In related news, Tatiana Maslany, who was initially set to star as a dance teacher, has been confirmed to be no longer taking part on the Ryan Murphy-produced series.
- Dec 28, 2017
AceShowbiz - Ryan Murphy's dance musical drama "Pose" has been ordered to series by FX. The first season of the series will have eight episodes with filming being scheduled to begin in February in New York.
The upcoming drama, which stars Evan Peters, Kate Mara and James Van Der Beek, is making TV history by featuring the largest transgender series regular cast to date. In addition, it has the largest LGBTQ cast ever for a scripted series.
The trans actors, including MJ Rodriguez, Indya Moore, Dominique Jackson, Hailie Sahar and Angelica Ross, were cast after a six-month nationwide search led by casting director Alexa Fogel. All of them will be playing transgender characters.
"I am thrilled to join forces with John Landgraf and FX Networks and FXP and Dana Walden, Gary Newman and Fox 21 Television Studios to present what I think is a game changer of a show, which at its heart is an uplifting series about the universal quest for identity, family and respect," Murphy says. "Along with being a dance musical and an affirming look at American life in the 1980s, I'm so proud that 'Pose' and FX has made history right from the beginning by featuring the most trans series regular actors ever in an American television production. Additionally, the first season 'Pose' will feature 50-plus LGBTQ characters--a record in American television history. I can't wait for people to see this incredibly talented, passionate cast."
Pose is set in the 1980s and centers on the juxtaposition of several segments of life and society in New York: the rise of the luxury Trump-era universe, the downtown social and literary scene and the ball culture world. Peters and Mara are tapped to portray New Jersey couple Stan and Patty, who get sucked into the glamor and intrigue of New York City in the 1980s. Van Der Beek, meanwhile, plays Peters' financial kingpin boss Matt.
Also co-creating the series alongside Murphy are Brad Falchuk and Steven Canals. The three also serve as executive producers with Nina Jacobson, Brad Simpson, Alexis Martin Woodall, Sherry Marsh and Erica Kaye. Fox 21 Television Studios and FX Productions produce the series. The first two episodes are directed by Murphy.
In related news, Tatiana Maslany, who was initially set to star on the series, will no longer be taking part on "Pose". Maslany, who was previously cast as a modern dance teacher who develops a relationship with Damon (Ryan Jamaal Swain), has been confirmed to have exited the series. The role has been "reconceived and rewritten to be a 50-year-old African-American woman." The "Orphan Black" star's departure leads the series to cast "ER" alum Charlayne Woodard.
"Pose" is slated to air in the summer of 2018 on FX.
