Billy Porter turns 57 on 21 September 2026. Born in Pittsburgh in 1969, the American artist has worked in musical theatre, television, film and music.

His portrayal of Lola in the musical “Kinky Boots” earned him, in 2013, the Tony Award for Best Actor in a Musical. The show’s score, by Cyndi Lauper, was honoured separately. A performance credit is not a composing credit.

The role of Pray Tell in “Pose” brought him, in 2019, the Primetime Emmy for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series. The Television Academy records the distinction. Later nominations are not the same as the award won.

Porter has used public appearances and fashion as a form of expression. His statements have addressed representation and LGBTQ+ performers’ access to complex roles. This report uses the terminology the artist uses in public.

Private life and health information stay outside the article unless they come from his own statements. An anniversary text does not speculate about unrevealed projects.

For the exact prize titles, the references are the Tony Awards and the Television Academy. A birthday marks an age, not an invented résumé.

Image: UKinUSA, Billy Porter at the Gershwin Prize, 20 March 2024, CC BY-SA 2.0, Wikimedia Commons. Not a 2026 event. Cropped to 16:9.

Source consulted: Billy Porter — Television Academy.