Celebrating her 46th birthday, here are 10 facts you should know about the actress turned remarkable, modern icon, Laverne Cox! (Photo: WENN)
Laverne was actually her middle name growing up. Though she doesn’t want to reveal her first name pre-transition, she says her last name was always Cox. (Photo: Instagram)
Her identical twin brother is a musician. His name is M Lamar and he is seven minutes younger than Laverne. He actually played Marcus (pre-transition Sophia) on OITNB. (Photo: Instagram)
Laverne attempted suicide during 6th grade after being bullied in school. Luckily, we still have her around to tell the story of her struggles and triumph. (Photo: Instagram)
Laverne grew up in Alabama and didn’t meet other transgender people until her move to NYC for college. (Photo: Instagram)
Laverne was obsessed with dancing! She originally studied classic ballet at Indiana University before switching to acting at Marymount Manhattan College. (Photo: Instagram)
Cox was a contestant on the first season of VH1’s “I Want to Work for Diddy,” making her the first black transgender woman on a reality competition. (Photo: Instagram)
She stared and produced her own show, “TRANSform Me,” a makeover television series on VH1. (Photo: Instagram)
She worked at the restaurant “Lucky Changs” in NYC and kept her job even after OITNB was shot, just in case. She wasn’t taking any chances! (Photo: Instagram)
Laverne has a hosting gig on Glam Masters—a fun makeup competition on Lifetime produced by non-other than Kim Kardashian! (Photo: Instagram)
Laverne met her special someone on Tinder! “It’s amazing… I’m in love,” she said of her mystery boyfriend, whom she’s been dating for nearly a year now! (Photo: Instagram)
Since landing her breakout role in Netflix’ hit seriesOrange Is The New Black playing Sophia Burset, a fierce transgender woman (and our favorite Litchield inmate), Laverne Cox has become one of the most popular and talked about actresses of the moment.
Using her fame as a platform to enlighten people about the trans community, the world gained one of the most passionate LGBT advocates in Cox. But her individuality, courage to take risks in order to changed the face of society, and her endless efforts to empower the trans community aren’t the only reasons why we love Laverne.
Celebrating her 46th birthday, here are 10 facts you should know about the actress turned remarkable, modern icon, Laverne Cox!