Out actor Billy Porter will play the
fairy godmother in the upcoming film Cinderella.
In an interview with CBS News, Porter
said that the role would be genderless.
“It hit me when I was on the set last
week, how profound it is that I am playing the Fairy Godmother –
they call it the Fab G,” Porter
said. “Magic has no gender.”
He called playing the role as
genderless “powerful.”
“This is a classic, this is a classic
fairy tale for a new generation. I think that the new generation is
really ready. The kids are ready. It's the grownups that are slowing
stuff down,” Porter said.
Porter, who won an Emmy for playing
Pray Tell on FX's Pose, is an outspoken supporter of LGBT
rights and has challenged gender norms.
Cinderella, starring Camila
Cabello in the title role, is set to open on February 5, 2021.
(Related: Billy
Porter says his “authentic” appearance on Sesame
Street
will help LGBT youth.)