OFM Exclusive: The Many Layers of Hailie Sahar

Hailie Sahar is one of several trans women who broke barriers by starring in FX’s critically acclaimed series Pose, which featured the largest LGBTQ cast in scripted television history. Created by Ryan Murphy, he created the role of Lulu Ferocity specifically for Sahar.

Sadly, Pose officially came to an end in June after three seasons, so Sahar is now looking towards a bright and successful future. In addition to releasing an upcoming memoir and debut music, she is set to make a leap to the big screen by starring as trans trailblazer Sir Lady Java in a featured biopic. Java was a staple in the Los Angeles nightclub scene in the 50s and 60s who fought the city’s Rule No. 9 ordinance, which made it illegal for performers to impersonate or dress as members of the opposite sex. Sahar will also serve as the film’s executive producer.

Growing up in L.A., Sahar has always had a passion for acting and performing, but overall, she considers herself a storyteller. She may have had to overcome many challenges while trying to find her place in Hollywood, but the fire in her heart made her persevere.

OFM had the pleasure of connecting with Sahar to talk more about the final season of Pose and its significant impact, her upcoming projects, and how there is more to her story than just the trans experience, which is what usually first meets the eye.

I would like to begin by talking about Pose, which unfortunately, has come to an end. How meaningful has it been for you to play Lulu, and what have you taken away from this experience?
It has been extremely beneficial for me to play Lulu because I am mirroring a lot of our community, and I know that representation matters. It’s only in seeing yourself or seeing someone like you, are you able to channel that energy and then believe that you can do things or feel that you are a part of this world. That your voices are being heard. What I have taken away from this role is a great deal of activism. I was always an activist, but I think my drive is just so much stronger. I am much more self-aware of the platform and privileges I have now, and it’s just about determining what I am going to do with that platform and those privileges. I want to help our community, and even beyond the LGBTQ community, I want to help the world in general.

Did you ever think the show would become such a groundbreaking success?
Not to be boastful, but I knew that any subject matter that is as dynamic, specifically the trans or LGBTQ experience, it is such a strong topic. I knew that it would definitely make some noise. Where we are now in our generations and our time on this earth, we are into talking about the realism of what’s really happening in the world and really getting to the bottom of equality. Making that our reality. So, I knew that the subject matter itself was going to be something that caused attention, but I will say though, I didn’t know it was going to be as huge of a success as it has been. That is something that made me feel happy because I am also a person of trans experience, and just knowing that our voices have so much impact, it speaks to the times.

Although Pose has pushed Hollywood to evolve, slowly but surely, do you think the show has made any impact on our current social climate?
Definitely. I think entertainment is one of the strongest vessels to our social climate, and I believe that Pose has influenced a lot of that. I have seen a lot of it in everyday society. I see a lot more confidence in people and I see a lot more conversations happening. That does not mean that every conversation that needs to be had is happening, but that does mean that some conversations are starting and progressing. It is a step in the right direction, but to be very frank, it’s a baby step in the right direction. There’s so much work to be done, and I know that my voice matters. I have to be very selective with the way that I personally word things. So, it is a step in the right direction, but we have so much more to go.

In what ways has Lulu made you a better person and better performer?
Lulu is such a complex person, and I love to describe her like an onion. There are so many layers to her, whereas other characters, you sometimes only get the bulk of their personalities. Lulu is one that you are kind of always watching and have to dissect her. With that being said, as an artist, you have to channel from some realism. For me, I believe that I also have layers like an onion. What the eye meets is not my full story or what I have been through. I think I have done a great job of surviving and masking a lot of pain that I’ve had, and I think that’s the familiarity that I find with Lulu.

She has also allowed me the space and opportunity to channel something that is not, for lack of better terms, super shallow. Before Pose, whether it was a play or different productions I’ve worked on, I think people cast me for a pretty, mean girl or something. I am so far from those things, and I love that I was able to talk about the drug epidemic because that is so prevalent in our community. It is a big part of our journeys. I am glad that we tackled the subject matter of Candy. We always lose so many of our brothers and sisters of trans or gender non-conforming experience, so I’m glad that I was able to channel something real because I have lived through real ballroom, and I’ve had friends that have been killed or overdosed on drugs. I love that Pose allowed me to open up that space as an artist.

Are there any memorable behind-the-scenes moments you would like to share with us?
Yes. I am a goofy person, and I love to laugh and just be wacky. It’s not something I show to the public a lot, but on set, we were all just really goofy at times. Specifically, Mj and I are just complete whack jobs [laughs]. I love the little moments. There is nothing really in particular, but I will say, I remember, I think this was our first fitting, so we did a test shot with our photos and everything. This is before we started filming anything, and I believe the girls that I met at that time were Dominique Jackson, Indya Moore, and Mj Rodriguez. I believe Angelica Ross was there as well.

We were all just talking and having a good time, and I don’t know why I did this, but I looked over at Mj and said, ‘if you ever feel like you’re going through something and need a prayer or need to just have a moment, this is something new for us like, let’s just pray.’ She was like, ‘okay!’ We have had those moments of just innocent joy. This level of success and notoriety is a first for a lot of us, so being able to experience that with my brothers on the show, my sisters on the show, and having that common thread, that is something I will forever cherish.

Pose follows New York ball culture, and you have some real-life experience with the scene. At age 18, you become one of the youngest leaders of a house. Can you tell us how you initially fell into this world?
That is a long story in itself, which I will be mentioning in my book, but I’ll give you the very short version. I was at a party and met the father of the House of Rodeo, which at the time was Tre Rodeo. I saw him, he saw me, he thought I was beautiful and said, ‘I want you to walk in my house.’ I walked my first ball, I won, he made me his personal daughter, and I kind of continued that journey of walking. I have always been told that I was an old soul, so I think it was a combination of the winnings and the maturity that he saw in me.

He came to me one day and asked if I wanted to be the House Mother for the House of Rodeo, and I was like, I don’t know. He thought I could do it. So, I did, and I have said this in a few interviews before, people kind of bucked my authority and didn’t really listen to me because I was younger than them, but I definitely cracked the whip. I was like, no, this is what we’re doing. I was the kind of mother where I was like, you need to get back in school or you need to be going after that job you want. It wasn’t just about ballroom for me. I did that for about a year, and then I kind of stepped away from the ballroom scene and wanted to focus more on my acting.

Do you believe Pose has helped boost respect for the ballroom community?
Definitely! When you know your history, you know your history, but a lot of mainstream Hollywood has pulled inspiration from ballroom, and we have seen it in a lot of artists. I know we mentioned it on Pose, referencing Madonna, but even with artists like Beyoncé, who I love and adore. We have seen it with a lot of artists throughout history, so now it’s a good feeling to know that the notoriety is being more in the forefront, and not in the background.

Have you always had a passion for acting?
Always. I first started off as a trained dancer, I was training to be a ballet dancer for the American Ballet Academy. I then switched to the Alvin Ailey School, and I have been acting and singing since I was a kid. I am also a playwright and screenwriter, so I was always doing that as well. It was just a matter of which one of those things were going to kind of get my initial foot in the door, but I have always been a creator and storyteller.

You have stated in other interviews that you felt very alone and isolated while trying to find your place in Hollywood. What made you continue to pursue your dreams and not give up?
That same thing that every artist has. There’s a flame, a fire in me, and I can’t describe it because it’s a feeling. I don’t have the words, but it’s whatever that thing is that’s inside of me. I was born to do it. On top of that, it’s the need and desire that we all have to belong and to feel heard. I knew that whatever that fire or flame was, I also knew that I had the experience and knowledge to convey what needs to be conveyed, and the art to do it. Overall, it was my heart. The flaming fire inside of me pushed and gave me the courage.

What advice can you give to young transgender actors trying to make it in the industry today?
I always give the same advice, and I always say to know your craft. What I mean by that is, I think a lot of times, especially today, I think people chase the fame and not the work. A lot of times, people want to be famous and seen, but it’s like, know your craft. This is an art. Know your craft because when an opportunity presents itself, my mother always said, ‘an opportunity is only an opportunity if you can take it.’ So, know your craft and be that much sharper because the odds might be against you. We live in a world that is oftentimes biased to things that are different and unique. Be so great that no one can deny you. That’s the old saying. Be so great that no one can deny you.

I know that it doesn’t just stop there. I would be lying if I said having a team behind you does not help. It took me quite a few years to have a team behind me. Again, I was doing this before Pose was popular, so it was even more difficult when I decided to be open about my trans experience and getting people behind me to support me, but try to get a team to put together your reel and go after every job you can take.

Now that Pose is over, you are focusing on several new projects including a debut album and memoir. What can you tell us about these?
My album is still in progress, but my single that I am going to release is completed. We were going to initially release it before the pandemic happened, which I publicly announced on my social media, and when the pandemic happened, we had to reroute and go a few different ways. Now, some new ideas have come into my head, and I want to incorporate those things. The song itself, we are looking to release it, hopefully, sometime after Christmas, maybe for the new year. I am really excited about that.

As far as my memoir, that’s been in progress for the last two years. I have been doing a lot of soul searching and really figuring out what messages I want to share. I know what that message is now. It’s a plethora of things, and the base of it is something that the community, more specifically, needs to hear. Also, for me, it has been therapeutic because it’s me letting down my guard. As I said earlier, I have a lot of layers to myself. What you see or what the eye meets is not always what’s really going on with me. So, it has been very therapeutic for me to unfold that, peel back that onion, and allow myself to be vulnerable, which is something I have never done. I am very private and notorious for that, but this is new for me. I’m excited about that.

Do you sometimes feel like people only want to know about your trans experience and not really want to know who you are as a person?
Always. This is another thing that Pose has done for me. It’s allowed me to know what needs to be done and what needs to be said. It wasn’t until I was being interviewed more often that I realized the repetitive questions that were being asked. Though I appreciate all those things, there is so much more to trans people than just their trans experience. I have been a woman of trans experience socially and medically since I was a kid. I was a teenager when I transitioned.

I am a grown adult, and I have so many experiences. I have five brothers who support me and have never, ever not supported me. I have so many experiences that a lot of people don’t usually hear about, and I think my story and stories like mine can help other families come together and learn how to love and support their children. That doesn’t mean everyone in my family was supportive, but I have so many other things that go beyond just my trans experience. Even acting. I have been acting and dancing long before Pose. I was a child actor. There are so many things about me that go beyond what I have decided to disclose.

The interesting thing is, there was a time in my life where no one knew that I was a woman of trans experience. When that was the case, it was, you’re a great actor. You are going to make it, you’re beautiful. When I decided to say, hey, I want to help my community and want to be honest and open, everything was a label. Trans actor Hailie Sahar. Trans this, trans that, leading lady of trans on Pose – everything is trans. Personally, I don’t like labels. I am so much more than that. I am Hailie Sahar, and she is everything and more. You are too. I just don’t like leading with labels.

Like you said, you are an onion. There are many layers to you.
Yes, and to all of us. Everyone has layers. No one is one thing. We are all these beautiful combinations of these intertwined entities on this planet. It is so profound.

You will also make the leap to the big screen in a new upcoming biopic about trailblazing trans performer and activist Sir Lady Java. Can you talk more about that?
I am so excited! As I stated earlier, I am a storyteller. I have been writing and producing since I was a kid. My grandfather had a church, he was a pastor, and I started my journey of creating stories there. He allowed me to take over the annual Christmas plays, and all the inner-city kids would come and be cast in these plays, and I was always in them as well. I decided one day, I was like, Papa, I want to take a shot at writing the next play. He allowed me to, and it was such a great success that I did that for about 4-5 years. I have always been a storyteller, and it just spiraled.

With Java, I am excited to tell stories authentically. I am excited to build my production company, Sahar Productions, and the products that will come out of that. I am excited to step into that position. That has always been my goal, and acting was something that I knew would get me to that place. Acting is something I love and will always do, but producing is really where my true passion is. I love producing, I absolutely love it. Java herself, she is the moment. If you don’t know Java, without Java, myself, my fellow cast members, RuPaul, a lot of people that you see, Little Nas X, they would not be able to work the way that they do because Java changed the law allowing us to dress the way we want to dress and present ourselves how we want to in a workspace. She changed Rule No. 9, so telling her story is vital.

She was the first woman of color of trans experience to be noticed and respected by Hollywood. Being featured in films and connected to the likes of Lena Horne, she is such a classy, old Hollywood glamour, and her story is profound. The fact that we don’t know about her, maybe we want to talk about it. I did not know my history. Oftentimes, as trans individuals, we don’t know our own history. Visibility matters. If I don’t know that I come from this dynamic woman, and I am an offspring of that, I don’t know how dynamic I am.

Therefore, I want to channel that and tell that story. Then getting her blessing to, first of all, have her friendship, which I will cherish with my whole heart, and have her be one of my trans mothers, I have three, but beyond that, having her trust me to tell her story and portray her in the film is one of the biggest blessings that I do not take for granted. It’s going to be beautiful and it’s going to be sickeningly amazing.

What more do you hope to accomplish with your platform?
I wish to accomplish opening more spaces. One thing I learned from Ryan Murphy and the production of Pose that I loved is that, especially during the first season, we had so many people of trans and queer identified experiences working behind-the-scenes. That is something that I want to continue to do. I want to create space for more people, and I don’t want to just limit it to the trans or LGBTQ community. I want to open space for anyone who is good enough to do the job. I want to open that space up. There needs to be so much more diversity. The world is diverse, and it’s beautiful.

That is one of the things that I hope to accomplish, and I will accomplish it because I am very determined. Beyond that, I will accomplish authentic, great storytelling. Creativity and something new. Not something repetitive, which is something I’m like, oh my gosh, I’ve seen this already. It’s just done in a different way. I love everyone, but I’m like, okay, can we get something new? I think you sometimes need new energy, new influence, new mindsets, and that is something I will do. I will employ people, giving them new opportunities, and also hearing new ideas. I love that. I am an artist through and through.

Stay up-to-date with Sahar by following her on Twitter and Instagram.