History Characters / Pose

* SadClown: As the head emcee of the Ball system, Pray Tell is a full of life, sass, and a non-stop producer of witty one liners and jokes. But once the ball ends, he's a horribly depressed figure dealing with having AIDS (which killed his lover and countless friends) and the impact it's having on the gay community in New York that is his surrogate family. On top of that, Pray Tell is a victim of childhood sexual abuse and intense physical abuse from his parents, who never approved of his homosexuality.

* TransgenderFetishization: He only values Elektra as a "girl with something extra" and openly tells her that he'll dump her if she gets gender-reassignment surgery.

The co-founder and co-Mother of the House of Ferocity. Like Blanca, Elektra, and Angel, she is a veteran of the House of Abundance. Unlike them, she lacks grace or diplomacy, and has a very bad temper that gets her into trouble in the balls. Fearless and blunt-spoken, Candy isn't afraid to speak her mind, challenge the judges in any category, schemes to do whatever it takes to gain respect. Along with Elektra and Lulu, Candy is one of the meanest girls in the ballroom community. In Season 2, Candy is brutally murdered in a hotel and after her death, candy's legacy lives on through a lip sync category called Candy's Sweet Refrain. As a spirit, she occasionally visits her friends during difficult times.

* ComicRelief: Candy is the funniest and most entertaining character, delivering sassy one-liners and vicious insults to various characters, mainly Blanca and Elektra, and comes up with the craziest schemes in order to gain some respect and admiration in the ballroom scene. Her death remains the most shocking, saddest moment in primetime tv history.
* DeadpanSnarker: Aside from Elektra, Candy is the snarkiest, most hot-headed mothers, not afraid to throw shade at other members in various houses nor get violent and confrontational.

* ComicRelief: One of the funniest, most light-hearted characters on the show. Although he matures into a more sensible young man in season 2, he still retains his playful, carefree attitude towards life, provides hilarious moments within the darkest storylines.

This is the character page for FX series "Pose." The spoilers on this page are unmarked, read at your own risk!

* IllGirl: Diagnosed with HIV at the beginning of the series, and despite her best efforts, it's ready to turn into full blown AIDS by the start of season 2. In season 2 finale, Blanca almost dies from complications but managed to make a full recovery. Feeling stronger, she decides to reopen the House Of Evangelista, ready for the new generation to take on the legacy.

* IllBoy: Discovers he has HIV after a test in season 1.

Blanca starts off the show with a life-changing diagnosis of HIV, and from there decides from there that she wants to live the rest of her life to the fullest. Despite the harshest circumstances, Blanca is a warm-hearted, tough but fair-minded and resilient young woman, who fights for the people that she loves and grows stronger and more confident as the series progresses. She leaves her mother Elektra's house and strikes out on her own. She is highly ambitious and caring and wants the best for everyone and herself, even as her own life expectancy starts to dwindle. In season 2, Blanca's life gets more complicated from learning that her HIV status has advanced into AIDS to becoming a nail salon owner and loses it by her evil landlord, Fredrica Norman to Candy's brutal murder to dealing with Angel's drug addiction to almost dying in the finale, Blanca goes thru the most, but she always pushes through.

* EducationMama: Fiercely pushed Damon to concentrate on trying out for the New School for Dance and later on when he starts to slack in his studies, she bans him from the balls to straighten up. [[spoiler:This ends up paying off, as he graduates at the top of his class and lands a major gig in Europe.]]

* MamaBear: Blanca is fiercely protective of her children, to the point where she threw Lil Papi out for dealing for putting the rest of the house in danger. She wants to push her children to be the best people they can be.

* ToughLove: She forbids her children from working in prostitution or drug-dealing, and if one of her kids is in school, she will expect them to maintain their grades, even if she has to forbid them from competing in the balls so they can focus on their studies. That said, she genuinely loves her children and wants the best for them.

* DarkAndTroubledPast: His stepfather was a pedophile who started molesting him when he was 12; He also revealed his father used to physically and emotionally abuse him for being feminine and gay, causing Pray to reserve his femininity in public and only knew how to express himself in the balls and with his fellow emcees.
* DeathSeeker: He's trying to overcome this tendency, and not be bogged down by HIV and possible death.
* HeroicSacrifice: [[spoiler:After learning that Ricky is developing KS legions, Pray starts giving him his experimental drugs, which leads to his death, but allows Ricky to survive long enough to get legitimate treatments.]]

* StepfordSmiler: He puts up the front of being well kept together, as well as ruling over the ballroom. However the overwhelming horror of the AIDS pandemic and the number of people Pray has buried (including his lover), has led to him having to repress his rage and grief for his friends and community's sake.

** [[spoiler:She is genuinely shaken by the accidental death of her client Paul, and is even prepared to go to the police, and has to be talked out of it by Candy, who points out that even if she had nothing to do with the death, the police will still throw her in jail just for being a trans dominatrix.]]
** [[spoiler:For all the abuses that she's willing to heap upon her children, she would never dream of taking sexual advantage of one of them. She is thus outraged when she learns that Pray had sex with Ricky.]]

* RichBitch: Glamorous, loves the finer things in life, has an impeccable taste in decor, style, and fashion, highly snobbish, but once you get to know her, she is a good person at heart, who often speaks her mind, provide wisdom and stands up for her community.
* TookALevelInKindness: Towards the end of season 2, she starts making a real effort to repair her relationships with her daughters. [[spoiler:She says that she didn't receive a farewell vision from Candy, and fears that it's because she drove Candy away, and she doesn't want to experience that again.]]

* GoodBadGirl: Despite being a hooker in her teens and early 20s, Angel always been a sweet-natured, sociable person, who is admired by most especially her clients.

* NaturalizedName: Subverted; unlike most of the other trans women on the show, she doesn't have a deadname, and has always been called "Angel".

Damon was a homeless youth, kicked out of his house for being gay. When he was dancing for change, he was discovered by Blanca who immediately recruited him for the House of Evangelista. From there, he joins the New School for Dance for school and becomes a valuable asset for the House of Evangelista. While navigating the new world of the ballroom, he also learns to be responsible, believe in himself, and even fall in love. In season 2, Damon grows from being a naive doormat to a more assertive young man, ready to follow his dreams and becomes a voice of reason. In season 2 finale, Damon returns to reunite with his friends and family and it's revealed that he is an international dance instructor and House Father, expanding the Evangelista Family oversees.

* {{Gayngst}}: Downplayed; He is upset he was thrown out of his home by his dad but once in NYC and part of House of Evangelista, he fully embraces his sexuality and newfound freedom.

* TokenWholesome: Being newly out of the closet compared to his siblings, he doesn't have a history of drugs or prostitution, and has only ever done legitimate work like teaching dancing.

Lil Papi was a homeless young hustler and dealer before being adopted to the Evangelistas. He tends to be rougher around the edges than the other Evangelistas, and frequently butts heads with his brothers, but is extremely loyal to Blanca. Despite his street-smart ways, he has a playful and carefree personality, providing humor to the family. In Season 2, Lil Papi finishes his GED and grows closer to Angel, slowly building a relationship with her. In the season 2 finale, he decides to have his own modeling agency for young and aspiring trans women and be Angel's manager, so she can continue her modeling career.

* EarnYourHappyEnding: [[spoiler:After all his hard work, he ends the series with a beautiful wife, a respectable career, and a son who adores him.]]

* HappilyMarried: [[spoiler:He and Angel end the series happily married with a child.]]

* RealMenWearPink: He believes that a real man should be willing to fight to protect those he loves, but should also be affectionate, compassionate, able to cook actual food, and open with his feelings.
* RefugeInAudacity: [[spoiler:In the second season finale, he talks Ms. Ford into hiring him as a manager, despite his lack of experience.]]

* BeingEvilSucks: In season 2, he defects to the House of Wintour, and quickly grows to regret it, as Elektra has no interest in his well-being.
* BrokenAce: He's a great dancer and a strong competitor in "Face" categories, but he's needy and self-destructive. [[spoiler:In season 2, he learns that he's HIV-positive.]]

* LikesOlderMen: [[spoiler:He falls in love with Pray Tell, and ends up moving in with him.]]
* SexForSolace: Ricky tends to use sex and intimacy as a crutch, he ReallyGetsAround and [[spoiler:has sex with Pray Tell, to show affection towards him.]]

* ToxicFriendInfluence: He dislikes condoms and frequently goads Damon into condomless sex. [[spoiler:He's also on the receiving end of this from his rebound boyfriend, Chris, who's only interested in him for sex.]]

* BrokenAce: She was Elektra's favorite daughter once upon a time, and a rising star in the ballroom. Now she's a bitter fading star who leads one of the poorest Houses.
* ComicRelief: Candy is the funniest and most entertaining character, delivering sassy one-liners, vicious insults to various characters, mainly Blanca and Elektra, and comes up with the craziest schemes in order to gain some respect and admiration in the ballroom scene. Her death remains the most shocking, saddest moment in primetime tv history.

* SmallNameBigEgo: In the early days of the House of Abundance, Candy was favored by Elektra because she was the House's only "face" performer. Unfortunately for her, Angel came along and was better at face categories, and instead of recognizing her own limitations and trying to improve her skills, she became convinced that the judges were simply biased against her. In the present, Candy participates in categories she has no business being in, and often times misses the entire point of challenges, all the while taunting Pray Tell.
* StupidEvil: Her temper tantrums often cost the House of Ferocity trophies that they might have won, because she forgets that as a House Mother, her behavior reflects on her children.

A co-founder of the House of Ferocity, and its Mother. Like many of the other major female characters, she is a veteran of the House of Abundance, where she was Elektra's second-in-command. Between her and Candy, Lulu has chilled disposition, doesn't express her feelings too much. During season 1 and early season 2, Lulu is one of the vicious mean girls, consistently tease Blanca's ability as a mother and often schemes with Candy and sometimes Elektra against Blanca and her family during the balls. After Candy's death, Lulu struggles on how she'll keep the House of Ferocity going. However, she eventually moves forward by building a stronger role as sole mother of her family, becomes nicer and more kindhearted by making amends with her former frenemies Blanca, Angel, and Elektra and become best friends, building a stronger sisterhood.

* BreakTheHaughty: For nearly all of the first season and part of the second, she is arrogant, secure in the belief that one day, she would become a House Mother, either by succeeding Elektra or starting her own House. In season 2, mounting financial difficulties and [[spoiler:Candy's death]] quickly relegate her House to the bottom. Once she makes peace and grows closer to Blanca and the others, sheds most of her mean girl ways, and becomes a fan favorite, Lulu gets nominated for Mother of the Year of 1991.
* DeadpanSnarker: Like Angel, she is more easygoing, has a sarcastic, playful sense of humor, but rarely loses her cool.

* TookALevelInJerkass: In season 3, with Elektra more or less retired from the scene, he seeks to take her place, except that he's also demanding that the traditional trophies get replaced by cold, hard cash, which threatens to bankrupt the ballroom.
* WeUsedToBeFriends: He has been part of the Abundance-Evangelista-Ferocity-Wintour extended family from the beginning, and is, in fact, Cubby's ex-boyfriend and a cousin of Angel, but this doesn't stop him from turning against his family in the hopes of monetizing the ballroom scene.

* TookALevelInKindness: In the first season, her reaction to the growing AIDS epidemic is similar to many of the public at the time - she assumes it's just something the addicts and the gays brought upon themselves through their own selfishness. As the series goes on and the death toll from AIDS grows, she realizes that such attitudes aren't going to help anyone, and gradually becomes more compassionate. [[spoiler:In the final time skip, it's revealed that all the deaths finally got to her and she transferred over to the maternity ward, where she's much happier.]]

The protagonists' House, formed when Blanca Rodriguez quit the House of Abundance. The House has stricter rules than others; members are forbidden from engaging in sex work or drug dealing, and are expected to either attend school or look for legitimate work. These rules often limit the amount of money the House brings in, and can inhibit their ability to perform in balls, as sometimes members have work or school on ball nights. On the other hand, the House is one of the more stable and newcomers to the scene all know they can turn to Blanca and her children if they need help.

Elektra's new House in season 2. It is a dark mirror of House of Evangelista, being another team of people from outside the traditional ballroom scene, except that they're experts in their field.

The former champions of the New York ballroom scene, and the former home of many of the series' major characters. Founded by Elektra, it was notorious for bold actions and ruthless dominance of the ballroom scene.

One of the older Houses in New York's ballroom scene, based on the real-life House of Pendavis.

A wealthy real-estate mogul, and Blanca's new landlord in season 2.

* BitchInSheepsClothing: In "Love's in Need of Love Today", Frederica attends the AIDS benefit and performs a song, and even takes Blanca out to dinner afterwards, having supposedly decided to help her. [[spoiler:It's all a ploy to keep Blanca away from her nail salon while her crew guts the space and changes the locks.]]

* KarmaHoudini: [[spoiler:Subverted; While she initially gets away with burning down Blanca's nail salon, she gets arrested in the second season finale and is facing a five-year sentence because the fire injured some of the firemen.]]
* OhCrap: A subdued but quite satisfying case; upon seeing the city's entire gay community has mobilized against her after [[spoiler:forcing Blanca out of the salon]], she gives a quiet "Shit!"

* ReasonableAuthorityFigure: Her agency generally doesn't hire poor brown-skinned trans girls like Angel, but she chooses to take a chance on Angel because she realizes that she's different from most of the models they hire. [[spoiler:In the season finale, she is forced to drop Angel after word gets out that she's a trans woman, but she gets around it by hiring Lil Papi.]]
* ScrewTheRulesImDoingWhatsRight: [[spoiler:After word spreads about Angel being a trans woman, Ms. Ford tries to save her by insisting that it's a lie. When that fails and she is forced to drop Angel as a client, she hires Lil Papi, who becomes Angel's new agent.]]

Stan Bowes' boss at the Trump Organization, and the closest thing the first season has to an antagonist.

* CorruptCorporateExecutive: He regularly abuses his position to harass his female subordinates, and doesn't bat an eye at raiding the company's funds to give Stan an advance to cover up his extramarital affair.

Elektra's sugar daddy in the first season, and the source of the House of Abundance's money. A wealthy man with a taste for pre-op trans women, he funds Elektra's pursuits as long as she continues to be his sex object. [[spoiler:When she undergoes GRS, he immediately dumps her and bans her from his penthouse.]]

* Shoutout: [[spoiler:In the series finale, his "Evangelista" arm tattoo mirrors the arm tattoos of the late Hector Xtravaganza.]]

!!Blanca Evangelista

* TheAlcoholic: In season 3, his grief at the continuing AIDS crisis and his own declining career overwhelm him and he starts drinking heavily.

* DarkAndTroubledPast: His stepfather was a pedophile who started molesting him when he was 12; He also revealed his father used to physically and emotionally abuse him for being feminine and gay, causing pray to reserve his femininity in public and only knew how to express himself in the balls and with his fellow MCs.

!!Angel Evangelista

->Children: Pretentia, Nefertiti, Shadow

->Children: Baby B, Demetrius, Freddie, Sol

->Played by Creator/AngelBismarckCuriel

* ChronicHeroSyndrome: She will help anyone in her community who needs help, even people like Elektra or Candy who are antagonistic towards her. [[spoiler:When Elektra accidentally gets a client killed, she has to push Blanca away in order to prevent her from getting involved in the very-illegal disposal of the body.]]

* TheAce: At dancing; he's so good that he was let in the New School of Dance after the cutoff date. [[spoiler:He also becomes the most successful of Blanca's children, landing a huge job in Paris.]]

!!Ricky Evangelista[=/=]Wintour

Ricky is Damon's boyfriend, and a professional dancer. He is one of the less reliable members of House of Evangelista, only staying loyal so that Blanca will allow him to continue seeing Damon. Wild and promiscuous, Ricky uses his charm and good looks to seduce almost any guy in NYC. However, he seems to shed his player reputation as he learns his HIV status, grows closer to Pray Tell and builds a relationship with him.[[spoiler:In season 2, Damon dumps him and he immediately defects to the House of Wintour.]]

* BeingEvilSucks: [[spoiler:In season 2, he defects to the House of Wintour, and quickly grows to regret it, as Elektra has no interest in his well-being.]]

* GeorgeJetsonJobSecurity: [[spoiler:The House of Wintour only values him because he brings in professional-dancer money. Elektra makes it clear that the instant he stops getting callbacks, she will throw him out.]]

* TookALevelInKindness: In the first season, her reaction to the growing AIDS epidemic is similar to many of the public at the time - she assumes it's just something the addicts and the gays brought upon themselves through their own selfishness. As the series goes on and the death toll from AIDS grows, she realizes that such attitudes aren't going to help anyone, and gradually becomes more compassionate.

->Children: Damon, Angel, Lil Papi; previous children included Cubby, Lemar, Ricky, Quincy, and Chilly.

* RecruitedFromTheGutter: Damon and Lil Papi were both homeless before Blanca found them. [[spoiler:In the second season finale, Blanca finds Quincy and Chilly skulking around outside the ballroom.]]

* HappilyMarried: In season 3, he and Angel have been married for a while, but are still deeply in love.

The co-founder and co-Mother of the House of Ferocity. Like Blanca, Elektra, and Angel, she is a veteran of the House of Abundance. Unlike them, she lacks grace or diplomacy, and has a very bad temper that gets her into trouble in the balls. Fearless and blunt-spoken, Candy isn't afraid to speak her mind, challenge the judges in any category, schemes to do whatever it takes to gain respect. Along with Elektra and Lulu, Candy is one of the meanest girls in the ballroom community. In Season 2, Candy is brutally murdered in a hotel and after her death, candy's legacy lives on through a lipsync category called Candy's Sweet Refrain. As a spirit, she occasionally visits her friends during difficult times.

* JerkWithAHeartOfGold: [[spoiler:In "Never Felt Love Like This Before", the owner of the funeral house reveals that Candy had attended nearly every funeral for every AIDS-related death in the city.]]
* SmallNameBigEgo: Candy participates in categories she has no business being in, and often times misses the entire point of challenges, all the while taunting Pray Tell.

* CampGay: Picture a gay 20-something cisgender man trying to do his best impersonation of Elektra, and you get Lemar.

* {{Foil}}: For Blanca. They're both very good at pushing their children to new heights and winning trophies at the balls, but while Blanca nurtures her children, Elektra uses intimidation and economic dependence to keep hers in line.
* FreudianExcuse: Her mother was a controlling sociopath who prayed for a son so that "she would have a man in her life that would never leave her" and who dreamed of having him completely and utterly subservient to her so that he would carry out her every need and whim. When she found out that Elektra was trans, she banishes her from their home with only her purse and a headscarf and even banned her from using a trunk to pack up her valuables, claiming "the trunk was in her home and as such, her property along with everything else Elektra owned" even if they were bought with Elektra's own money.

* RichBitch: Glamorous, loves the finer things in life, has an impeccable taste in decor, style, and fashion, highly snobbish, but once u get to know her, she is a good person at heart, who often speaks her mind, provide wisdom and stands up for her community.

Lil Papi was a homeless young hustler and dealer before being adopted to the Evangelistas. He tends to be rougher around the edges than the other Evangelistas, and frequently butts heads with his brothers, but is extremely loyal to Blanca. Despite his street-smart ways, He has a playful and carefree personality, providing humor to the family. In Season 2, Lil Papi finishes his GED and grows closer to Angel, slowly builds a relationship with her. In the season 2 finale, He decides to have his own modeling agency for young and aspiring transwomen and be angel's manager, so she can continue her modeling career.

* ViolentlyProtectiveGirlfriend: Boyfriend in this case. Even before they’re official, he beats up the photographer that assaults and blackmails Angel, viciously

* SexForSolace: Ricky tends to use sex and intimacy as a crutch, he ReallyGetsAround and [[spoiler: has sex with Pray Tell, to show affection towards him.]]

A co-founder of the House of Ferocity, and its Mother. Like many of the other major female characters, she is a veteran of the House of Abundance, where she was Elektra's second-in-command. Between her and Candy, Lulu has chilled disposition, doesn't express her feelings too much. During season 1 and early season 2, Lulu is one of the vicious mean girls, consistently tease Blanca's ability as a mother and often schemes with Candy and sometimes Elektra against Blanca and her family during the balls. After Candy's death, Lulu struggles on how she'll keep the house of ferocity going. However, she eventually moves forward by building a stronger role as sole mother of her family, becomes nicer and more kindhearted by making amends with her former frenemies Blanca, Angel, and Elektra and become best friends, building a stronger sisterhood.

* SmarterThanYouLook Lulu starts off a quiet sidekick/BFF to Candy, being one of the mean girls in season 1 and the first few episodes of season 2. However, after Candy's death and as Lulu begins to be more of an independent person, She becomes a fan favorite with her intelligence, fierce attitude, fun loving, free-spirited nature, love for fashion, hilarious mannerisms, and becoming a closer friend to Blanca, Lulu, Elektra, Pray Tell, Lil Papi, Damon and Ricky

* TookALevelInKindness: For much of the first season and part of the second, she is antagonistic towards the Evangelistas. After [[spoiler:Candy's death]], she mends fences with Blanca, Angel, and Elektra, becoming best friends with them.

* CampGay: Oh, very much so.

* TookALevelInJerk: In season 3, with Elektra more or less retired from the scene, he seeks to take her place, except that he's also demanding that the traditional trophies get replaced by cold, hard cash, which threatens to bankrupt the ballroom.