Billy Porter says he doesn’t “care” whether he plays gay or straight roles

5th January 2020

John Novotny for GAY TIMES

The legendary actor says he now only cares about whether the role interests him.

Iconic actor Billy Porter has said he no longer cares about the sexuality of a character he is playing, only whether the role actually interests him. He made the comments to the PA media agency during the BAFTA Tea Party in Los Angeles.

However, he did express regret at the fact that while straight actors often land LGBTQ roles, this isn’t always the case for LGBTQ actors.

“I don’t care. I’m looking for good roles,” he explained. “I’m looking for the best roles.”

“It’s not about gay or straight. If it happens to be straight that’s amazing. I don’t care. I want the good stuff.”

Porter also expressed hope that things were changing in the entertainment agency, saying: “We’re seeing the change now,” he said. “Look at me, I am the change. For 30 years I have made it my life’s work to be this person standing right before you.

“You can no longer say, ‘there’s nobody famous enough who is gay to play this gay part’. You can’t say that anymore.”

Since 2018, the Tony Award-winning performer has portrayed Pray Tell, Pose’s resident emcee in the Ball scene, a member of the Masters of Ceremony Council and a father figure to the children of ballroom – especially Blanca and Angel.

Last month, speaking ahead of the third season of what he’d like to see for his character, he explained: “I would love to see Pray Tell in a relationship that works.

“I would love to see [my character] crack open a conversation with the black community and the church. We’ll see. Hopefully the Posegods are listening. I just am grateful that I’ve lived long enough to see this day.”