In a groundbreaking move, Ryan Murphy’s new show cast five transgender actors
Ryan Murphy just made TV history with the casting of his upcoming FX series, Pose.
After a six-month search, Murphy and FX announced that their latest collaboration would feature five transgender actors as series regulars, setting a record for the largest cast of transgender series regulars in a scripted series.
Additionally, the five will all be portraying transgender characters on the series.
Pose — created by Murphy, Brad Falchuk, and Steven Canals — is an ’80s drama centered on the thriving New York City social scene, from the uptown elite to the downtown literary scene to ball culture. Indya Moore (Saturday Church), Hailie Sahar (Mr. Robot, Transparent), model Dominique Jackson, Angelica Ross (Claws, Transparent), and MJ Rodriguez (Nurse Jackie, Luke Cage) will all star in the upcoming series.
Joining them in Pose are Ryan Jamaal Swain, Tony winner Billy Porter, and Dyllon Burnside.
According to reports, Canals has been writing the scripts with Transparent writer-producer Our Lady J, as well as transgender activist and best-selling author Janet Mock. Executive producing the series are Nina Jacobson (American Crime Story: The People v. O.J. Simpson), Brad Simpson (The People v. O.J. Simpson), Alexis Martin Woodall (The Normal Heart), and Sherry Marsh (Vikings). Trans activist and director Silas Howard is also on-board as a co-executive producer.
“We are thrilled that Pose pushes the narrative forward by centering on the unique and under-told experiences of trans women and gay people of color,” said Canals, in a statement. “Ryan has assembled a strong team of storytellers and innovators to collaborate on telling this important narrative. As a Bronx-bred queer writer of color, I’m honored to aid in ushering this groundbreaking show into homes.”
Alongside the casting announcement, it was also announced that in a collaborative effort with Murphy’s Half Initiative — a subset of the Feud creator’s production company focused on creating opportunities behind the camera — Pose will employ transgender directors to be mentored through his Directing Mentorship Program.
We’re seriously so excited to see FX and Murphy promoting inclusivity in front of and behind the camera. While the entertainment industry has been working to fix its longstanding issues surrounding representation, it has a long way to go, but we’re so glad to see FX and Murphy doing their part to fix this issue.
