Pose is an American drama tv series talking about the story of ball culture and the gay and trans community, the raging AIDS crisis and capitalism.
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- Pose (stylized as POSE) is an American drama television series.
- The drama series talks about New York City’s African-American and Latino LGBTQ and gender-nonconforming drag ball culture scene in the 1980s, early 1990s in the second season, and the mid-to-late 1990s in the third season.
- 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.
- It was 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 Evan Peters, Kate Mara, James Van Der Beek, Mj Rodriguez, Dominique Jackson, Billy Porter, Indya Moore, Ryan Jamaal Swain, Charlayne Woodard, Hailie Sahar, Angelica Ross, Angel Bismark Curiel, Dyllón Burnside, Sandra Bernhard, and Jason A. Rodriguez.
- 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, to 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, Mj Rodriguez made Emmy history in becoming the first trans lead ever nominated for Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actress In A Drama Series.
- Pose features the largest cast of trans actresses of any scripted series in history.
- Paris is Burning director Jennie Livingston is credited as consulting producer. The film was a critically acclaimed documentary about the Ball Culture in New York fictionalized in Pose.
- MJ Rodriguez and Billy Porter use their real singing voices. Both have experience in musical productions.
- Frederica Norman, the property tycoon played by Patti LuPone, is loosely based on Leona Helmsley, an American businesswoman who earned the nickname “The Queen of Mean,” and was convicted of tax evasion.
- Tatiana Maslany was originally cast in a role but the character was rewritten as Damon’s dance teacher, Helena St. Rogers and is played by Charlayne Woodard.
- The Peer, Indochine, and The Hellfire Club are real landmarks in New York.
- Indochine is still open to this day and has a dress code. The restaurant catered to high profile customers like models, designers, actors, and artists in the 1980s, employing queer people to cover the door.
- Pose is created by Ryan Murphy. He is also well known for American Horror Story. Billy Porter, Evan Peters, Kate Mara and Christine Ebersole all have appeared in both of his shows.
- Pray Tell reads Angel for her look in the “High Fashion Evening Wear, Ladies of Luxury” category in season 1. Angel mentions her dress is a Halston, to which Pray Tell responds, “Halston?..For JCPenney?” Halston was a popular U.S Designer who rose to fame in the 1970s and announced a billion dollar licensing deal with JCPenney in the 1980s.
- Pose creator Ryan Murphy produced a limited series based on Halston for Netflix in 2021.
- During the course of the series, 26 episodes of pose aired over three seasons.
- Trans writers and producers for Pose use their own lives as inspiration for story lines. Many of the show’s characters draw inspiration from real life transgender women and ballroom mentors. Pray Tell is mostly inspired by Junior Lebeija, an iconic emcee and ballroom historian.
- Blanca Evangelista takes inspiration from Angie Xtravaganza and Avis Pendavis, both legendary ballroom house mothers.
- Angel has a link to Octavia St Laurent, who, like Angel, signed up for a modeling competition held by Eileen Ford and became successful in the industry. Angel also has a clear connection with the life of Tracey Africa Norman, who was a transgender model outed and shunned in the fashion industry.
- Carmen Xtravaganza was a trans model who had success in Europe modeling just as Angel experiences at the end of season 2.
- Willi Ninja is a vogue dancer, house father, choreographer and model who lends his story to Damon.
- Elektra Abundance is inspired by Crystal Lebeija, right down to the cadence in her voice. Dorian Corey was a drag queen who may have also played a part in Elektra’s story as a mummified body with a bullet in the head was found in their apartment, and it’s speculated to be a client or boyfriend who became violent.
- Candy Ferocity is likely inspired by Venus Xtravaganza who faced abuse as a transgender sex worker later found murdered at a hotel in New York.
