Warning: This article containers spoilers forPoseseason 2, episode 4, Never Knew Love Like This Before.
EW talked to Ross about Candys tragic ending and saying goodbye toPose.
We havent really seen much behind those antics.
Credit: Macall Polay/FX
I and Im sure many of the fans wanted to sort of see more Candy.
It was sort of a bittersweet thing to see Candy get this beautiful sendoff and this beautiful spotlight.
But I wish that we had more time with Candy, but we dont.
You have to spend a huge amount of this episode in a casket.
Was that surreal?Oh, yes.
It was just so hard.
One of the things is that you dont realize that a casket is not built for your comfort.
You know what Im saying?
So, its one of those things where Im like, Oh, this is uncomfortable.
But we had a body double.
After a certain while, I was like, Go get her.
Go get the body double.
[Laughs] I was laying in that casket so much.
Go get that body double!
Candy and Pray Tell obviously have a combative relationship on screen.
What was it like working with Billy Porter?I like to think ofBilly Porteras my sister.
I like to say that Im Venus Williams and hes Serena Williams.
I just feel like when you play a good person, just like a good back-and-forth.
Like I know your game.
Especially some people, like the Williams sisters, they know each others strengths and weaknesses.
Thats how I felt every time that Billy Porter and I had scenes together.
I was playing a great tennis match with my sister.
The moments where Candy confronts her parents are so emotional and raw.
Were they as intense to shoot?Yes.
Im like, No.
Were not gonna rehearse these lines.
He was like, Okay, lets shoot it.
It was sitting on our chest.
The moment that they said action, it was all real.
I didnt know how I would respond to her, but I just knew that it would be real.
It just hit her so hard at first.
What was your last scene that you shot?The performance was my last scene.
So I was saying goodbye to everyone really in that scene.
So was the funeral set built next to the ballroom set?Yeah.
In many of those ballroom scenes when we were filming, we were relaxing in the funeral.
As soon as I heard the first chord for the song, I was in tears.
It sounds like an organ at a funeral in the beginning.
How many times did you have to do that performance?That performance I did a lot.
I could not believe how many [times] in those heels.
I knew I had that in my back pocket.
The Candy slipped out.
She just slipped right on out.
In that final performance, you get to say goodbye to everyone.
What was that like to film?It was heartbreaking.
It was heartbreaking because no one wanted to see me go.
What was so amazing about that scene is that I knew that everybody wanted a moment with Candy.
Whatever they wanted to do, I vibed with them on what they wanted to do.
It was just me saying goodbye to them.
No one wanted to see me go.
As much asPoseis a celebration, it also showcases the struggles of the trans community.
My story can end in violence, too.
For me, being onPoseis like a welcome back to my field of dream in a way.
For 13 years, I did musical theater.
I had to do tap dance and ballet, and was in jazz choir and swing choir.
Learned how to play piano by ear in the fourth grade, then learned how to play guitar.
But to also be working with people who are the best at their jobs.
Im soaking in everything that I possibly can soak in.
Im being also affirmed to say that you belong here.
Thats what feels amazing about it.
Whats next for you?Im actually going to work right now, yeah.
But yeah, Im already working on some major projects.
