Billy Porter to Star in & Co-Write James Baldwin Biopic

GRAMMY, EMMY, and twice Tony Award-winner Billy Porter will star in and co-write a new biopic based on the life of author and human rights activist James Baldwin.

Variety reports that Porter will joined by Dan McCabe to write the currently untitled movie. It will be adapted from a 1994 biogrpahy on Baldwin written by David Leeming, who was a close friend and assistant to Baldwin for 25 years.

Porter has stated that it has been a career-long goal to bring Baldwin's story to the big screen. Baldwin was a Black gay writer born in 1924. His work includes "Go Tell It on the Mountain," "If Beale Street Could Talk," and "Notes of a Native Son." Baldwin was also instrumental in fighting for racial justice during the U.S. civil rights movement.

Billy Porter is a Grammy, Emmy, and Tony Award winner. Porter began his music career in 1997 with the release of his self-titled (aka Untitled) debut album which spawned the Top 10 "Bubbling Under" single, "Show Me," and the monster ballad, "Love Is On The Way," which also appeared at the pivotal moment in the film, "First Wives Club."

He went on to release "At the Corner of Broadway + Soul" (2005), "Billy's Back on Broadway" (2014), and "The Soul of Richard Rodgers" (2017) featuring Pentatonix, India.Arie, Leslie Odom Jr. and Cynthia Erivo, among others. Porter scored his first #1 with "Love Yourself" in 2019 on the US Dance Club Songs Chart.

He followed that up with his 2020 reimagining of the legendary Buffalo Springfield anthem, "For What It's Worth," and a fierce collaboration with The Shapeshifters on "Finally Ready." 2021 saw Porter covering Juliet Roberts club classic "Caught in The Middle" for Red Hot + Free, which supports underserved communities afflicted with HIV/AIDS.

He was also enlisted by multi platinum international superstar Jessie J for "I Want Love." And he delivered a magical turn on Earth, Wind, and Fire's iconic "Shining Star" as Fab G, the Fairy Godmuva, in the 2021 remake of "Cinderella."

Porter is a veteran of the theater (Miss Saigon, Angels in America, Grease), and a two time Tony(r) winner, including "Best Leading Actor in a Musical" for Kinky Boots in 2013 and "Best Musical" as a producer for A Strange Loop in 2022.

He has also received a GRAMMY(r) for the Kinky Boots Official Soundtrack in the category of "Best Musical Theater Album" in 2014. Porter took home the EMMY(r) Award for "Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series" in 2019 for his work as Pray Tell on Pose, making history as being the first openly gay man to do so.

Time Magazine named him one of the "100 Most Influential People" of 2020. Billy released his highly anticipated memoir, "Unprotected," in October 2021. His directorial film debut, "Anything's Possible," dropped Summer 2022 to much acclaim.