Jeremy McClain is living. After having worked backstage for top European fashion houses, the young biracial model struck gold; his perchance debut acting gig was for an FX series called Pose, which has earned itself a 96% Rotten Tomatoes aggregate rating and a raucous Twitter fanbase. It all happened so fast, and so randomly: first a DM from a friend, then an audition for Ryan Murphy, and finally a call in Milan changed Jeremy’s life forever. Fresh off the release of the series’ sixth episode, we talked to Jeremy, who plays Cubby Abundance, about his new life in front of the camera, the importance of Pose, and his hopes for the future.

How has your life been affected since joining Pose?

“My life has been drastically changed. Overnight, you become this person a part of this massive, historic thing that people have been waiting for their whole lives. I’ve received so many amazing messages and people walking up to me saying thank you for the work you’re doing and that means the world to me. People are finally seeing themselves reflected on TV in a way they never have before and to be a part of that is an honor.”

Being a person of mixed black and white ethnic descent, what is it like being on one of the most diverse POC shows in television history?

“It’s so interesting because a big theme of the show is passability, which is something I’ve dealt with my whole life. Being too white for black people, too black for white people and just trying to find where you fit into all of it.

Light skinned privilege is sadly a very real thing that has existed since slavery and still continues today. I think it’s something I’m always very aware of–even more so when you’re on a fully POC set. However, all of the cast and myself, at one point or another, have wrangled with the notion of passability so we were all on the same page and get each other.”

Your background is in the fashion and modeling world, which has a historical connection to the ballroom scene, especially given that many ballroom performers have strong influences from that world. How do your own experiences personally and professionally in that discipline help inform you to play this role in the show? What does it mean to you to partake in this scene filled with people who aspire to be in your position professionally?

“I think my work in the fashion industry gave me a very interesting point of view when entering this project. It’s funny because when I found out I got the role I had just returned from the Spring/Summer shows in Paris and Milan and just before we got back for filming in the new year I was at the Fall/Winter shows–so it was all very fresh. Personally, I admire the ballroom’s take on fashion and modeling a lot; it doesn’t have the business aspect of it. They have such an unadulterated view. It’s just people dressing up, having fun, and working the runway. I think that’s the biggest thing I wanted to channel.”

Though you’ve spoken on not having direct ties to the ballroom scene prior to this role, you’ve stated that you are a massive fan of the scene and are influenced by it. Who are some of your ball influences and how have they influenced your portrayal of Cubby?

“One of my favorite people I had the pleasure of working with on set was Freddie Pendavis, who is an legendary figure in the ballroom scene and central character in Paris is Burning. He was always someone I admired when I saw the film and I was ecstatic when I heard he was going to apart of the project. He has this sweet and happy energy that just draws you in and that’s something I really wanted to bring to Cubby… even though he can be a bit shady as well.”

What do you think it is about the show that has led to such acclaim and excitement in its first few episodes? How are you able to contribute to that?

“I think it’s because it’s brought mainstream attention to a world and topics that a lot of people have never seen before on TV. Of course the amazing ball scenes and shady one-liners are a draw in because they’re amazing, but I think what really gets people is that, in reality, it’s a family drama shown in a nuanced way that people have really been craving whether they know it or not. Everyone can relate to it whether you’re black, white, straight, gay, trans, cis…whatever. All I can do is just give the best performance I can or, as Billy Porter says in the show’s intro–LIVE, WORK, POSE!”

What have been some of your most powerful, exciting, or nerve-wracking moments on set, given that so much of this is new for you?

“I think the most powerful moments for me were when we did the ball scenes. To have that many people of color in one space creating this historic thing was truly mind-blowing. The clothes, the energy, the camaraderie, the music! You really felt like you were at a ball in the 80’s with your family just having a ball.”

Have you learned anything or grown in any way in your own identity through this work and through the experience as a whole?

“Massively. My cast mates Dominique Jackson, MJ Rodriguez, Indya Moore, Angelica Ross and Hailie Sahar have taught me so much about self-love, believing in yourself and not giving a shit what other people think. I have a lot of anxiety so I definitely went through a lot of self doubt, especially when it came to the voguing parts but they all just told me: «Relax… You’re beautiful… Just work it.»”