Billy Porter Is Only One Letter Away from EGOT Status
Billy Porter—now celebrated as fashion icon, LGBTQ+ activist, and star of Pose—has come a long way since he carved out his career on the Broadway stage, and now he has a slew of awards to show for it. After the 2019 Emmys ceremony, Porter is only one letter away from achieving EGOT prestige, the coveted combination of winning an Emmy, Grammy, Oscar, and Tony Award. The sought-after status is so rare that only 16 people have accomplished the feat (with composer and songwriter Alan Menken being one of the recent ones). But, who knows, Porter may be next.
Here are the EGOT-worthy trophies he's received so far.
Emmys
In 2019, the actor won the Emmy for his portrayal of Prey Tell in Pose—his first time being nominated for the honor. Porter's victory was a historic one, marking the first time an openly gay Black man had ever triumphed in the category, according to the Los Angeles Times. The actor seemed to give a nod to his history-making achievement, starting his acceptance speech with, "The category is love, y'all, love!"
One year later, Porter has earned his second Emmy nomination for the same role.
Porter was previously nominated for a Golden Globe for the part.
Grammys
While Porter has released music as a solo act, he was nominated and shared a win in the Best Musical Theater Album category for his contributions on the Kinky Boots original Broadway cast recording album, released in 2013.
Pose fans are likely also aware that Porter sings on songs that appear in the FX series, like "For All We Know" and "Home." However, those pieces have not been Grammy-recognized—yet.
Oscars
This is the only missing letter in Porter's EGOT journey; but that doesn't mean he hasn't appeared in movies. The actor has had smaller roles in past films including The Broken Hearts Club (2000), The Humbling (2014), and Noel (2004), according to his IMDb page.
He's also set to appear in the upcoming comedy, Like a Boss, opposite Tiffany Haddish, Rose Byrne, and Salma Hayek. Check out the trailer below.
Tonys
Porter, who rose to prominence on the Broadway stage, won a Tony in 2013 for Actor in a Musical for his leading performance in Kinky Boots. He quoted Shakespeare's "To thine own self be true" in his moving acceptance speech.
"When I was 11 years old, my journey to truth began when I discovered the Tony Awards washing dishes in my kitchen, and the performance of Jennifer Holiday and the cast of Dreamgirls at the Tony Awards took my breath away," he said after receiving his trophy. "That moment changed my life. And I am here today."
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