captivating…
Read more »
Janet Street-Porter baffles Loose Women panel when she reveals what she's done with old wedding and engagement ringsJanet Street-Porter has been married four times, and exes include Tim Street-Porter and David Sorkin. The Loose Women star spoke about her wedding and engagement rings live on air.
Read more »
Inside the 15th Annual Golden Heart Awards—Where Cyndi Lauper and Dionne Warwick PerformedInside the 15th Annual GoldenHeartAwards—where CyndiLauper and DionneWarwick performed.
Read more »
Best-Selling Celebrity Memoirs: Billy Porter Joins the RanksSome people’s lives are so extraordinary it would feel remiss not to memorialize their stories on the page. When it has a real-life Hollywood ending, even better. Some of the most captivating…
Read more »
Janet Street-Porter baffles Loose Women panel when she reveals what she's done with old wedding and engagement ringsJanet Street-Porter has been married four times, and exes include Tim Street-Porter and David Sorkin. The Loose Women star spoke about her wedding and engagement rings live on air.
Read more »