For five seasons, Tatiana Maslany was one of the most watchable people on TV, as she took on a variety of different roles for the sci-fi thriller Orphan Black. Perhaps unfortunately, she'll only be playing a single role in her next big TV project, but we're still celebrating, because she was cast in Ryan Murphy next FX drama, the recently announced Pose. What's more, she's got a lot of other talented entertainers around her, such as Murphy regular Evan Peters and more.
Pose will take place in New York City in the 1980s, with the rapid rise of financial excess and luxury mixed in with separate looks at different social settings of the era, such as literary circles and the ballroom scene. In the show, Tatiana Maslany will play a modern dance teacher who appears to have more than just a professional interest in the talented Damon, played by Ryan Jamaal Swain. I'm already getting hints of Black Swan, even though this show probably won't be anything like that.
But it does sound like Maslany's dancing scenes will be taken as seriously as possible, as Pose is bringing in acclaimed choreographer Ryan Heffington, perhaps most famous for choreographing several music videos for Sia (including the Grammy-nominated "Chandelier") and Arcade Fire. His work was also showcased on the Netflix sci-fi drama The OA and in Edgar Wright's latest flick Baby Driver, so here's hoping we get to see both grace and intensity when Maslany and Swain are on the screen.
Evan Peters, currently starring in American Horror Story: Cult, will reteam with another AHS vet, Kate Mara, to play Stan and Patty, a New Jersey couple who find themselves getting pulled into the glitzy and enthralling changes making New York City all the more glamourous. Meanwhile, Dawson's Creek vet James Van Der Beek has also been added to Pose as Matt, a money-loving kingpin that employs Peters' Stan. Sometimes tells me Van Der Beek will be playing one of his skeeviest characters yet, and it will be kinda hard to top his role in The Rules of Attraction.
Notably, Pose's cast will also include the largest number of transgender actors to take on series regular roles in a scripted series. And stage star Billy Porter, who won a Tony Award for his work on Kinky Boots, is also part of the cast.
In the years since Orphan Black premiered back in 2013, Tatiana Maslany has become a fan favorite actress, appearing in shows such as Parks and Recreation, BoJack Horseman and Robot Chicken, among others. She's also starred in a few smaller dramas like last year's The Other Half, and just recently starred oppose Jake Gyllenhaal in the Boston marathon bombing drama Stronger. Pose will likely be her biggest TV role to date, so it'll be interesting to see if she gets any Emmy attention right away instead of having to wait years for it.
Pose, co-created by Ryan Murphy, Brad Falchuk and Steven Canals, will go into production in November in New York, presumably for a 2018 premiere on FX. While waiting to hear more about the drama, head to our fall TV premiere schedule.
