Billy Porter: 'Pose' tells 'different story' about black men

Aug. 22 (UPI) -- Pose star Billy Porter says the show tells a "different story" about black men than what is often seen onscreen.

The 49-year-old actor discussed the FX series' impact on his life and the entertainment industry in an interview with People published Thursday.

Porter plays Pray Tell on Pose, which features the largest cast of transgender actors and LGBT actors in television history. The show follows the underground ballroom culture scene in New York in the 1980s and 1990s.

"The stories that get green-lit with black men are generally stories about us killing each other very often," Porter said. "And so it's nice, it's beautiful, and it's time. It's time to see a different story."

"It's time for the world to understand that there are all types of people on the planet, and we do different things, and we can honor each other's humanity inside of that," he added.

Porter said he struggled as a black, gay actor prior to his role on the show.

"I really had a hard time as an out, black, gay actor making any headway. I wasn't having a great time living up to the heteronormative masculinity standard to get the straight male work. So I wasn't really working in film and television," the star said.

"It was just frustrating to sort of feel ignored and feel dismissed, and dismissed for even the flamboyant things," he added.

Pose was renewed for a third season in June following its Season 2 premiere. FX chairman John Landgraf praised the series as "incredibly entertaining, enlightening and groundbreaking."

"Pose has elevated our culture and the TV landscape like few shows have before it," Landgraf said.

Pose co-stars Mj Rodriguez, Dominque Jackson, Indya Moore, Ryan Jamaal Swain, Charlayne Woodard and Hailie Sahar. Angelica Ross starred in Season 1 and appears in Season 2.