Billy Porter to Write & Star as James Baldwin in New Biopic

April 19, 2023
TOMMY

Pose star and darling of Broadway Billy Porter is set to co-write and star in a new biopic of the iconic gay author and civil rights activist James Baldwin. Porter will be writing the biopic with playwright Dan McCabe, and it will be based on David Leeming’s 1994 biography of Baldwin, James Baldwin.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Billy Porter (@theebillyporter)

Born in 1924, Baldwin came to prominence in the 1950s and '60s with his writings and activism, with one of his most prominent works being the iconic Giovanni's Room, published in 1956. Giovanni's Room told the story of a young, gay American living in Paris, and the frustration he feels dealing with the men of the city.

The author has remained a staple in literature and politics in the ensuing 80 years but was also a specifically personal influence for Porter. "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 said. "I am because James was. I stand on James Baldwin’s shoulders, and I intend to expand his legacy for generations to come." Porter even quoted Baldwin during his 2019 Emmy Award acceptance speech, saying “It took many years of vomiting up all the filth that I had been taught about myself and halfway believed before I could walk around this Earth like I had the right to be here." He won for his legendary performance as Pray Tell on Pose. This made him the first openly gay Black man to win the award for Lead Actor in a Drama Series.

This isn't the first time Baldwin or his work has served as the subject of a film. From director Raoul Peck, the documentary I Am Not Your Negro was released in 2016, and 2018's If Beale Street Could Talk which was nominated for Best Picture at the Academy Awards, and for which Regina King won the Oscar for Best Supporting Actress. This is the first time the author's life has been made into a scripted feature, however. Byron Allen, CEO of Allen Media Group which will be co-producing the film, said that "[Porter and McCabe’s] talent and commitment to amplifying James Baldwin’s legacy and contributions are invaluable and unmatched for this unique and epic story."

It's also worth noting that Porter is currently an Oscar short of the coveted EGOT. If you're unfamiliar, an EGOT is for those who have won an Emmy, Grammy, Oscar, and Tony Award. Porter won an Emmy for his performance in Pose, a Grammy for Best Musical Theater Album for the Original Broadway Cast recording of Kinky Boots, and a Tony Award for his performance as Lola in Kinky Boots. If he nails the role, then this will no doubt at least put him in the discussion for Best Actor.