Fittingly, Angelica Ross’ Pose character was named Candy, because her rise as a trans trailblazer has been so sweet to see.
Known for her roles in Claws, Transparent, and the web series, Her Story, it was Ross’ electric performance as Candy Ferocity on the Emmy-winning series, Pose, that elevated her to a new level of stardom.
In the show’s second season, Candy was brutally murdered, leading to a bittersweet farewell scene where she said goodbye to her house family, lip-syncing to the disco classic, “Never Knew Love Like This Before.”
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After leaving Pose, Ross was featured in two seasons of American Horror Story, appeared in Max’s Sort Of, and even delivered the LGBTQ State of the Union for Logo in 2022.
That same year she made theater history by becoming the first trans woman to play a lead role on Broadway, when she took on the role of Roxie Hart in Chicago.
“There are moments to be had of joy and affirmation and creativity. Being trans is not all about suffering and challenge,” she told NBC News during her Chicago run. “There’s still a determination, and there’s a certain determination within me… to break through and have this moment.”
She might have been a theater trailblazer, but in September 2023, Ross left the world of acting behind, announcing on Twitter that she was “leaving Hollywood”:
“There are multiple articles that will be coming out detailing this. So I suggest you and your faves play nice, cuz I’m a Black trans woman with nothing to lose. Candy was born from my body,” she wrote on Twitter at the time.
In addition to acting, and helping advance queer representation on stage and screen, in 2014 Ross founded TransTech, an nonprofit aimed at empowering “trans and non-conforming people through job training, leadership, and workplace skills.”
“What I want to see is women, LGBTQ people, and marginalized folks from all over the world coming together under the umbrella of TransTech and creating a front of solidarity that cannot be broken,” she told Time in February 2024.
As if she wasn’t busy enough with TransTech, earlier this year Ross launched her own podcast, N.O.W. No Opportunity Wasted with Angelica Ross.
The weekly podcast features Ross having an uplifting and powerful conversation with a variety of queer celebs like RuPaul’s Drag Race superstar Jinkx Monsoon, Sara Ramirez, and Raquel Willis, to politicians like Georgia State Senator Kim Jackson and presidential candidate Marianne Williamson.
In addition to her podcast, Ross has also recently released original music including a steady string of sexy singles like “Purrr,” “Grand Theft Lover ‘Cheat Code,’” “I Need You,” and “Fierce,” featuring Ultra Naté and Mila Jam. Plus, Candy, her character from Pose, still lives on in Ross’ live performances, where she covers the Stephanie Mills soulful classic, “Never Knew Love Like This Before.”
In a September 2023 interview with The Hollywood Reporter, Ross addressed her leaving the entertainment industry, and revealed that she wasn’t totally stepping away, and that she was writing a movie she is set to star in, and even teased a run at public office.
From breaking down barriers for queer people in television and theater, to blazing trails in tech and fighting for trans rights, Ross truly leaves no opportunity wasted.
