Table of Contents
Who Is Laverne Cox?
Laverne Cox is an acclaimed transgender actress and advocate, best known for her groundbreaking role on the Netflix series Orange Is the New Black. Prior to her acting career, Cox spent years studying dance and appeared in various television roles, including episodes of Law & Order and the reality series TRANSform Me. Her portrayal of Sophia Burset on Orange Is the New Black garnered widespread attention, making her the first openly transgender person to be nominated for an Emmy Award. Cox continues to be a vocal advocate for transgender and LGBTQ+ rights, while also appearing in notable projects such as The Mindy Project, Doubt, and Grandma.
Laverne Cox’s Early Life and Twin Brother
Born on May 29, 1972, in Mobile, Alabama, Laverne Cox was raised by her mother, Gloria, a single parent and teacher. She grew up with a twin brother and from an early age, felt a deep sense of herself as female, despite being assigned male at birth. Cox’s femininity led to significant bullying during her childhood. However, her love for the arts remained unwavering. “I begged my mother to put me into dance classes and finally, in third grade, she did,” Cox recalled in a Times magazine interview. “Tap and jazz but not ballet. She thought ballet was too gay … Throughout all of that, I was very feminine and I was really bullied, majorly bullied. There was this side of me that was this over-achiever that loved learning.”
Cox attended the Alabama School of Fine Arts before furthering her studies at Indiana University in Bloomington and later Marymount Manhattan College, where she earned a BFA in dance. Meanwhile, her twin brother pursued visual arts, reflecting the siblings’ shared commitment to creative expression.
Movies and TV Shows
In 2008, Laverne Cox made her television debut with a guest appearance on Law & Order: Special Victims Unit. She then gained further exposure as a contestant on the reality series I Want to Work for Diddy. Following this, Cox appeared in various TV roles and indie films, including another reality show, TRANSform Me (2010), before securing her breakthrough role in Orange Is the New Black.
Orange Is the New Black
Premiering in 2012, the critically acclaimed Netflix drama Orange Is the New Black centered on the lives of women incarcerated at a prison in upstate New York, spanning seven seasons. Cox was cast as Sophia Burset, a trans woman imprisoned for committing a crime, who faces significant challenges while advocating for proper hormone treatment. Her character also navigates complex family dynamics, particularly her strained relationship with her son, while receiving support from her wife. The show, co-starring Taylor Schilling, Uzo Aduba, Laura Prepon, and Kate Mulgrew, among others, earned widespread praise for its diverse cast, compelling storylines, and authentic portrayal of sexuality and gender identity.
‘Grandma’ to ‘The Rocky Horror Picture Show’ Reboot
Cox’s career continued to evolve as she explored a variety of roles. She made guest appearances on The Mindy Project and co-starred in the 2017 CBS pilot Doubt, portraying a transgender attorney (although the show was canceled shortly after its premiere). Additionally, Cox starred in the 2015 film Grandma, opposite Lily Tomlin, which was featured at the Tribeca Film Festival. She also appeared in Freak Show, a film that premiered at the 2017 Berlin International Film Festival. In 2016, Cox took on the iconic role of Dr. Frank-N-Furter in the television reboot of the cult classic The Rocky Horror Picture Show: Let’s Do the Time Warp Again.
Trans-Rights Icon & Recent Work
A trailblazer for the transgender community, Cox made history as the first openly transgender person to be nominated for an Emmy Award, receiving a nomination in 2014 for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series. She also became the first openly transgender person to appear on the cover of Time magazine. In addition to her acting career, Cox is an outspoken trans-rights advocate. She hosted a column on The Huffington Post, where she wrote thought-provoking essays on topics such as gender expression and oppression.
Cox is also the executive producer of the documentary The T Word (2014), which follows the lives of several trans youth, and Free CeCe (2016), which highlights the struggles of an imprisoned trans woman. For The T Word, Cox made history again, becoming the first transgender woman to win an Emmy for her role as an executive producer.
In 2018, Cox became the first openly transgender person to appear on the cover of Cosmopolitan magazine’s South African edition, further solidifying her status as a pioneering figure in both the entertainment industry and the fight for trans rights.