Director Ryan Murphy has set the record for casting the most female impersonators in regular roles in a scripted TV series. The previous record was set by director Lee Daniels in his scripted TV series Star.
Fox TV’s Star features three transgenders: Miss Lawrence, Amiyah Scott and newcomer Sidney Starr.
After an exhaustive six-month nationwide search, Murphy cast five transgender actors in his new series Pose.
The transgender actors are MJ Rodriguez, Indya Moore, Dominique Jackson, Hailie Sahar, and Angelica Ross.
Also cast in the series are gay actors Ryan Jamaal Swain, Billy Porter and Dyllon Burnside.
Pose is set in the 1980s and covers the New York LGBT social, literary and Ball culture scenes. Cameo appearances by trans performers from the New York Ball community lends authenticity to the series.
Pose is produced by Fox 21 Television and FX Productions. Trans activist Silas Howard serves as the show’s co-executive director.
“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,” says co-creator Steven Canals.
Trans actor Chaz Bono praised Murphy for casting her as a man in American Horror Story: Cult.
Bono deliberately avoids auditioning for transgender acting roles.
“It’s frustrating to be an actor who happens to be transgender and to have people not necessarily have the vision, which is why I don’t really do trans parts,” Bono told TooFab.
