Interviews

Billy Porter Talks Role in Cinderella

September 1, 2021

Billy Porter opens up to Dave Morales about what his role means to him in the modernized upcoming Cinderella film.

We have all seen the classic fairy tale about Cinderella finding her one true love. Obviously with the help of her fairy godmother. However, in this new movie the fairy godmother is not an older and wiser woman.

Billy Porter’s Feelings Regarding True-self

Porter explains how he has felt in a world that idealizes “authenticity”. “I spent a lot of time in this business invisible. People talked about ‘be who you are, be your authentic self’… It’s easy to be who you are, but what you are is what’s popular. Being Black and queer in America has never been popular. So I was invisible for a very long time,” he says.

“So to get the call that Kay Cannon [director] had not only reimagined this Cinderella story for modern day, but also had me specifically in mind to play the fairy godmother. That is significant change,” he added.

Billy Porter’s Enthusiasm as “Fab G”

With a new look on this musical fantasy, Porter shares his excitement playing Fairy Godmother, “Fab G”. “I want to make sure we talk about that kind of change that has happened in the world. The evolution that has happened in this world, because we talk about the negative so often that we forget the positive that is going on. The positive is Billy Porter the ‘Fab G’ in Cinderella. That’s change. That’s magical change,” Porter expressed.

The New Era

Moreover, this film welcomes change and innovation to an all-time favorite. Porter continued on emphasizing the importance of this new era of storytelling. “It’s significant to me because there’s a whole new generation of people that get to have this ‘classic’ tale told in a way that’s relevant for the world in 2021,” he says with passion.