The first transgender person to be nominated for a Primetime Emmy Award is Laverne Cox. Cox is a representative figure of the LGBTQ+ community who has had her ups and downs not only throughout her career but, as we can all believe, throughout her life.
Born in the wrong body, this icon of true identity worked her way up to the top and appeared on the cover of Time. Also, she has her own sculpture made of wax at the infamous Madame Tussauds museum in London, England.
Laverne Cox has an impressive history. Read on to find out why!
Beginnings
Born and raised by two female figures, her single mother and grandmother in Mobile, Alabama, Laverne is not the only child in her family. In fact, she has an identical twin brother who later on in her life will help portray her before her transition.
Early on in her life, she noticed that she was nothing like her twin brother when she developed feelings for another boy in her class. Bullied for not acting according to the norms, she even attempted suicide.
After finishing her studies in creative writing and classical ballet, she decided it was time for a change and moved to New York to study acting.
First Shows
She began her career as a contestant on I Want To Work For Diddy from which she moved on to TRANSform Me, which she produced and starred in.
Both these shows reminded Laverne of the importance of being true to oneself, and she pointed that out when accepting the GLAAD Media Award for the Diddy show. Some other acting jobs include Musical Chairs, Law&Order, and Bored to Death.
Orange is the New Black
When scoring her role as Sophia Burset in the Orange Is The New Black, Cox got the chance to prove the world and the film industry that trans women can do much more than play the roles of prostitutes.
She plays the role of an inmate who was sent to prison for credit card fraud and, in doing so, ruining the relationship she had with her ex-wife and son.
This role was a breaking point for Laverne, who used the popularity she has gained from this role to speak up louder to the on a growing fan base that she was getting.
She now has more than 4 million followers on social media who look up to her and are eager to listen to or read what she has to say.
LGBTQ+ Activist and Human Rights Advocate
Knowing very well the struggles of being part of the LGBTQ+ community and trying to make it in the entertainment and film industry, Cox uses her voice and platforms to make a change.
She is very aware of the visibility she has due to her popularity and uses it to bring awareness to the world of the injustices that this community has to endure.
Not only trans, Laverne is also a black woman, and she feels like she is the center of a cultural war, but this only makes her speak louder.
Whether she does the work behind the scene or at the Supreme Court, she makes sure that people know the LGBTQ+ community is in danger of losing their rights.
Documentary and Book
As of this year, Laverne Cox executive produced Disclosure, an eye-opening documentary about the history of transgender people and how they are seen and represented in the media and the film world.
With an in-depth perspective, Disclosure should be watched not only by trans people but by everyone in order to understand the struggles and the fight trans men and women have to put up with.
Her book, a biography named Daring to Be Myself, was released in August of 2015 and is on every LGBTQ+ reading list.
As a memoir, it tells the story from the beginning and helps people understand her perspective better.
Summary
As a beautiful actress, director, writer, and activist, Laverne Cox put herself on the line of people who want to make a change. She has worked her way up to the top and will not stop anytime soon, making all of us wonder what else she has planned for us.
If you would like to find out about more stars and their lives, take a look here.
