William (Billy) Porter (A 1991)

2017 Alumni Achievement (Merit) Award

Bio

William "Billy" Porter (A 1991) received a BFA from the School of Drama.

Porter has worked in film and television, and most recently he was best known for his work on the Broadway smash, “Kinky Boots,” which tells the story of a British drag queen named Lola (Billy).  Porter won the 2013 Tony Award for Best Actor in a Musical for his work in the “Boots,” and the show’s CD received a 2013 Grammy Award for Best Soundtrack from a Musical.

Porter is also a graduate of The Professional Program in Screenwriting at UCLA and is an adjunct professor at Carnegie Mellon University’s School of Drama, where he has directed productions of “Company” and “Letters From ‘Nam.”