James Baldwin continues to inspire generations of people thanks to his timeless writing and spirit of revolution. Now, Baldwin’s life story will be told to millions with award-winning actor Billy Porter stepping into the “If Beale Street Could Talk” author’s shoes.
According to The Hollywood Reporter, the “Pose” star will portray the iconic novelist, playwright, poet, and activist in a new film produced by Byron Allen‘s Allen Media Group and Porter’s Incognegro Productions. Porter is reportedly a scriptwriter on the project, as is Dan McCabe, director of the documentary George Wallace: Settin’ the Woods on Fire. The movie will follow David Leeming’s 1994 biography of Baldwin.
“As a Black queer man on this planet with relative consciousness, I find myself, like James Baldwin said, ‘In a rage all the time,’” Porter shared in a statement. “I am because James was. I stand on James Baldwin’s shoulders, and I intend to expand his legacy for generations to come.”
Porter has expressed his admiration for the “Notes of a Native Son” author in the past. In his 2019 Emmy Award acceptance speech for Lead Actor in a Drama Series, he acknowledged that he was standing there as the first gay Black winner in the category because of the path that Baldwin paved.
“I am so overwhelmed and I am so overjoyed to live long enough to see this day,” the “Kinky Boots” star declared. “James Baldwin said, ‘It took many years of vomiting up all the filth I’d been taught about myself and half-believed before I was able to walk on the earth as though I had a right to be here.’ I have the right, you have the right, we all have the right!” Watch the historic moment below.
As someone who dealt with real-life struggles as a gay man and a Black writer, Baldwin deserves an actor as talented as Porter to bring him to life on screen. Byron Allen, for his part, believes that the project will do the “Giovanni’s Room” writer justice: “Billy Porter and Dan McCabe’s talent and commitment to amplifying James Baldwin’s legacy and contributions are invaluable and unmatched for this unique and epic story.”