Billy Porter To Play James Baldwin In New Biopic

Best known for his activism and essays, James Baldwin is one of the most influential gay writers in American history.

A new biopic about Baldwin’s life and legacy is currently in the works from Byron Allen’s Allen Media Group Motion Pictures. Overall, the movie will be based on 1994’s James Baldwin: A Biography, written by David Leeming.

Pose and Cinderella actor Billy Porter is not only attached to star in the project as Baldwin, but he’s also credited as a cowriter in the upcoming film alongside Dan McCabe. Porter has demonstrated that he’s a longtime fan of Baldwin’s work, having quoted the writer on multiple occasions – including his Emmy-winning acceptance speech in 2019.

It is noteworthy that Porter has already won an Emmy, Grammy, and Tony, and is only missing an Oscar award to achieve EGOT status. If he were to win an Oscar in the near future, Porter could potentially become the first gay Black man to EGOT.

“As a Black queer man on this planet with relative consciousness, I find myself, like James Baldwin said, ‘in a rage all the time,’” Porter wrote in a statement. “I am because James was. I stand on James Baldwin’s shoulders, and I intend to expand his legacy for generations to come.”

Baldwin was born in New York City in 1924 and passed away in 1987 at 63 years of age. His most popular books include Giovanni’s Room, Go Tell It on the Mountains, Another Country, Tell Me How Long The Train’s Been Gone, and If Beale Street Could Talk, among others.

Needless to say, we can’t wait to watch Porter on the big screen. And who knows, maybe there’s an Oscar in sight for the multihyphenate that will have him achieving EGOT status and making history!