Billy Porter Gets Star on Hollywood Walk of Fame: ‘My Dreams Have Always Been Big’

Billy Porter unveiled his star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame on Thursday, Dec. 1, 2022. (Credit: Urban Hollywood 411)

Billy Porter dreamed of big things and those dreams came true.

The Emmy, Tony and Grammy Award-winning actor and singer celebrated what he called a “very special moment” on Thursday, Dec. 1, when his star was unveiled on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

Dressed in a flowing white gown paired with platform boots, Porter said he was often told he’d never succeed in show business.

“I heard a lot of things in my life. ‘You’re too Black, you’re too gay, too loud, too extra, too flamboyant. Homosexuality is an abomination. You are an abomination, you will never be blessed,'” he said. “Well, we know that’s a lie. That theory no longer has any credibility, b–ches.”

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Porter, 53, noted that he was encouraged to change, but he refused.

“‘Try to be quieter, try fitting in, butch it up, dim your light, stop making everybody feel so uncomfortable around you,'” he recalled being told. “I tried doing all those things but thank God I couldn’t.”

He added, “My dreams were too big to be contained. My dreams have always been big.”

Porter received the 2,741st star on the Los Angeles landmark — in the category of Live Performance/Live Theatre.

He was joined at the ceremony by his husband, along with Broadway veteran Tracie Thoms, and FX network executives. Porter’s talent manager Bill Butler and the actor’s sister Mary Martha Ford spoke at the ceremony. Porter said his mother beamed with pride when she learned he’d be getting a star, but she’s in a nursing home and was unable to attend.

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Billy Porter is known for his fashion sense as well as for playing “Pray Tell” on the FX series Pose. He won an Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series for the role.

The Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania native previously had roles in Ryan Murphy’s American Horror Story: Apocalypse; the second season of the CBS All Access series The Twilight Zone; Amazon Prime’s 2021 Cinderella re-make; and other TV projects. He also directed the 2022 film Anything’s Possible about a transgender high school student.

Porter’s star is located at 6201 Hollywood Blvd., across from the iconic Pantages Theatre.


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