List of Pose characters

Evan Peters

Stan Bowes (portrayed by Evan Peters)[4] is the yuppy husband of Patty Bowes who works in Trump Tower and later becomes Angel's lover.

Stan is first seen entering Trump Tower seeking a job and partakes in an informal interview with employer Matt Bromley. Following this Stan travels the streets and is approaches by Angel who he takes to a motel; though she exposes herself to him, Stan suggests they merely lie next to each other and talk. They eventually part ways after kissing one another. After being denied a job at Trump Tower, Angel waits for Stan outside the building but Stan pushes her away and tells her that he has a family ("Pilot"). Stan asks for a raise at work so that he may give Angel her own apartment ("Access"). Stan welcomes Angel to her new studio apartment where she makes him promise to spend one hour on Christmas with her, however he is unable to visit her after being questioned by Patty ("Giving and Receiving"). Stan gets a promotion at work which angers Matt, and he seeks revenge by telling Patty about Stan's ongoing affair with Angel ("Mother's Day") which leads Patty to speak to Angel where she is shocked to learn that she is transgender. Later, Patty takes Stan to couples therapy, and after a lengthy session tells Stan that she wants some time apart and kicks Stan out of the family home ("Love Is the Message"). By "Pink Slip", Stan and Angel are now living together as a couple, however this is short lived when Angel takes Stan to a ball. He is overwhelmed by the atmosphere and culture, and realizes this life isn't for him and leaves Angel. Stan shows up outside the ballroom and begs Angel to take him back and promises to "rescue" her from the life of the balls, however he is rejected and leaves ("Mother of the Year"). He does not appear is Season 2.[5]

Kate Mara

Patty Bowes (portrayed by Kate Mara)[4] is Stan's wife and mother of their children.

Initially, Patty is happily married to Stan with two children, living in the suburbs. However, months after Stan accepts a job at Trump Tower, Patty is visited by his co-worker Matt Bromley who informs her of his husbands affair with Angel. She confronts Stan, questioning him about the jewelry he bought for her, and follows Matt's hints to locate and speak to Angel. Patty is shocked to learn that Angel is transgender. Following this, Patty takes Stan to couples therapy and kicks him out of the house ("Love Is the Message"). They plan to divorce one another after their kids have graduated and moved out of the house. She does not appear in Season 2.[5]

James Van Der Beek

Matt Bromley (portrayed by James Van Der Beek)[4] is the kingpin boss of Stan Bowes at Trump Tower.

Although being the employer that hires Stan, Matt soon becomes jealous of him & after Stan gets a promotion, he tells Patty about Stan's affair with Angel which leads her to speak to Angel and eventually for Stan and Patty to separate. He does not appear in Season 2.[5]

MJ Rodriguez

Blanca Rodriguez-Evangelista (portrayed by MJ Rodriguez)[6] is a trans woman with HIV/AIDS and former member of the House of Abundance. She is the founder and mother of the House of Evangelista.

• MJ Rodriguez became the first transgender actress to be nominated for the Critics' Choice Television Award for Best Actress in a Drama Series for her role as Blanca Rodriguez-Evangelista in Pose.[7]

Dominique Jackson

Elektra Wintour (portrayed by Dominique Jackson)[6] is the mother of the former House of Abundance, which included Blanca, Angel, Candy and Lulu. After brief stints in the Houses of Evangelista and Ferocity, she forms the House of Wintour in Season 2.

Billy Porter

Pray Tell (portrayed by Billy Porter) is an emcee of the balls in New York, fashion designer and mentor to members of the community, especially the members of House Evangelista.

• In 2019, Billy Porter won the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series for his portrayal of Pray Tell in Pose.[8]

Indya Moore

Angel Evangelista (portrayed by Indya Moore)[6] is a trans woman model and former sex worker who joins the House of Evangelista after leaving the House of Abundance. She has a relationship with Stan Bowes in the first season and begins a relationship with Lil Papi in season 2.

Damon Richards-Evangelista (portrayed by Ryan Jamaal Swain)[9] is a homeless, talented dancer who becomes the first member of the House of Evangelista.

After his homophobic parents discover he is gay, they disown him and kick him out of the house. Damon is living on the streets of New York City when he meets Pito. He is soon taken in by Blanca who introduces him to the ballroom scene and accepts him as the first member of the House of Evangelista. Blanca advocates fiercely to help him gain admission to Helena St. Roger's New School for Dance, and he is accepted. Damon becomes lovers with Ricky, a street hustler who also joins House Evangelista as a dancer. After meeting Chris, a boy who claims to have slept with Ricky while on tour, the two separate and Ricky joins the House of Wintour. When Damon and Ricky both audition for Madonna's "Vogue" tour, they make up but decide to just be friends. Damon graduates from dance school and later finds success touring with Malcolm McLaren.

Helena St. Rogers (portrayed by Charlayne Woodard) is the dean of the new school of dance and the dance instructor of Damon.

Before teaching Damon, Helena had previously become invested in the work of one of her students, Tony, who had contracted HIV and been hospitalised. Tony is visited by Helena but shortly after the visit he passes away. Mid-class, Helena is informed of Tony's death and notices Damon's late arrival to the class, in a fit of anger, Helena demands that Damon leaves her class. The two later make-up and Damon continues to take Helena's class.

• Tatiana Maslany was originally cast in the role of Helena St. Rogers, before the role being remodelled into a 50-year old African American woman & being recast with Charlayne Woodard.[10]

Angelica Ross

Candy Johnson-Ferocity (portrayed by Angelica Ross)[6] was the co-founder of the House of Ferocity alongside Lulu. She was known for her feisty attitude and her desire to be seen.

Initially a member of the House of Abundance, Candy leaves along with Lulu, after the house suffers from financial failings, and form the House of Ferocity. Candy continually argued and fought against the judgements and ridicule of Pray Tell and the other ballroom judges, even risking silicone injections from shady plastic surgeon, Ms. Orlando, in order to be perceived as more attractive. When Candy and Lulu struggle to maintain their house, Candy takes jobs in the sex trade. One night while working in a sleazy motel, Candy is murdered by one of her clients. At her funeral, she appears to various characters through spirit; she forgives Pray Tell for his previous judgemental attitude towards her, and expresses support for Angel and Lulu. Her parents, Darnell and Vivica, attend the funeral service and, despite spending most of their lives estranged from Candy, they finally accept her for who she is. Lulu, however, becomes distant during the service and comes to a realisation that she is unable to remember anything positive about her co-mother and angrily strips items of clothing from Candy's body before being pulled away by Damon, Lil Papi and Ricky. She leaves the funeral home in tears and is visited by Candy's spirit who comforts her.

• Angelica Ross' role as Candy Ferocity on Pose, along with her role as Donna Chambers on American Horror Story: 1984, made her the first transgender actress to secure two series regular roles.[11]

Lulu Ferocity (portrayed by Hailie Sahar)[6] is the co-founder of the House of Ferocity alongside Candy.

She was a member of the House of Abundance but leaves following financial failings and founds the House of Ferocity alongside Candy. Lulu is distraught by the death of Candy and attends her funeral. However, Lulu becomes distant during the service and realises that she can't remember anything positive about Candy. In a fit of anger Lulu strips Candy's body of items of clothing before being pulled away and subsequently visited by Candy's spirit who comforts her. Lulu also has a close relationship with Blanca who she helps out on multiple occasions, including protesting outside Blanca's boarded up nail salon and helping to inflate a giant condom around Frederica Norman's house.

Esteban 'Lil Papi' Martinez-Evangelista (portrayed by Angel Bismark Curiel) is a member of the House of Evangelista, who briefly joins the House of Ferocity before returning to the House of Evangelista.

Lil Papi joins the House of Evangelista but after being caught using drugs he is kicked out by house mother, Blanca. After a short period of time, Blanca offers for Lil Papi to rejoin the house however he has already joined the House of Ferocity by this point. He, eventually, rejoins House Evangelista after being pushed around by Candy & Lulu. In Season 2, Papi and Angel begin a relationship with each other & Papi supports Angel's career in modelling, even going as far as to offer to manage her with the help of Ms. Ford.

Ricky Wintour (portrayed by Dyllón Burnside) is a former member of the House of Evangelista and current member of the House of Wintour.

Like Damon, Ricky was a homeless man on the streets of New York until being accepted into the House of Evangelista. In Season 1, Damon and Ricky start a romantic relationship and Ricky, like Damon, becomes a dancer. At the end of season 1, Ricky joins Al B. Sure! on tour for two years. He is reunited with Damon upon returning home, in season 2, however after being informed that Ricky had sexual relations with another man while on tour, Damon splits up with him. Shortly thereafter, Ricky leaves the House of Evangelista and joins the House of Wintour. Both Ricky and Damon join the reboot of Solid Gold, dancing alongside each other, after a while the two reconcile but decide to remain friends. After discovering that he is HIV positive, Ricky confides in Pray Tell and the two begin a sexual relationship soon afterwards, something which ensues shock and disgust amongst the community due to the age gap between the two.

Sandra Bernhard

Judy Kubrak (portrayed by Sandra Bernhard)[3] is a nurse who works with people with AIDS, and a member of ACT UP.

In season 1, Judy cared for Pray Tell's boyfriend Costas until his untimely death. During this time Judy and Pray Tell formed a close friendship. Following Candy's murder, Judy helped Blanca and Elektra in releasing Candy's body from the morgue so that a proper funeral could be performed

Lemar Wintour (portrayed by Jason A. Rodriguez)[12] is a former member of the House of Abundance, who leaves to join the House of Ferocity, then the House of Evangelista, and afterwards, the House of Wintour in Season 2.

Cubby Wintour (portrayed by Jeremy McClain)[13] is a former member of the House of Abundance, who leaves to join the House of Ferocity, then the House of Evangelista, and afterwards, the House of Wintour in Season 2.

Aphrodite Ferocity (portrayed by Alexia Garcia) is a previous member of the House of Xtravaganza and current member of the House of Ferocity.

In Season 1, Aphrodite attends one of the balls and walks alongside Elektra. After winning grand prize, Aphrodite is treated to a meal by Elektra where she tells Elektra that she was inspired heavily by her to both take part at the balls and to fully transition into a woman ("The Fever"). She also attends the Princess Ball ("Mother of The Year").

Bianca Castro

Veronica Ferocity (portrayed by Bianca Castro)[14] is a thrift store cashier and a member of the House of Ferocity.

In season 1, she informs Blanca of her previous sexual relations with Darius ("Love Is the Message") and attends the Princess Ball ("Mother of The Year"). In season 2, she serves primarily as a background character however, in "In My Heels", she voices her disapproval when her mother, Lulu, doesn't win one of the categories.

Patti LuPone

Frederica Norman (portrayed by Patti LuPone)[15] is a shady real estate mogul.

She sells Blanca the property for her to build 'Vogue Nails' unaware that she is transgender. After being informed by her son, Jonas, that Blanca is transgender, Frederica attempts to kick Blanca out of the property. When Blanca refuses, Frederica distracts her by attending Blanca's annual AIDS cabaret while her son boards up Blanca's nail salon. In revenge, Blanca and the rest of the community protest outside the boarded up building as well as inflating a large condom around Frederica's house. In "Life's a Beach", Blanca is informed that her nail salon has burned and Norman hints that she was behind it. In "In My Heels", we find out that a witness had seen Norman leaving the salon moments before it was set alight and as a result she had been arrested on suspicion of arson and could be facing up to 10 years in prison. While in prison, Frederica states that she regrets ruining Blanca's dream.

Trudie Styler

Eileen Ford[16] (portrayed by Trudie Styler) is a fashion model agent.

During a networking event, Ford is introduced to Angel where, although not accepting Angel's homemade photos, she recommends Angel a photographer to go and get professional images taken with. She also conducts another interview with Angel who's "sassiness" loses her the job, however Ford presents her with an opportunity after a model dropped out during a photoshoot. When it is revealed that Angel is transgender, she is dropped by multiple brands however with the help of Lil Papi, Ms. Ford agrees to continue working with Angel.