Billy Porter, who was slated to star as James Baldwin in an upcoming biopic, said he had to sell his home amid the ongoing writers and actors strikes.
In an interview published on Friday by the Evening Standard, the “Pose” star and longtime theater giant shared his thoughts on the Hollywood strikes, which have put a holdup on TV shows and films and have delayed other projects that were set to make their debut.
“I don’t have any words for it, but: f–k you. That’s not useful, so I’ve kept my mouth shut. I haven’t engaged because I’m so enraged,” said Porter, mentioning that he plans to join his union at the picket lines. “If this sounds like, well, a millionaire trying to get more millions, Billy Porter has news for you. ‘I have to sell my house.’”
Before the writers strike struck on May 2 and the actors strike on July 14, Porter was putting in major work. Some of the award-winning actor’s latest projects include “80 for Brady,” the “Proud Family” reboot “The Proud Family: Louder and Prouder” and “Our Son.” He next and biggest film was to be a yet to be titled James Baldwin biopic.
“Yeah! Because we’re on strike. And I don’t know when we’re gonna go back [to work]. The life of an artist, until you make f–k-you money — which I haven’t made yet — is still check-to-check.”
Porter continued: “I was supposed to be in a new movie, and on a new television show starting in September. None of that is happening. So to the person who said, ‘We’re going to starve them out until they have to sell their apartments,’ you’ve already starved me out.”
Nevertheless, Porter said he supports the strike, and condemns those who take issue with it.
“Child, we got to get our money! But one of the reasons I can’t talk about the strike is because of the s—t that I’ve seen some lay people write about us: ‘Just a bunch of millionaires trying to get more millions.’”
