Laverne Cox

Laverne Cox grew up in Alabama with her mom and twin brother. After attending the Alabama School of Fine Arts, she spent two years at Indiana University Bloomington followed by Marymount Manhattan College. She broke into the entertainment industry by first appearing on season 1 of I Want to Work for Diddy, then launching a makeover series, TRANSform Me. She became the first Black transgender person to produce and star in her own series.

In 2013, she landed a recurring role as Sophia Burset in Orange is the New Black on Netflix, appearing in 40 episodes. Her career took off following the show and she went on to star in The Mindy Project, The Rocky Horror Picture Show, Doubt, Dear White People and many others. Her movie career also took off, starring in Freak Show, Charlie’s Angels and Promising Young Woman.