In a remake of the classic Cinderella fairytale, Billy Porter will be playing the fairy godmother. A character for which he’s weaved a lavish, gender-neutral performance. The original, animated film celebrated its 70th anniversary last week, released March 4, 1950. The newest iteration will feature a diverse cast of both LGBTQ folks and people of color.
Disney’s live adaptation will feature pop songstress Camila Cabello as the lead, with supporting acts such as Idina Menzel, Pierce Brosnan, Minnie Driver, John Mulaney, and Missy Elliot. The film is set to premiere on February 5, 2021. But Porter, armed with his take on the fairy godmother is set to steal the show, to no one’s surprise.
Porter made history last fall when he was the first openly gay, black man to win an Emmy for Lead Actor. He continues to shatter gender conformity with his red carpet looks, such as the incredible gown he wore both to the Oscars and his appearance on Sesame Street. He’s also set to play as the carnivorous plant, ‘Audrey II’ in the coming remake of Little Shop of Horrors. In short, there’s not much he can’t do.
And, if you didn’t know, Cinderella has always had a place in the hearts of queer folks who love some magical realness.
“The ultimate Cinderella adaptation came in 1997, when the gay gods shone down upon us and gifted the world with Whitney Houston as the fairy godmother to Brandy’s Cinderella in an inspired, groundbreaking bit of casting that included Bernadette Peters as the evil stepmother and Whoopi Goldberg as the queen,” NewNow Next wrote.
In an interview with CBS, Porter dug into his take on the role. “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,” he said. “Magic has no gender.”
Porter believes that kids are ready for more representation in fairy tales. “I think that the new generation is really ready. The kids are ready. It’s the grownups that are slowing stuff down.”
