On his way to LaLa Land and the 2019 Golden Globe Awards where he is nominated for “Best Performance by an Actor in a Television Series” for his star turn in the FX series, Pose, Billy Porter dropped by Buzzfeeds’ Cocoa Butter to share his ‘Seven Tips To Live By.’
Having survived highs and lows in the business of show for over 30 years, Mr. Porter knows of what he speaks.
1. “Choose yourself, save yourself, bet on yourself!”
How is someone going to believe in you if you don't? Enough said.
2. “Dress for the job you want, not the job you have!”
Billy adds with a smile, “So if you’re wondering why I’m always turning it with the clothing and the looks, darling, that is why – I have goals.”
3. “Don’t wait for anyone to give you permission to practice your art!”
Porter told this writer once that Tony Award-winning stage director George C. Wolfe shared this little bon mot with him in the early 2000s when he was an Artist in Residence at the Public Theatre in NYC. “You need to be practicing it always, every day, every moment you get. People usually ain’t listening, but sometimes they do. You’ve got to be ready…when it’s time.”
4. “Be on time!”
Porter explains exactly what that means to him: “Fifteen minutes early is on time, on time is late, and late is unacceptable. The doors will be locked!”
5. “When people show you who they are, believe them the first time.”
With a glint in his eye, the 49-year-old leans into the camera and continues, “Y’all know what I’m talking about; we got a lot of people we could be talking about.”
6. “Be of service.”
A wider purpose adds dimension to your work. “When your intention is service, everything else will work itself out," says Porter.
7. “Mean what you say and say what you mean – and deliver. Be impeccable with your word.”
In a recent Consequence of Sound interview, Porter recently showed he had no time for comedian Kevin Hart, who stepped down from hosting the Oscars after homophobic tweets and 'jokes' resurfaced: “You want people to stop shooting your children in the back? But yet still, you turn around and oppress other people the same way you’re being oppressed. F*ck that. F*ck you. We’re done.”
Make sure you watch the 2019 Golden Globe Awards tonight on NBC (8pm EST – 5pm PST). Everyone here at Instinct will be cheering for Billy Porter!
Pose has been renewed for a second season on FX and will return later this year.
