Steven Canals | |
|---|---|
 Canals in 2019 | |
| Born | September 14, 1980 |
| Education | Binghamton University (BA, MA) University of California, Los Angeles (MFA) |
| Occupation(s) | Screenwriter, Producer |
| Years active | 2016–present |
| Notable work | Pose |
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]
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]
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]
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]
He is of African American and Puerto Rican heritage.[3]
