And the category is LOVE, as Billy Porter signs on as the newest Cinderella’s Fairy Godmother. But, Porter says he will portray the Godmother as “genderless.”
The highly-anticipated Cinderella is set to premiere in 2021, and Porter has been granted the opportunity to portray Cinderella’s supportive Godmother, who helps her get ready for the ball. With Porter becoming what may be the first-ever man Godmother, he’s calling the adaptation “a classic fairytale for a new generation.”
With an Emmy, Grammy, and Tony under his belt, there’s no doubt Porter will put on a magical performance. In an interview with CBS News on Monday, the actor said it just came to him that he is changing history with his role. “It hit me when I was on the set last week, how profound it is that I am playing the Fairy Godmother – they call it the Fab G. Magic has no gender.”
“We are presenting this character as genderless – at least that’s how I’m playing it. And it’s really powerful. I think the new generation is really ready. The kids are ready. It’s the grownups that are slowing stuff down,” he said.
Porter has already broken the mold as the first openly gay male to win an Emmy for a leading role. He says he just tries to focus his craft. “I’m an artist. When you’re inside of something, as an artist, the outside stuff… has to fall away. Because if you think about it too much, it’s really heady,” said Porter. Porter won his Emmy for his role as Pray Tell on “Pose,” which he says is an image he wishes he could have seen as a child. “I represent something that I, as a young man, never had. That’s the greatest news. That’s where I have to leave it, though, so that I can continue to do the work.”
