The famed creator of Glee, Nip/Tuck, American Horror Story, and Feud will return to FX for Pose, a 1980s-era drama focusing on several lifestyle scenes in New York City. This news alone would be enough to pay attention to. Ryan Murphy might not be everyone’s cup of tea, but the man has been around forever making notable television.
But no, the big news here is the cast he’s bringing together, with the help of Alexa Fogel of Atlanta fame. With five actors cast as series regulars, Pose will feature the largest number of transgender actors cast as regulars in a scripted TV series. Even better, the characters they play will be transgender as well.
You know, it just goes to show that if you want diversity in your cast, you can always find it. Any excuses about the difficulties of casting a specific race, gender, or sexuality simply should not fly.
The history-making actors are MJ Rodriguez, Indya Moore, Hailie Sahar, Angelica Ross, and Dominique Jackson. Each was cast as part of a six-month search led by Fogel. Transgender rights activist and best-selling author Janet Mock is assisting with the writing of the scripts, and Pose will also bring in transgender directors to work on the show. The show has also assembled a large number of contributors diverse in gender and race to work on the show.
Murphy and his cast and crew sound ready and excited to bring audiences, in the words of fellow creator Steven Canals, a show that “pushes the narrative forward by centering on the unique and under-told experiences of trans women and gay people of color.” Even better, with Murphy at the helm and FX as its network, Pose will likely be given every chance in the world to succeed.
I’ll be there day one to watch. Here’s hoping a few million more with Nielsen boxes join me.
