Angelica Ross

Early life Angelica Ross was born on November 28, 1980, in Kenosha, Wisconsin, then raised to the north in nearby Racine. Ross, a trans woman, has said she was perceived as feminine from a young age. In 1998, when she was 17, she came out as gay to her mother, an evangelical Christian. Her mother did not receive the news well; according to Ross, "she told me I should commit suicide or she would, because she couldn't have someone like me as her child." Ross considered ending her own life and overdosed on medication, but survived.

Upon graduating high school at 17, Ross briefly attended the University of Wisconsin–Parkside before dropping out after one semester. The series was nominated for a Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Short Form Comedy or Drama. In 2017, she made guest appearances in the CBS legal drama series Doubt, the TNT crime drama series Claws, and the Amazon Prime Video comedy-drama series Transparent. She also executive produced and starred in the short film Missed Connections, which went on to be an official selection at Outfest 2017, Baltimore International Black Film Festival 2017, La Femme International Film Festival 2017, and Outflix Film Festival 2017 in Memphis, Tennessee. In June 2017, Ross provided voice work for the Amazon Video animated series Danger & Eggs.

Her breakthrough role came in 2018, as Candy Ferocity in Ryan Murphy's FX drama series Pose. For her performance, she earned critical acclaim. She went on to star as psychologist Donna Chambers in the FX anthology horror series American Horror Story: 1984, which made her the first transgender actress to secure two series regular roles. The series was also her second collaboration with Murphy. Her performance garnered critical acclaim by fans and critics alike. In 2021 Ross returned as a series regular for the show's tenth season.

In 2020, Ross signed a deal with Pigeon to develop its television projects. She portrays Georgia, a transgender woman, in the 2022 film Framing Agnes.

Ross made her Broadway debut as Roxie Hart in the musical Chicago in a limited engagement from September 12 to November 6, 2022. With this role, she became the first trans woman to play a leading role on Broadway.

On September 21, 2023, Ross posted on Twitter that she is "leaving Hollywood", having experienced what she perceived as a pattern of mistreatment in the industry. In an interview published the following day, she related more details about her experiences on the set of American Horror Story, and stated that she is moving back to Georgia and preparing to run for public office.

Technology Ross taught herself coding, and started her journey in the technology industry in web management. She also learned graphic design and photography using videos online, taking photos for rappers and designing backstage passes. Ross later was hired by the Chicago House's TransLife Center which caters to trans individuals seeking employment, housing and other aid. The nonprofit creative design firm trains and contracts transgender and other workers. Melissa Harris-Perry brought more attention to the firm in 2015, choosing Ross as her show's first "Foot Soldier" of the year. Educating others on the mission of the firm included MSNBC airing a documentary about it.

Ross is also the president of Miss Ross, Inc. and founded the TransTech Summit. Ross described the goals of TransTech as including to foster skills in the technology industry, especially for trans people. As the world became more digitized, Ross saw the opportunity for expanding remote working via telecommunication as there can be flexible solutions to workplace issues.

Ross was a featured speaker at the 2015 White House LGBTQ Tech and Innovation Summit.

Other ventures In January 2024, Ross announced the launch of a new weekly podcast, N.O.W.: No Opportunity Wasted, featuring "deep discussion on everything from politics to pop culture with world leaders, celebrities and everyday people".

In February 2026, Ross became communications director for the Butch Ware campaign for governor of California.

Activism Ross was a celebrity ambassador to the 50th Anniversary Stonewall celebration that took place in June 2019 during Pride. On September 20, 2019, Ross hosted the 2020 Presidential Candidate Forum on LGBTQ Issues. This made her the first openly transgender person to host an American presidential forum. On September 28, 2019, Ross was a featured speaker at the National Trans Visibility March in Washington D.C.

Personal life Ross was once engaged, but called off the engagement as her fiancé did not want others to know that Ross was transgender. She is a practicing Buddhist.

Filmography Film

Television Year Title Role Notes 2015 I Am Cait Herself 2 episodes 2016 Her Story Paige 5 episodes; webseries 2017 Doubt Valentina Episode: "Clean Burn" Danger & Eggs Mayor (voice) 3 episodes Claws Relevance 3 episodes Transparent Diana Ross Diva Episode: "Born Again" 2018–2021 Pose Candy Ferocity 15 episodes 2019 King Ester Denise Episode: "Insurance" American Horror Story: 1984 Donna Chambers 9 episodes 2021 American Horror Story: Double Feature The Chemist 3 episodes Theta 3 episodes 2022 Dead End: Paranormal Park Margie Episode: "Wait Time: 22 Minutes" 2023The Freedom to Exist with Elliot Page - A Soul of a Nation Presentation Herself Documentary series 2023 Sort Of Dr. C Episode: "The Sort Of Truth"

Video games Year Title Role Notes 2025 Dead by Daylight Orela Rose "Steady Pulse" DLC

Podcasts Year Title Creator Host Panelist