October 13, 2020
'Pose' Star Angelica Ross Opens Up About 'Extremely Traumatizing' Incident on 'Claws'
READ TIME: 2 MIN.
Before she starred in the FX drama "Pose," Angelica Ross was on the TNT series "Claws," starring Niecy Nash. In a new interview with Self Magazine, she opened up about an "extremely traumatizing" incident, which took place on set in 2017.
"The trauma I experienced on that set is a drastic difference from the support that I felt on the set of Pose. Someone referred to me as 'he,'" she told writer Crissle West, host of the popular podcast "The Read." "I had a scene that was dropped on me. I knew the scene was coming and we had talked about it. I get to set and I'm now being asked to drop my underwear and wear a modesty garment.
"I get to set and I'm now being asked to drop my underwear and wear a modesty garment – it's basically this tape that goes from your front to your back," Ross continued.
In the scene, she was supposed to hover over a man while wearing the modesty garment. BuzzFeed notes actors are usually made aware of scenes involving the modesty garment and have the option to agree or disagree with the terms.
"It was one of the hardest things for me to do because I was pre-op. These garments aren't made for trans people," Ross told the publication. "Now, I'm asked to do something that should have had a nudity rider ahead of time, but it's sprung on me. I did not receive a nudity rider in advance nor was there a general nudity rider to my knowledge.
"There were so many things that happened on that set where I just did not feel affirmed. It's this women-led show and yet the trans woman on the show is feeling shitty," she went on to say, adding that it taught her some valuable lessons.
Click here to read Ross's full interview with Self.