Laverne Cox is an American actress, reality television star, and transgender rights activist. She is best known for her role as Sophia Burset on the Netflix series Orange Is the New Black.
Laverne Cox is an American actress, television producer, and LGBTQ+ advocate. She is best known for her role as Sophia Burset on the Netflix series Orange Is the New Black, for which she won an Emmy Award in 2014. She is the first openly transgender person to be nominated for an Emmy Award in an acting category.
Cox was born in Mobile, Alabama, and raised in the Bronx, New York. She attended Marymount Manhattan College, where she studied dance and acting. After college, she moved to Los Angeles to pursue an acting career. She made her television debut in 2009, appearing in an episode of Law & Order: Special Victims Unit.
In 2013, Cox was cast as Sophia Burset in the Netflix series Orange Is the New Black. Her performance earned her critical acclaim and a nomination for an Emmy Award. She won the Emmy for Outstanding Guest Actress in a Comedy Series in 2014, making her the first openly transgender person to be nominated for an Emmy Award in an acting category.
In addition to her acting career, Cox is an outspoken advocate for the LGBTQ+ community. She has spoken at numerous events and conferences, and has been featured in a number of documentaries and television shows. She has also written for various publications, including Time Magazine and The Advocate.
Cox has received numerous awards and honors for her work, including the Human Rights Campaign Visibility Award, the Courage Award from the Anti-Violence Project, and the Stephen F. Kolzak Award from the GLAAD Media Awards. She was also named one of Time Magazine’s 100 Most Influential People in 2014.
Cox continues to be an outspoken advocate for the LGBTQ+ community, and is a role model for many. She is an inspiration to those who are struggling to find their place in the world, and her work has helped to bring visibility to the transgender community.