'I'm Proud to Say It Out Loud!' Pose Star Billy Porter Reveals How He Needed Help in Tough Times

Who doesn’t need a fairy godmother right about now? Tony, Grammy and Emmy-winning performer Billy Porter, who will play that role in the forthcoming live-action movie musical Cinderella, appeared on Rosie O’Donnell’s star-studded benefit show for The Actors Fund to offer wisdom and solace during the coronavirus crisis.

“We’ve been speaking about this theme of community—and how Broadway is this community. I learned in my youth what it means and what it takes to come together and stand as one to make a change and a difference,” Porter said from his home, referencing how theater people pulled together during the height of the AIDS epidemic. “The world is in reset, and we can listen or not. This is the time to listen, y’all! We’ve got to love each other; we’ve got to take care of each other. Nobody gets through this life alone on their own without help. It doesn’t work that way.”

Though Porter is currently enjoying, in the words of O’Donnell, a “meteoric rise to fame...30 years in the making,” the Pose star revealed he once had fallen on hard times and relied on The Actors Fund for assistance. “I had a long time where I wasn’t working, “ he said. “The Actors Fund took care of me, and I’m proud to say it out loud. I’m not embarrassed about that. Everybody—anybody!—can fall on hard times. My mother is at The Actors Fund nursing home right now. The Actors Fund is all through my life. I’m so thrilled to be a part of this [benefit show]. I’m so thrilled to be a part of this community.”

Never one to disappoint when it comes to style, Porter appeared in glittering eyewear and a Barbra Streisand T-shirt (“My queen!” O’Donnell exclaimed) to chat with his former Grease co-star (Porter and O'Donnell appeared as Teen Angel and Betty Rizzo, respectively, in the 1994 revival of the popular musical). Porter also beautifully crooned a bit of “Not While I’m Around” from Sweeney Todd with its apt lyrics and a nod to the 90th birthday of composer-lyricist Stephen Sondheim.

Watch below for the entire thrilling exchange between Porter and O’Donnell, and donate to The Actors Fund!