Pose (TV series)


Pose is an American drama television series about New York City's ball culture, an LGBTQ subculture in the African-American and Latino communities, throughout the 1980s and 1990s. Featured characters are dancers and models, who compete for trophies and recognition in this underground culture and who support one another in a network of chosen families known as Houses.
Created by Ryan Murphy, Brad Falchuk, and Steven Canals, the series aired from June 3, 2018, to June 6, 2021, on FX. It stars an ensemble cast including Michaela Jaé Rodriguez, Dominique Jackson, Billy Porter, Indya Moore, Ryan Jamaal Swain, Charlayne Woodard, Hailie Sahar, Angelica Ross, Angel Bismark Curiel, Dyllón Burnside, Sandra Bernhard, Jason A. Rodriguez, Evan Peters, Kate Mara, and James Van Der Beek.
The first season was met with largely positive reception and subsequently received numerous award nominations including the Golden Globe Award for Best Television Series – Drama and the Golden Globe Award for Best Actor – Television Series Drama for Billy Porter. In 2019, Porter was awarded the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series – the first openly gay Black man to be nominated for and win in an Emmy lead acting category. The series was nominated for Outstanding Drama Series at the same ceremony.
The second season premiered on June 11, 2019, receiving further acclaim. The third and final season premiered on May 2, 2021, and concluded on June 6, 2021, to further positive reviews. On July 13, 2021, Michaela Jaé Rodriguez became the first trans lead ever nominated for the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series.

Premise

Pose is set in 1987–98 and looks at "the juxtaposition of several segments of life and society in New York City at that time": the African-American and Latino ball culture world, the downtown social and literary scene, the rise of the yuppie milieu, and HIV.

Cast and characters

Main

  • Michaela Jaé Rodriguez as Blanca Rodriguez-Evangelista, a trans woman with HIV/AIDS and former member of the House of Abundance. She is the founder and mother of the House of Evangelista.
  • Dominique Jackson as Elektra Abundance-Evangelista, mother of the former House of Abundance. After brief stints in the Houses of Evangelista and Ferocity, she forms the House of Wintour before rejoining the House of Evangelista in the final season.
  • Billy Porter as Prayerful "Pray" Tell, the most prominent emcee of the New York balls, a fashion designer and mentor to members of the community, especially the members of the House of Evangelista. Later in the series, Pray starts a relationship with Ricky.
  • Indya Moore as Angel Vasquez-Evangelista, a trans woman sex worker who joins the House of Evangelista after leaving the House of Abundance. She has an affair with Stan during the first season, before starting a relationship with Papi.
  • Ryan Jamaal Swain as Damon Richards-Evangelista, a homeless, talented dancer who becomes the first member of the House of Evangelista. After the season 3 premiere, the character was written out of the show due to the murder of Swain's sister in their hometown of Birmingham, Alabama. Damon was said to have relapsed into alcoholism and moved to his cousin's home in South Carolina. In the series finale, he was revealed to be in Chicago, teaching dance.
  • Charlayne Woodard as Helena St. Rogers, a modern dance teacher at the New School for Dance
  • Hailie Sahar as Lulu Evangelista-Ferocity, the founder of the House of Ferocity alongside Candy. She joins the House of Evangelista in the final season.
  • Angelica Ross as Candy Johnson-Ferocity, the founder of the House of Ferocity alongside Lulu
  • Angel Bismark Curiel as Esteban "Lil Papi" Martinez-Evangelista, a jack-of-all-trades and entrepreneur, and member of the House of Evangelista. In seasons 2 and 3, Papi becomes an agent for LGBT+ models, including Angel.
  • Dyllón Burnside as Ricky Evangelista, Damon's ex-boyfriend and a former member of the House of Evangelista who joins the House of Wintour. In the final season he rejoins the House of Evangelista.
  • Sandra Bernhard as Judy Kubrak, a lesbian nurse who works with people with AIDS and member of ACT UP who is close friends with Pray Tell and Blanca.
  • Jason A. Rodriguez as Lemar Khan, a former member of the Houses of Abundance, Ferocity, Evangelista and Wintour, before becoming the father of the House of Khan
  • Evan Peters as Stan Bowes, Patty's yuppie husband who works in Trump Tower and becomes Angel's lover
  • Kate Mara as Patty Bowes, Stan's wife and mother of their children
  • James Van Der Beek as Matt Bromley, Stan's kingpin boss
  • Linda La as Swan

    Recurring

Introduced in season 1

  • Jeremy McClain as Cubby Wintour, a young gay man and a former member of the House of Abundance, Ferocity, and Evangelista, who joins the House of Wintour and later dies in the first episode of season 3
  • Alexia Garcia as Aphrodite Ferocity, a trans woman who defects from the House of Xtravaganza to the House of Ferocity
  • Bianca Castro as Veronica Ferocity, a thrift store cashier who joins the House of Ferocity
  • Samantha Grace Blumm as Amanda Bowes, Stan and Patty's daughter
  • Jose Gutierez Xtravaganza as himself, a Judge and member of the real-life House of Xtravaganza
  • Johnny Sibilly as Costas Perez, Pray Tell's boyfriend who dies of AIDS
  • Jack Mizrahi as himself, a ballroom emcee and member of the Masters of Ceremony Council
  • Leiomy Maldonado as Florida Ferocity, a member of the House of Ferocity
  • Sol Williams as a member of the judges panel. Sol also was in the documentary movie Paris Is Burning, upon which the series is largely based.

    Introduced in season 2

  • Patti LuPone as Frederica Norman, a wealthy and shady real estate mogul
  • Damaris Lewis as Jazmine Wintour, a member of the House of Wintour
  • Brielle Rheames as Silhouette Wintour, a member of the House of Wintour
  • Dashaun Wesley as Shadow Wintour, a member of the House of Wintour
  • Danielle Cooper as Wanda, Judy's girlfriend and member of ACT UP
  • Trudie Styler as Eileen Ford, a fashion model agent
  • André Ward as Manhattan, a member of the Masters of Ceremony Council
  • J. Cameron Barnet as Castle, a member of the Masters of Ceremony Council
  • Patricia Black as Chi Chi, Elektra's co-worker at the Hellfire Club

    Introduced in season 3

  • Jeremy Pope as Christopher, Blanca's caring boyfriend

    Notable guest stars

Introduced in season 1

  • Clark Jackson as Lawrence Richards, Damon's father
  • Roslyn Ruff as Mrs. Richards, Damon's mother
  • Deidre Goodwin as Wanda Green, employee at the New School for Dance
  • Matt McGrath as Mitchell, the manager of Boy Lounge
  • Tamara M. Williams as Summer, a trans woman who attempts to seduce Stan
  • Sol Pendavis Williams as himself, a Judge and member of the real-life House of Pendavis
  • Kathryn Erbe as Dr. Gottfried, Elektra's physician
  • Christine Ebersole as Bobbi, Patty's mother
  • Christopher Meloni as Dick Ford, Elektra's wealthy lover and financier
  • Cecilia Gentili as Miss Orlando, a shady woman that offers discounted plastic surgery
  • Flor de Liz Perez as Carmen Rodriguez, Blanca's sister
  • Charles Brice as Darius, Blanca's love interest
  • Our Lady J as Sherilyn, a local pianist
  • Trace Lysette as Tess Wintour, a clothing store saleswoman who later joins House of Wintour
  • Laith Ashley as "Sebastian", a sexy participant in one of the ballroom-scenes

    Introduced in season 2

  • Alexander DiPersia as Andre Taglioni, a famed photographer and fetishistic predator
  • Edward Carnevale as Jonas Norman, Frederica Norman's son
  • Blaine Alden Krauss as Chris, dancer and Ricky's former lover
  • Peppermint as Euphoria, a trans sex worker
  • Danny Johnson as Darnell Johnson, Candy's father
  • Patrice Johnson Chevannes as Vivica Johnson, Candy's mother
  • Austin Scott as Adrian, a lifeguard and Blanca's love interest
  • KJ Aikens as Quincy and Gia Parr as Chilly, street kids who Blanca takes under her wing

    Introduced in season 3

  • Eisa Davis as Angie, Christopher's mother, who has a judgmental behavior towards Blanca
  • Curtiss Cook as Thomas, Christopher's father
  • Rahne Jones as Leisa, an alcoholism counselor advising Pray Tell
  • Noma Dumezweni as Tasha Jackson, Elektra's mother
  • Norm Lewis as Vernon Jackson, Pray Tell's former lover, who is a now a pastor
  • Anna Maria Horsford as Charlene, Pray Tell's mother
  • Janet Hubert as Latrice, Pray Tell's aunt
  • Jackée Harry as Jada, Pray Tell's aunt
  • Michelle Hurd as Ebony Jackson, Vernon's wife and Pray Tell's childhood best friend
  • Jordan Aaron Hall as a young Pray Tell
  • Annelise Cepero as Jimena, sister of Lil Papi's ex-girlfriend
  • Mark Lotito as Marco Ciccone, a mobster with whom Elektra makes business
  • Chris Tardio as Vicent Massino, a mobster with whom Elektra makes business

    Episodes

Season 1 (2018)

Season 2 (2019)

Season 3 (2021)

Production

Development

On March 16, 2017, it was announced that FX had given the production a pilot order. The pilot was written by Ryan Murphy, Brad Falchuk, and Steven Canals all of whom were also set to executive produce alongside Nina Jacobson, Brad Simpson, and Sherry Marsh. Production companies involved with the pilot were slated to consist of include FX Productions and Fox21 Television Studios. In October 2018, it was reported that Leiomy Maldonado and Danielle Polanco would be choreographing the series' ball scenes and that Janet Mock and Our Lady J had joined the show's writing and producing staff.
On December 27, 2017, it was announced that FX had given the production a series for a first season consisting of eight episodes. On May 9, 2018, ahead of the series premiere, Murphy announced that he would be donating all of his profits from Pose to non-profit charitable organizations that work with LGBTQ+ people, including the Sylvia Rivera Law Project, the Transgender Legal Defense & Education Fund, and the Callen-Lorde Community Health Center. Murphy explained this decision saying, "The thing that struck me in talking to so many of them, was how much they've struggled, how under attack they feel, how many of them find it difficult getting healthcare, and finding jobs. I just decided I need to do more than just making a show for this community. I want to reach out and help this community." On July 12, 2018, it was announced that the series had been renewed for a second season which premiered on June 11, 2019. On June 17, 2019, FX renewed the series for a third season. In March 2021, FX confirmed the third season would be its last. The final season premiered on May 2, 2021.