WATCH: Nicco Annan’s genderqueer role on ‘P-Valley’ might be the most interesting queer on TV

Remember the name Nicco Annan. You will hear it again.

As a struggling actor, Annan took small roles in TV series and short films, including This is Us, Shameless and Claws. While trying to establish his name within the business, Annan also took theatrical roles. When he landed a part in a workshop reading of the new play P*ssy Valley by Katori Hall, Annan had no idea that the role would help define his career. Executives for the network Starz heard about the play and eventually sought it out as a potential series. Annan also managed to hold on to his role in the adaptation from stage to series.

P-Valley debuted on Starz July 12, introducing viewers to Nicco Annan and his character, Uncle Clifford. In the show, Uncle Clifford, a genderqueer entrepreneur that prefers the pronoun “she,” runs The Pynk, a small-town strip joint in rural Mississippi. Clifford acts as a kind of den mother to the women of the club, helping to sort out their lives and keep them earning an income. She also has an eye for men, some of whom discreetly come to The Pynk to enjoy Uncle Clifford’s company. When shady characters begin to use The Pynk as a meeting place to pull off a real estate scheme, Clifford and her girls find themselves at the center of a dangerous mystery.

Queerty scored some time with Annan to discuss his character, the new show, and making the leap from obscurity to television star. P-Valley airs Sundays on Starz.

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Video edited by David Beerman