Hollywood icon Laverne Cox has reflected on Netflix SERIES Orange is the new blackHis great legacy, seven years after the final.
The hit comedy-drama set in a women’s prison was one of the first major streaming shows that paved the way for a total transformation of the television landscape when it debuted on Netflix in 2013.
And that wasn’t the only reason it was a revolutionary piece of media, with the mostly female cast featuring a diverse range of women. Over the years, it has been hailed for its LGBTQ+ representation, exploration of the US prison system, and outstanding acting by many of its breakout stars.
That includes Laverne, 54, whose role as Sophia Burset on the show was her biggest to date, making her one of the most popular TV stars of the time as she broke barriers for trans women in the industry.
Speaking of subway ahead of her new movie Animal Farm and the release of her memoir, Transcendent, she spoke about what the impact of this groundbreaking series means to her.
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Not least because the show made her the first trans woman to cover TIME magazine and was nominated for an Emmy in the acting category.
She said: “The legacy is in the fans for me. I’ve done a lot of things since Orange (Laverne’s shorthand for the show), but everything that’s happened in my life is because of that show.
“It’s a beautiful thing to be a part of something that has that impact, and it was so diverse. Since then, we haven’t had a show as diverse as The Orange in terms of representing different types of women, ages, races, body types.
‘It’s just such beautiful, incredible memories. All the wonderful history that show allowed me to do with Emmy nominations and SAG award wins and magazine covers and the hope it gave so many trans people around the world could live their dreams.
“When I was on the cover of TIME magazine, a trans woman said, ‘Did we make it?’
Of course, the road to change has never been smooth, and trans rights are more threatened than ever by political forces and high-profile figures leading the charge against progress.
Laverne Cox on trans rights, Animal Farm and the future
In a career defined by firsts, we’ve seen Laverne’s celebrity rise to great heights at the same time trans rights have gone through changes for the better, and in recent years, an alarming regression across the Western world.
But with more voices than ever in the toxic debate over equal rights for the trans community, Laverne says subway that, at the end of the day, trans people know themselves best.
It might seem like an obvious point, but as the actress celebrates the release of her powerful new memoir, Transcendent, it’s clear she’s not done being a beacon for those who need it most.
“It’s incredibly vulnerable,” she says of the book.
But the star is determined to remain optimistic and points out how far we’ve come since her time on the Netflix series.
“One of the things I’m most proud of after Orange is that I’m not the last.
“(The show) wasn’t the only one that put a trans person in the spotlight, but it created space for other trans people to come after and be on magazine covers and be nominated for Emmys, win a Golden Globe,” she said.
She is, of course, referring to Michaela Jaé Rodriguez, who won a Golden Globe in 2022 for her role in Pose.
She continued: “Obviously, there’s political backlash against that visibility, but once you see that you’re defeated, you can’t unsee it. We’re not going anywhere as trans people, and I’m very proud of that and that Orange is the New Black created a space for that.’
Most important of all, she acknowledged that her character Sophia was a ‘multidimensional human being’ who invited audiences to see her as more than one identity.
“That process of humanizing trans people is essential as we move forward,” she concluded.
Animal Farm is in UK and Ireland cinemas. Transcendent is available to purchase now.
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