Sometimes good things come to those who wait. For Steven Canals, an idea that sparked in 2004 while he was a college student at the University of Binghamton came to roost 14 years later. He’d just seen the landmark documentary “Paris is Burning” and was intrigued by the idea of a TV series centered on two competitive ballroom houses. Last year that dream came to fruition with the debut of “Pose,” an FX drama series that earned critical accolades such as being named to AFI’s Top 10 series of 2010.
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After a long journey to Los Angeles and the entertainment industry, Canals ended up pitching “Pose” to television maestro Ryan Murphy who, at the time, was contemplating a series based on “Paris.” Along with Murphy’s longtime collaborator, Brad Falchuk, the trio shepherded a series that stars more trans women of color than any narrative program before it.
The show touched such a nerve that one of the original stars of “Paris,” Hector Extravaganza, who played a judge on season one, called Canals one day after the first season crying.
“I just wanted to call and tell you how proud I are of this show,” Canals recalls. “I never thought I would live to see the day when a show like this would air, but would be embraced in the way that it has.”
Extravaganza, known as “Grandfather,” passed away in December after battling HIV since being diagnosed in 1982.
Canals has been busy getting “Pose” ready for its second season (it premieres on June 9) but took some time last month to join the Four Quadrant podcast to talk about how his breakout baby finally got a chance to walk the runway.
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