Billy Porter calls 'Pose' series finale 'bittersweet'

Out actor Billy Porter, who plays Pray Tell on FX's Pose, said in a recent interview that ending the series was "bittersweet."

The groundbreaking drama ends on June 6 after three seasons.

Pose made history for its large cast of transgender actors, including Mj Rodriguez, Dominique Jackson, Indya Moore, Hailie Sahar, and Angelica Ross.

Porter in 2019 won an Emmy for his portrayal of Pray Tell, making him the first openly gay black man to be nominated for and win in a leading Emmy acting category.

The show's final season takes place in 1994 – roughly three years after the events in season 2 – as the AIDS crisis hits its peak in New York City.

During a recent appearance on Good Morning America, Porter was asked how he was feeling about the show ending.

"It's bittersweet," Porter said. "And I feel complete."

"You know, I am old enough to have lived through the AIDS crisis. And I always thought, in a survivors guilt kind of way, why did I survive? Why? And when Pose came around and the character of Pray Tell presented itself in my life, I understood why," an emotional Porter said, alluding to his character's battle with AIDS.

Porter added that the show's AIDS storyline presents many parallels to COVID-19.