 Her first acting teacher was Butterfly McQueen.She has been married twice and has two children with her second husband, Larry Earl Madison Jr.

Porter began her acting career in the theatre, appearing in off Broadway plays and in regional theatre.Her off-Broadway credits include "The Debutante Ball", "Jersey City", "Aven' U Boys", "Girl Gone", "Silence, Cunning, Exile", "Dancing on Moonlight" and "Hurricane".