Entertainment

Ryan Murphy hails Pose ‘movement’ as show comes to an end

The hit programme has concluded after three series.
The hit programme has concluded after three series. The hit programme has concluded after three series.

Pose co-creator Ryan Murphy hailed the series as “more than a show” and “a movement” as the final episode was broadcast.

It was announced in March that the drama, set in the queer ballroom scene of New York City at the height of the HIV/Aids epidemic, would end after its third series.

The programme, which airs on BBC Two in the UK, featured a record number of transgender actors, including MJ Rodriguez, Indya Moore and Dominique Jackson.

Writer, director and producer Murphy shared a series of pictures of the cast on Instagram and praised Pose as one of his greatest achievements.

The 55-year-old wrote: “The series finale of POSE airs tonight on FX. Along with my children, this show is one of the things in my life I am the most proud of.

“Steven Canals, Brad Falchuk and I created the show and then spent six months with casting director Alexa Fogel literally searching the world for our amazing cast. Every single one of them brought so much love, personal pain and joy and untapped TALENT to the screen.

“The photos you see above were taken by my better half David Miller when I was directing the POSE pilot over four years ago; the story we were telling felt so fresh, so necessary, and we were all so excited and praying it would get on the air. How lucky we all are that the dream became a reality.”

Ashish Front Row – London Fashion Week February 2020
Ashish Front Row – London Fashion Week February 2020 Billy Porter (Isabel Infantes/PA)

During a special screening of the finale, Murphy surprised attendees with an appearance by Sir Elton John and his husband, David Furnish, both fans of the show.

Murphy said the cast and crew had “felt so SEEN when Elton said POSE changed the game and will go down as one of the most important and revolutionary shows in television history”.

He added: “Tonight’s finale was written by myself, Steven, Brad and Our Lady J and Janet Mock. I hope you feel how much we loved our characters, rooted for them, and celebrated their triumphs. And in my opinion, it’s one of the best series finales ever made, and that is because of Steven Canals, and his extraordinary direction.

“It took close to 25 days to make, and you can feel all the blood sweat and tears Steven and the cast and crew brought every day to this episode.”

He added: “I have always believed that POSE, with the largest LGBTQ cast in TV history, is more than a show. It’s a movement.

“Although tonight we bid a tearful farewell to characters we love, the movement and the legacy of POSE continues.”

The show’s breakout star, Billy Porter, who played sharp-tongued emcee Pray Tell, said: “We told the story. We were the first … and most definitely will not be the last!”

The 51-year-old became the first openly gay black man to be nominated for an Emmy in the lead actor in a drama series category for his turn in the show.

Dyllon Burnside, who played dancer Ricky Evangelista, replied: “You did a thing that no-one thought could be done. It was major. It will live on as one of the medium’s great triumphs.

“All because of a yes. Yes is so powerful. In our personal lives and for the world. Thank you doesn’t express the depths of gratitude for you as a conduit to so much change and healing.”

Pose was created by Murphy, the screenwriter behind hit shows including Glee, American Horror Story and Scream Queens, Brad Falchuk and and Steven Canals.