Inside Laverne Cox's life from history-making career to personal struggles
Clean Slate debuts on Amazon Prime Video this week and Laverne Cox stars as Desiree in the eight-episode series, which is set in the Deep South and explores themes of race and gender
Clean Slate debuts on Amazon Prime Video this week and Laverne Cox stars as Desiree in the eight-episode series, which is set in the Deep South and explores themes of race and genderLaverne Cox at the "Clean Slate" New York Screening (
Image: Variety via Getty Images)
Amazon Prime Video is set to release an enthralling eight-episode series called Clean Slate, featuring George Wallace as Harry and Laverne Cox as Desiree. In the show, Harryâan old-school car wash ownerâis forced to reexamine his life when his child, whom he had previously referred to as "son", returns after 17 years as a trans woman.
Laverne Cox, aged 52, is an acclaimed American actress and LGBT advocate who gained prominence for her portrayal of Sophia Burset in Netflix's hit series Orange Is the New Black. Her groundbreaking role earned her a historic Primetime Emmy nominationâthe first for a transgender person in an acting category.
She didn't stop there; in 2015, Cox nabbed a Daytime Emmy Award in Outstanding Special Class Special as executive producer of Laverne Cox Presents: The T Word, becoming the first trans woman to win the celebrated award. Breaking barriers yet again in 2017, Cox was cast as the first transgender series regular on US broadcast TV, playing Cameron Wirth on CBS's Doubt.
Laverne Cox attends the "Clean Slate" New York Premiere (
Image:
Getty Images)
Born in Alabama, the star has an identical twin brother, M Lamarâa talented composer, singer, and artistâwho notably portrayed the pre-transitioning Sophia (as Marcus) in Orange Is the New Black. With the full name Reginald Lamar Cox, he is recognized as an operatic countertenor and pianist with a creative flair that extends into film and sculpture.
Life hasn't always been easy for Laverne; she opened up about her tumultuous childhood, including a heart-wrenching moment when she attempted to take her own life at just 11 years old due to bullying for expressing feelings towards male classmates.
Laverne Cox's journey to stardom was far from conventional. Initially, she studied creative writing before shifting her focus to dance and eventually, acting.
During her first season on the hit show Orange Is the New Black, she was still moonlighting as a drag queen at a restaurant. However, it's her tireless work as a trailblazer for the transgender community that has earned her widespread recognition.
In 2016, she received an Honorary Doctorate from The New School in New York City for her outstanding contributions to the fight for gender equality. In an interview with Out Front Magazine, Laverne discussed the challenges of transgender representation, specifically highlighting her documentary, Disclosure: Trans Lives on Screen.
Laverne Cox is a trailblazer in the transgender community (
Image:
GC Images)
She reflected on the importance of reframing perspectives, saying: "A therapist many years ago said to me in our first session, the only thing we can control are our perception and our behavior.
"That is all we can control, and I have been thinking a lot about my work in the media, and I think a huge part of it has been about encouraging people to frame things differently."
Laverne emphasized the significance of adopting new perspectives, stating: "To engage in new perspectives, and I think that is what Disclosure does. I think if we have new perspectives on the world around us and ourselves, then maybe we can behave differently. Maybe we can act differently."
She also shared a poignant anecdote about Ryan Reynolds' reaction to the film, saying: "One of my favorite things is what Ryan Reynolds said after he saw the film. He said, this film changes the way that I will look at film and changes the way I will make film going forward. For me, that is really what it is all about."
Clean Slate airs on Prime Video on February 6