Ryan Jamaal Swain facts for kids

Ryan Jamaal Swain (born March 13, 1994) is an American actor and dancer. He is well-known for playing Damon Richards-Evangelista in the TV show Pose on FX.

Early Life and Talents

Ryan Swain was born in Orlando, Florida, on March 13, 1994. He grew up in Birmingham, Alabama, as the oldest of four children. His family members often worked in healthcare, but Ryan loved the arts from a young age.

He started taking tap dancing lessons when he was just 4 years old. Later, he learned many other dance styles like ballet, jazz, modern, and hip-hop. As a child, Ryan worked with several dance and theater groups in Alabama. These included the Alabama Dance Academy and the Alabama Ballet.

When he was 8, Ryan began catalog modeling. He didn't start acting until his first year of high school at the Alabama School of Fine Arts. At that time, he was training to be a professional tennis player and was looking for an internship. Ryan later earned his degree from Howard University in Washington, D.C. He also studied at the British American Drama Academy in Oxford, U.K. After finishing his studies, Ryan moved to New York City.

Ryan's Career

Acting on Stage

While studying at Howard University, Ryan Swain performed in plays like Anything Goes. He also appeared in other plays, including Six Degrees of Separation. He starred in several shows that were performed Off-Broadway in New York, such as Kill Move Paradise. Even after starting his TV career, Ryan still helps the theater community. In 2018, he led a surprise acting workshop in Birmingham.

Acting in Film and TV

In 2017, Ryan Swain was chosen to play Damon Richards in Ryan Murphy's TV series Pose. The show first aired on June 3, 2018, and was highly praised. The first season of Pose had the largest cast of transgender actors ever for a scripted TV show. More than 50 transgender characters were featured. The show was so popular that it was renewed for a second season.

Because he grew up in the South, Ryan had never heard about the "ball culture" shown in Pose. To prepare for his role, Ryan watched the 1990 documentary Paris is Burning during his college years. He also used his own experience of moving to New York City with very little money to chase his dreams. Ryan's character appeared in the first episode of the third and final season. However, his character was written out of the show due to a personal family matter that required Ryan to leave the series.

Writing Projects

Ryan Swain's first big writing project was in 2014. He wrote and starred in A Negro Writer, a one-man show about the life of American writer Langston Hughes. He has also shared plans to write a teen fiction book about a teenager from the Southern United States.

Personal Life

Ryan Swain's family has been very supportive of his artistic journey. However, he has faced some challenges. In 2020, a sad family event occurred. This led to Ryan's decision to leave Pose, and his character was written out of the show after the first episode of the third season.

Filmography

Film Roles

Television Roles

Theater Roles

See also

In Spanish: Ryan Jamaal Swain para niños