Today is a big day for Laverne Cox. Not only has her hit Netflix show Orange is the New Black been nominated for 12 Emmys this morning, she herself is making history as the first openly transgendered actress to ever be nominated for the prestigious award.
Even before her nomination as Outstanding Guest Actress in a Comedy Series for her role as transgender inmate Sophia Burset, Cox was making history. The actress was the first African-American trans woman to produce and star in her own television show when she produced the show TRANSform Me for VH1 as reported by The Advocate. Now she is one of the most well known transgendered actresses on television, even appearing on the cover of Time magazine in May, the first transgendered person to ever do so.
Listing the changes that have taken place over the past year, Cox told USA Today,"I got to meet the president, I have an Emmy nomination and I can afford to redecorate my apartment. I have a publicist who connected this call. Everything is different."
The winners of the Emmys will be announced on August 25th as reported by Emmys.com.
Photo courtesy of Walter McBride/INFphoto.com