What does a next level victory look like for an Emmy, Grammy and Tony winner? For actor Billy Porter - it’s an authentic sense of self.

Actor and singer Billy Porter has spent decades bringing his full Black and queer self to his art. From Kinky Boots on Broadway to FX’s Pose, the actor credits his success to one huge victory–finding meaningful spaces for himself. But these spaces didn’t come until later in his life. Host Kai Wright speaks with Porter about his journey to healing, mental health and claiming spaces for himself. Read more in Unprotected: A Memoir.

Check out our holiday playlist here! We’ll keep compiling your suggestions, so keep them coming all season long.

Companion listening for this episode:

Actor Omar Epps Imagines Life After The Climate Crisis (11/24/2022)

Epps captivated a generation as a leading man in films like “Love and Basketball.” Now he hopes to inspire today’s youth and their fight against climate change as an author.

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Notes from America airs live on Sundays at 6 p.m. ET. The podcast episodes are lightly edited from our live broadcasts.