Steven Canals

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Steven Canals
Canals in 2019
Born (1980-09-14) September 14, 1980 (age 43)
EducationBinghamton University (BA, MA)
University of California, Los Angeles (MFA)
Occupation(s)Screenwriter, Producer
Years active2016–present
Notable workPose

Steven Canals (born September 14, 1980)[1][2] is an American screenwriter and producer. He is best known for co-creating and executive-producing the FX television show Pose.[2]

Early life and education[edit]

Canals grew up in the Housing Projects in Castle Hill, Bronx.[3] He began practicing filmmaking at the Youth Ministries for Peace and Justice after school program. He co-produced his first documentary about gang violence with other classmates when he was 15.[2][3][4]

Canals graduated with a BA in cinema and MA in student affairs from Binghamton University in 2005 and 2008 respectively.[5] Canals received his MFA in screenwriting from UCLA School of Theater, Film and Television in 2015.[3][5]

Career[edit]

Prior to working in entertainment, Canals worked in university administration. He worked as an LGBT resource coordinator at SUNY-Cortland while completing his master's degree part time, where he was also residence hall director of Shea Hall and advisor to the university's gay-straight alliance for six years.[2][6][7] Allegheny College appointed Canals as associate director for gender and sexual orientation initiatives in June 2011.[6]

Entertainment[edit]

Canals was a staff writer on Freeform's Dead of Summer in 2016. His short film Afuera premiered at the LA Film Festival that same year.[8]

Canals developed the pilot script for television show Pose while studying at UCLA in 2014.[2][3] He was initially inspired by the story in Paris Is Burning.[9] He however found it difficult to get the script developed as industry executives found the subject matter about LGBT people of color and ball culture to be "too niche".[3][9][10] Ryan Murphy, co-creator of Glee and American Horror Story, would later come on as a producer in 2016, along with his producing partner Brad Falchuk.[3][11] The first season premiered in June 2018 on FX.[10] The show is noted to have the largest transgender cast in television history.[10][11]

He was named a "writer to watch" by Variety in 2018.[4]

Canals signed an overall deal with 20th Century Fox Television in January 2020.[12]

Personal life[edit]

Canals is openly queer.[3]

He is of African American and Puerto Rican heritage.[3]

References[edit]

  1. ^ Canals, Steven (2019-09-14). "My sister knows me so well!! HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO ME!! Thanks @michelle_canals for my @DonutFriend pic.twitter.com/5BqStY81j7". @StevenCanals. Retrieved 2020-02-23.
  2. ^ a b c d e Kaplan, Ilana (26 June 2019). "'Pose' Co-Creator Steven Canals Spent Years Hiding. Now Everyone Can See Him". GQ. Retrieved 2020-01-24.
  3. ^ a b c d e f g h Canals, Steven (2018-05-24). "FX's 'Pose' Creator on His Difficult Journey Bringing the Groundbreaking Trans Series to TV". The Daily Beast. Retrieved 2020-01-24.
  4. ^ a b Freund, Kelley. "Steven Canals says idea for Pose began at Binghamton - Binghamton News". News - Binghamton University. Retrieved 2020-01-24.
  5. ^ a b Gilroy, Maggie. "Steven Canals, co-creator of Emmy nominated 'Pose,' is a Binghamton University alum". Pressconnects. Retrieved 2020-01-24.
  6. ^ a b "Allegheny College Appoints Three Individuals to Positions Focusing on Diversity and Inclusive Excellence". Allegheny.edu. 30 June 2011. Retrieved 2020-01-24.
  7. ^ "Cortland in the news - SUNY Cortland". www2.cortland.edu. Retrieved 2020-01-24.
  8. ^ "Steven Canals's schedule for 2019 Austin Film Festival & Conference". 2019austinfilmfestivalconfe.sched.com. Retrieved 2020-01-24.
  9. ^ a b "Steven Canals Created 'Pose.' Still, He's Hollywood's Best-Kept Secret". www.out.com. 2019-01-10. Retrieved 2020-01-24.
  10. ^ a b c "Steven Canals on How Growing Up as a Queer Afro-Latino in 1980s Bronx Prepared Him to Write 'Pose'". Remezcla. 2019-06-18. Retrieved 2020-01-24.
  11. ^ a b "With the largest cast of trans actors in history, Ryan Murphy's Pose is a strut in the right direction". The Independent. 2019-03-21. Archived from the original on 2022-05-25. Retrieved 2020-01-24.
  12. ^ Thorne, Will (2020-01-21). "'Pose' Co-Creator Steven Canals Inks Overall Deal With 20th Century Fox TV". Variety. Retrieved 2020-01-24.
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