Billy Porter and the Prince of Wales make an unlikely pairing, but the singer, actor and trailblazer for male expression has built a rapport with the heir to the throne.
When Billy, 56, was struck by a serious case of sepsis in September, forcing him to withdraw from the Broadway production of Cabaret, he was delighted to receive a missive from Kensington Palace.
The Tony, Grammy and Emmy award-winning performer, who met William in South Africa last year when he co-hosted the fourth edition of the Prince's Earthshot Prize, said that he was touched by the gesture.
"He heard that I was ill and he sent me a get-well card," Billy tells HELLO! as he celebrates the release of his latest film, Christmas Karma. "That's the kind of human being he is."
In many ways, the men could not be more different. Billy grew up in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, in a poor and strict Pentecostal family and slogged to become an actor despite constant feedback from auditions that he was "too flamboyant". The Prince has had his life mapped out for him since birth.
But ask Billy whether William is hidebound by being royal and the singer is forthright: "He's very grounded, very kind, very present to everybody around him at all times. You know, it's a really hard job and it's just effortless to him. I [felt] so humbled and blessed to host his Earthshot Prize… in Cape Town. His kindness and his presence have no bounds."
"He's very grounded, very kind, very present to everybody around him at all times."
Billy's love for London
The actor, who became the first gay black man to win an Emmy in 2019 for his leading role in the drama Pose, has become an anglophile since starring as the Emcee in the West End production of Cabaret.
"I have to say, doing eight shows a week in that show doesn't really give you a lot of energy to do extracurricular stuff," he explains. "But I lived in Primrose Hill while I was there and I loved that area, and Camden Market. The Corinthia Hotel, which is right across the street from the theatre, is fabulous."
Did he try the cocktails there? "Yes! I had the cocktails. I had the afternoon tea. I loved that place. It was like a home away from home – they all knew me by name."
In contrast with his early singing career, when he was obliged to appear in music videos apparently flirting with women, Billy no longer has patience for pretending to be anything but his authentic self.
In 2019, this meant attending the Oscars in a strapless velvet ballgown topped with a dress shirt, dinner jacket and bow tie. At the 2020 event, he wore a gold feathered bodice and extravagant satin skirt inspired by the Cupola Room at Kensington Palace – another Prince William connection.
Billy Porter on expressing himself using fashion
What joy does he take in dressing up? "It expresses my freedom as a black, queer man on this Earth, where I can love myself unconditionally. My clothing is an extension of my art. My goal is to exude confidence, express love and be a walking piece of art for those who might not be so courageous – yet."
He recalls that his Aunt Dorothy told him: "Dress for the job you want, not for the job you have."
"It expresses my freedom as a black, queer man on this Earth, where I can love myself unconditionally."
Although he believes in looking good every time he leaves the house, he says it isn't a burden.
"It's really not that difficult. I've been doing it my whole life so it's second nature to me; I don't really know any other way. In my everyday life, I usually pick a theme or idea and I just do that for a season and I just switch it up. Spring and summer are very different to fall and winter. It doesn't take a lot of different kinds of clothes, it's just a couple of essential pieces and I wear them all the time and I look good. I just mix and match.
"I've been recovering from a little bit of a health scare so I don’t have a whole lot of energy. There are two-piece knit jumpsuits – jumpers – sweaters and pants that come in six different colours. That's what I will be wearing in winter this year. Fabulous and functional."
Billy's relationship with Christmas
He looks anything but functional in Christmas Karma, Gurinder Chadha's musical adaptation of the Charles Dickens classic, A Christmas Carol. The film stars Kunal Nayyar as Scrooge and Billy as the Ghost of Christmas Present. His fellow ghosts include Eva Longoria and Boy George.
Billy explains that he has an awkward relationship with Christmas but might begin to embrace the season with more vigour now that he is in a festive film.
"I grew up very religious. I believe that religion is man-made, spirituality is divine. So when I left religion [those traditions] dissipated. Christmas has always been about honouring humanity. Being in community and honouring humanity. That is the tradition that I create.
"The commerciality of [Christmas] really drives me nuts. It can be a very triggering time for a lot of people. There’s this desperate forced happiness that comes with Christmas sometimes that I find difficult. So I've never really been a Christmas person in a traditional sense. But I must say that I think that is changing because I'm in a Christmas movie.
"I'm really excited about it. The fact that I get to be a part of something – the experience of Christmas like that – makes me happy. So, who knows? I might be a Christmas person."
Looking ahead
He also has hope about Hollywood's willingness to tell more diverse stories, despite the entertainment business being geared against taking risks.
"As a 56-year-old black gay church 'sissy' who entered this market in the Eighties, there has been enormous change," he says. "The fact that you’re talking to me right now and asking me the questions that you're asking me and the world gets to experience me as my full authentic self, is the change, and it’s magical to be a part of it.
"As a 56-year-old black gay church 'sissy' who entered this market in the Eighties, there has been enormous change."
"Simultaneously, we have a long way to go. Two things can exist at the same time. It's risk-averse, inherently. You have to follow the money, so if someone takes a big swing in Hollywood and it succeeds, they're a genius. If you take a big swing in Hollywood and it fails, you’re fired. Most of the time.
"So that creates a stagnating fear in [the] hearts and minds of the gatekeepers and leaders. They have to be taught to be cautious for their own survival. So it's a constant evolution that I’m grateful to be part of – this expansion. And I hope to continue to be a part of that."
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