Indya Moore’s Young Hollywood 2019 Interview on the Groundbreaking Power of Pose and the Need for Trans Representation Free From Oppression

Indya Moore is no stranger to making history. As Angel on the groundbreaking FX series Pose, she brings to life the often-ignored realities of a trans woman of color doing sex work and becoming too close to a client. The show assembled the largest cast of transgender actors ever to appear as series regulars on a scripted show, but it did much more than simply employ trans performers — through Angel’s and her fellow characters’ stories, Pose fully embraced trans narratives and showed that there is more than one way to be trans. With electric drag balls, stunning wardrobe pieces, gripping dialogue, and near-perfect casting, Pose is an empowering delight that was nominated for best television drama series at the 2019 Golden Globes.

Since the first season of Pose, Indya has kept busy. She’s starring in the upcoming Magic Hour, a gender-bending reimagining of Mary Shelley's Frankenstein, for which Indya additionally serves as executive producer. And when she’s not acting or producing, she’s modeling, as can be seen in Louis Vuitton’s latest campaign, one that also tapped the likes of Sophie Turner and Laura Harrier. Meanwhile, on Twitter, Indya is constantly engaging in world affairs and putting a spotlight on marginalized people whose stories often go unheard.

Indya’s star only continues to rise, and she doesn’t fail to recognize the power she has as her platform grows. A member of Teen Vogue’s Young Hollywood Class of 2019, Indya opened up about challenges the trans community still faces, what her superpowers would be, and more.

Teen Vogue: What was it like going to the Golden Globes?

Indya Moore: It was really, really cool. I tried to prep myself as much as possible not to feel disappointed if we didn't win. But I had this reflection about how I felt like we won where it mattered the most. This is a show that I got to be a part of that actually got to make three-dimensional change in people's lives and not just be a figment of virtual reality people got to be entertained by. This actually brought families together. This influenced cis people's perspectives in a way that made trans people safer to be around them. It got to reaffirm the value and necessity and the legitimacy of trans people's lives. It got to break down a lot of stigma.

TV: What parts of yourself as a performer do you hope to see more of in Hollywood in the future?

IM: I definitely would like to see more of my talent being utilized outside of it being about my gender and the pain that comes with being ostracized by society. I think that's the only use that people see trans people for right now. The only time people are finding a use for our performance or our ability to act is to demonstrate pain, the pain of [being ostracized], the pain of our gender being dissected. I think we're reaching a place where we're getting to work outside of it just being about our gender. We just get to see cis people reflect and utilize their ability to perform in ways that get to represent doctors. They get to represent different occupations, cashiers, just different heroes. We get to imagine cis people outside of even everyday functions, but trans people only seem to be seen through our gender and what people dislike or like or fetishize about that. I'm waiting for us to move past that point.

I want cis people to see themselves in me. I want them to see myself in me in ways that I've been forced to see myself in cis people for so long. I think that’ll be really, really important in drawing similarities in ways that'll help deconstruct bias. I want to demonstrate anger. I want to demonstrate passion. I want to demonstrate defense and not always being a victim, because trans people are constantly, constantly victimized in our narratives all the time, but we never get to see ourselves as heroes. We never get to see ourselves as protectors. We never get to see ourselves as fighting back. We always see ourselves being oppressed. That's not my reality.

TV: What have you learned about being so vocal about these topics, especially on social media?

IM: You lose work. Oh, my God. You have to accept the consequences, sacrifice. I say things that are very uncomfortable with and make people angry, because they don't want me to use my platform to tell the truth. They don't want me to use my platform in ways that benefit the people that they help marginalize. They just want me to sit around and look pretty. That's just not who I am. Even before Pose, I was involved in activism and advocating for my community in various ways. I didn't see that stopping with my entry into this industry, but people are going to be afraid of what you're going to say. I'm going to bump heads with people that benefit from the oppression that they put trans people through. I'm putting my life at risk.

TV: What is a role that you would love to play that doesn't have to do with your gender?

IM: Even though my ancestors are indigenous, I'm still trying to understand if I can play an indigenous person. But I definitely want to play someone that is indigenous, to tell a story with my body as a gender-variant person. I want to be able to tell a story of someone who existed precolonially. I think that is going to do a lot of work in the communities trans people come from, like black trans women, for example. I think that'll help do a lot of work in how black people see the belonging of trans people because so many black trans women are killed by black people.

I think that'll create a shift in the way the ethnic communities that trans people come from, how they see trans people and gender. But I also feel like I don't know if that'll really help, because I'm very cis-assumed, I think, based on how I think I'm seen or consumed. I don't know if it'll do as much work, but I would like to see that happen. I also want to play a superhero.

TV: What superpowers would you have?

IM: Super strength. I want to also deconstruct the expectation of me being always very feminine. I want to demonstrate strength in the ways that men see themselves all the time, but with my body. I think that would be cool. I want to play She Hulk.

TV: What other future projects are you working on?

IM: I'm creating a project that is science fiction that I hope will be able to navigate some of the issues that we see with privilege in the trans community, when it come to approximation to cis-ness. I'm also writing a horror film.

TV: What other roles in Hollywood potentially excite you?

IM: Showrunning. If my capacity expands in a way that'll allow me to carry that, those responsibilities, I would love to be a showrunner. I want to hire everybody that nobody wants to hire. I want to accumulate as much power that I can [and] give it away. I'm not trying to be a savior or anything. I just want to do what isn't being done. It's just really frustrating how people are just so selfish in this industry. It makes me very angry.

TV: What do you want more of from Hollywood?

IM: I think Hollywood is an incredible tool to teach people. It brings stories and information to the television screen, to the movie theater screens, that people get to empathize with. Emotional information is very, very rich in influence. You're giving somebody something to connect with, to see themselves in. We could utilize that in so many different ways that we just simply haven't done yet. I think we need to leverage the way we see these mediums and not just as a way to make money, but as a way to make the world a better place. We need that now more than ever.

Fashion stylist: Solange Franklin

Hairstylist: Dennis Gots

Makeup artist: Sarah Uslan

Manicurist: Holly Falcone

Set designer: Bryn Bowen

Location: Smashbox Studios L.A.

BTS content: Hannah Choi

Photo assistants: Maria Troncoso Gibbs, Cailan O'Connell, Jason Renaud

Fashion assistants: Christine Nicholson, Corey Cano

Set design assistants: Thomas Anderson, Molly Painter

The future of Hollywood is in good hands. Teen Vogue chose seven emerging actors who are paving the way to a better tomorrow. They’re shattering stereotypes, bringing a new authenticity to their roles, and challenging age-old expectations. Say goodbye to the industry’s tired ways and hello to our Young Hollywood Class of 2019, a group we’ll be celebrating with at a party in partnership with Snapchat. Check out the rest of the group here.

Related: Louis Vuitton Tapped Indya Moore, Sophie Turner, and 15 Other Major Celebs for Its New Campaign

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