Angelica Ross facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Angelica Ross
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| Born | November 28, 1980 Kenosha, Wisconsin, U.S.
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| Years active | 2005–present |
| Organization | TransTech Social Enterprises |
Angelica Ross was born on November 28, 1980. She is an American actress, businesswoman, and a strong supporter of transgender rights. Angelica taught herself computer programming. She later started TransTech Social Enterprises. This company helps transgender people find jobs in the technology world.
Angelica Ross began her acting career in 2016. She starred in the web series Her Story. She became more famous for her roles in the TV shows Pose (2018–2021) and American Horror Story (2019–2021). Both of these shows were on the FX channel.
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Early Life and Education
Angelica Ross was born in Kenosha, Wisconsin, on November 28, 1980. She grew up in nearby Racine. Angelica is a trans woman. She has shared that people saw her as feminine from a young age.
After high school, Angelica went to the University of Wisconsin–Parkside. She left after one semester. She then joined the U.S. Navy at age 17. Her parents signed a special paper so she could join as a minor. She wanted to join to get money for college through the G.I. Bill. She was stationed in Japan for a short time. After six months, she left the Navy. This was under a rule called "Don't Ask Don't Tell". This rule meant gay, lesbian, or bisexual people could serve if they did not tell anyone about their identity.
After leaving the Navy, Angelica moved to Roanoke, Virginia. She lived with her biological father. For a while, she did not get along with her parents. But she says they have fixed their relationship since then. In Roanoke, she worked as a waitress. She also went to cosmetology school. She lost her waitress job because of unfair treatment. Later, she moved to Hollywood, Florida. There, she worked as a model and a web manager. She started her own business for web design and graphic design. She also took acting classes. Later, she moved to Chicago. She became the employment coordinator for the Trans Life Center there.
Career Highlights
Angelica Ross has had a busy career in both acting and technology.
Acting Roles
Angelica Ross started acting in 2005. Her first film was Natale a Miami. In 2016, she gained attention for Her Story. This was a web series about trans women living in Los Angeles. The show was even nominated for an Emmy Award. In 2017, she appeared in several TV shows. These included Doubt, Claws, and Transparent. She also helped produce and starred in a short film called Missed Connections. This film was shown at many film festivals. She also did voice work for the animated series Danger & Eggs.
Her biggest acting success came in 2018. She played Candy Ferocity in the TV show Pose. Critics praised her acting in this role. She then starred as Donna Chambers in American Horror Story: 1984. This made her the first transgender actress to have two regular roles in TV series. She also returned for the show's tenth season in 2021.
In 2020, Angelica Ross signed a deal to create TV projects. She also appeared in the 2022 film Framing Agnes. In 2022, she made her Broadway debut. She played Roxie Hart in the musical Chicago. This made her the first trans woman to play a main role on Broadway. In September 2023, Angelica Ross shared that she was leaving Hollywood. She felt she had been treated unfairly in the industry. She plans to move back to Georgia and might run for public office.
Technology Work
Angelica Ross taught herself how to code. She started her tech journey in web management. She also learned graphic design and photography by watching online videos. She took photos for musicians and designed special passes for events. Later, she worked for the Chicago House's TransLife Center. This center helps trans people find jobs and housing. Her job was to help create programs for finding employment.
In 2014, Angelica Ross started her own company. It is called TransTech Social Enterprises. She is the CEO of this company. It is a nonprofit firm that trains and hires transgender people and others. In 2015, a TV show called Melissa Harris-Perry highlighted her company. Angelica Ross returned as the head of TransTech in 2024.
Angelica Ross is also the president of Miss Ross, Inc. She also started the TransTech Summit. She said TransTech aims to help people, especially trans people, learn skills in the technology industry. She saw that more jobs could be done remotely. This means people can work from home using computers. This offers flexible solutions for workplace issues. In 2015, Ross was a speaker at the White House LGBTQ Tech and Innovation Summit.
Other Projects
In January 2024, Angelica Ross announced a new weekly podcast. It is called N.O.W.: No Opportunity Wasted. The podcast talks about many topics. These include politics and pop culture. It features talks with leaders, celebrities, and everyday people.
Activism and Advocacy
Angelica Ross is a strong advocate for LGBTQ+ rights. In June 2019, she was an ambassador for the 50th Anniversary Stonewall celebration. This event marked 50 years since the Stonewall riots. These riots were a very important moment for the modern LGBTQ rights movement.
On September 20, 2019, Angelica Ross hosted a special event. It was a forum for 2020 Presidential Candidates to discuss LGBTQ Issues. This made her the first openly transgender person to host such a forum in America. On September 28, 2019, she was a speaker at the National Trans Visibility March in Washington D.C..
Personal Life
Angelica Ross was once engaged to be married. However, the engagement ended. She practices Buddhism.
Filmography
Film
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2005 | Natale a Miami | Sharon | |
| 2010 | Bella Maddo | Party Guest | Short film |
| 2017 | Missed Connections | Jennifer | Short film |
| The Heart of a Woman | Terri | Short film | |
| 2020 | Disclosure: Trans Lives on Screen | Herself | Documentary film |
| 2021 | Music | Urgent Care Doctor | |
| 2022 | Framing Agnes | Georgia | Documentary 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" |
| 2023 | The 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" |
Awards and Nominations
| Year | Association | Category | Nominated work | Result | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2015 | Transgender National Alliance | Be Amazing Award | Angelica Ross | Won | |
| 2016 | Black Trans Advocacy Awards | Trailblazer Award | Won | ||
| 2016 | Human Rights Campaign | Visibility Award | Won | ||
| 2017 | GLAAD Media Awards | Outstanding Talk Show Episode | The Daily Show with Trevor Noah | Won | |
| Special Recognition Award | Angelica Ross | Won | |||
| 2018 | Financial Times | Top 10 LGBT+ Executives | Won | ||
| 2021 | Fast Company | Queer 50 | Won |
Honors
- In 2015, Angelica Ross was named "1st Foot Soldier of the Year" by Melissa Harris-Perry.
- In June 2019, Queerty named her one of the Pride50. This list honors people who help society move towards equality and acceptance for all queer people. This was to mark the 50th anniversary of the Stonewall riots.
See also
In Spanish: Angelica Ross para niños
