Billy Porter has come a long way from being a mini star. The Emmy-winning, 360 entertainer has bagged himself a first-look deal with Pose home-base FX. Porter’s production unit, Incognegro, will contribute several projects that tell groundbreaking stories untapped by the current market of content.
“This is where they have the guts to tell the stories that resonate on the deepest level,” Porter said. “Whether it’s about famous artists who you don’t fully understand or people from communities you don’t fully know or biting comedy you’ve thought about but never fully explored, this is such a wonderful home to tell the stories I’ve been talking about my whole life. The FX team is fearless and I can’t wait to break new grounds together.”
D.J. Gugenheim will also play a significant role within the deal as Porter’s producing partner. The two worked together on the coming-of-age film Anything’s Possible, about a high school student who is trans named Kelsa (Eva Reign) who establishes a romantic relationship with a popular student. Anything’s Possible marks Porter’s directorial debut. The film is due out July 22 on Prime Video.
While Porter has always been an acclaimed creative in the space of Broadway and music, many are familiar with his acting work on FX’s Pose as the multi-dimensional character Pray Tell. The award-winning Ryan Murphy, Brad Falchuk, and Steven Canals television series delved into the ball culture of the LGBTQ+ community amid the raging AIDS epidemic in the 1980s and 1990s.
“Billy Porter was an incredibly accomplished artist before joining FX’s Pose to deliver the iconic, breakout, award-winning performance that helped define the series as one of the most memorable and groundbreaking in recent TV history,” Nick Grad, FX President of Original Programming, said. “Billy has excelled as a writer, director and so much more — and we are excited to help him produce bold new stories that reflect his vision and unmatched style.”
“I’m so glad I’ve been blessed to live long enough to see this day,” Porter said. “The day where my queerness was my liability, to now where it grounds my work in personal authenticity and power. This is where we change the conversation.”
