Ryan Jamaal Swain
Ryan Jamaal Swain, born and raised in Birmingham, Alabama, basically grew up onstage—think dance studios and local theater before he could even drive. The guy’s got range, not just acting but writing too. Back in 2014, he whipped up a one-man show called “A Negro Writer,” all about Langston Hughes. Kind of bold, right? Then, in 2017, Ryan Murphy scooped him up for the FX series Pose, where he played Damon Richards. That show didn’t just get good reviews—it exploded, especially with the whole ballroom culture vibe and all those sharp storylines.
Swain isn’t just a TV guy either. He’s done the whole Broadway and Off-Broadway circuit, which, let’s be real, isn’t for the faint of heart. In 2019, he jumped into “Choir Boy,” covering the lead as Pharus—a gig with some serious acting chops required. He’s also racked up credits in “Six Degrees of Separation,” “Thoughts of a Colored Man,” and “Spring Awakening.” Not too shabby.
For school, he hit up Howard University and then crossed the pond for the British American Drama Academy in Oxford. These days, he’s got his hands full writing a semi-autobiographical young adult novel. Oh, and he’s not just sitting on the sidelines—he’s big on civil rights and queer rights advocacy. All in all, Swain’s career is kind of a whirlwind: theater kid to TV star to activist, with a few plot twists still to come.