Laverne Cox is one of the trailblazers paving the way for the LGBTQ+ community in the entertainment industry. She rose to prominence through her groundbreaking work as an actress and producer. Cox is best recognized for her iconic portrayal of Sophia Burset on Orange is the New Black, a role that opened many doors in her career. She has recorded many historic moments in her career and continued to break barriers, leveraging the fame she found as an entertainer to advocate for the rights of transgender people.
As a transgender person, Laverne Cox obviously had several rough times on her way to the top. Born in Mobile, Alabama, on May 29, 1972, Cox was raised by a single mother and her grandmother. Growing up, Cox experienced bullying for being different, but she found comfort in the performing arts. Beyond the screen, Cox applies her talent in powerful public speaking, documentary production, and advocating for gender identity. Her impact on challenging discrimination and standing for authentic representation has encouraged many marginalized individuals to stand up for themselves. Here are some revealing facts about the award-winning screen sensation.
1. Laverne Cox Struggled in Her Early Years and Attempted Suicide at the Age of 11
Before Laverne Cox embraced her true self, she had severe early struggles with gender identity. The situation escalated when she noticed she was having feelings for her male peers. She also suffered bullying in her early years for not acting according to her assigned male gender at birth. It got to a point where she attempted suicide at the age of 11.
Cox has been open in interviews about the lack of support she received as a child growing up in Alabama. Not just from peers, she also got little support from her teachers. She has spoken about her third-grade teacher, who warned her mother that Cox was sick and needed therapy or he “would end up in New Orleans wearing a dress.” Currently a renowned LGBT activist, she has lectured at many universities, including Tulane in New Orleans, wearing a dress.
2. Laverne Cox’s Twin Brother Portrays Marcus, the Pre-transitioning Sophia in Orange Is the New Black
Laverne Cox was born with a twin brother, Reginald Lamar Cox, who is also a player in the entertainment industry. An American composer, performer, and artist, Cox’s brother is professionally known as M Lamar. Growing up, he was active in his church choir as a soprano and currently performs as an operatic countertenor pianist. Lamar appeared in a flashback as Cox’s Orange Is the New Black character, Sophia, before her gender transition.
3. Her Acting Journey Began at Marymount Manhattan College
Laverne Cox graduated from the Alabama School of Fine Arts in Birmingham, Alabama, where she switched from creative writing to dance. She spent two years at Indiana University Bloomington studying dance and later transferred to Marymount Manhattan College in New York City, New York, where she began acting. Cox also attended the Fashion Institute of Technology as a Fashion Merchandising Management major. She is now focused on acting and has garnered several acclaimed credits.
4. Laverne Cox Started Her Medical Transition in 1998
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While attending Marymount Manhattan College, Laverne Cox began her medical transition at age 26. She also started identifying as female at this time. As expected, her major challenges in those formative years were racism, transphobia, and misogyny, to mention a few. However, she never allowed the backlash to change her course. Cox continued to perform in drag shows while building her acting career.
5. She is the First Openly Trans Person to Appear on the Cover of Several Prestigious Magazines
https://www.tiktok.com/@lavernecox/video/7561589006979435831
Laverne Cox has hit several firsts in her career. On June 9, 2014, she made history as the first openly transgender person to appear on the cover of Time magazine. Time’s Katy Steinmetz interviewed her for the article “The Transgender Tipping Point.” Cox has also achieved the same feat in other tabloids, including Cosmopolitan (she graced the February 2018 cover of the South African edition), British Vogue, and Essence magazines. In 2014, she was named on Glamour magazine’s Women of the Year list and OUT Magazine’s 100 most influential gay, lesbian, bisexual, or transgender people for 2013. Additionally, Cox is the first openly transgender person to have her figure in Madame Tussauds wax museum.
6. Laverne Cox is the First Openly Trans Person to be Nominated for an Acting Emmy
Laverne Cox won her first award at the 2013 Massachusetts Independent Film Festival in the Best Supporting Actress in a Feature category for her appearance in Musical Chairs as Chantelle. In 2014, she earned her first Primetime Emmy Award nomination in the Outstanding Guest Actress In A Comedy Series category for her role in Orange Is the New Black, making her the first openly transgender person to get nominated for an acting award in the history of the Emmys. She was nominated for the same role in that category in 2017, 2019, and 2020.
In 2015, Cox won a Daytime Emmy Award in Outstanding Special Class Special for Laverne Cox Presents: The T Word. This added another feat to her milestones, making her the first trans woman to win the award. Still on firsts, Cox’s portrayal of Cameron Wirth in the 2017 television series Doubt makes her the first transgender person to play a transgender series regular on U.S. broadcast TV. The role of Cameron Wirth was specifically written for a transgender actress. Cox also produced and starred in TRANSform Me, setting a record as the first African-American transgender person to produce and star in her own TV show.
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