The actor Billy Porter has become best known for his breakthrough as the first openly gay African/American to win an Emmy Award (for Pose), but also for wearing outrageous dresses on red carpets. His other career highlights include winning a Tony Award + Drama Desk Award for playing the drag queen Lola in Kinky Boots. And drag gave him another good role in Seth Micheal Donsky’s film Twisted, plus he played a genderless Fairy Godmother in Amazon’s take on Cinderella.
His successful career seems to work so well because Porter accepts roles that suit both his experience talent and temperament, and allow him to grow as a performer So far that is. Now Porter’s latest news is about to challenge that and Queerguru who has closely followed Porter over the years thinks this is a bridge too far. He is about to co-write and star in a biopic on the African-American writer and activist James Baldwin, and frankly, we just think that no matter his success to date he simply lacks the depth to do justice to this queer icon.
As wikipedia so accurately puts it Baldwin’s work fictionalizes fundamental personal questions and dilemmas amid complex social and psychological pressures. Themes of masculinity, sexuality, race, and class intertwine to create intricate narratives that run parallel with some of the major political movements toward social change in mid-twentieth century America, such as the civil rights movement and the gay liberation movement. Baldwin’s protagonists are often but not exclusively African American, and gay and bisexual men frequently feature prominently in his literature. These characters often face internal and external obstacles in their search for social and self-acceptance. Such dynamics are prominent in Baldwin’s second novel, Giovanni’s Room, which was written in 1956, well before the gay liberation movement.
Filmmaker Raul Peck picked up a nomination for an Academy Award for Best Documentary (and won a César Award) in 2016 for I AM NOT YOUR NEGRO his social critique film essay based on Baldwin’s unfinished manuscript Remember This House.
Plus following his outstanding success with the queer film Moonlight, filmmaker Barry Jenkins wrote and directed ‘If Beale Street Could Talk‘ based on Baldwin’s novel of the same name It didn’t just get showered with awards and nominations, Rotten Tomatoes gave it a 95% rating
These two movies alone are perfect examples of how we feel that the work of this complicated and often troubled queer genius should be treated. Baldwin should not be used for actors hoping to be the first black man to join the EGOT crowd. He deserves so much better than this.
