Laverne Cox

Laverne Cox is an American actress, producer, and transgender rights advocate who made history as the first openly transgender person to be nominated for a Primetime Emmy Award for her role as Sophia Burset in the Netflix series Orange Is the New Black. Born in Mobile, Alabama, Cox was raised by her single mother along with her twin brother, M Lamar. She studied dance at the Alabama School of Fine Arts and later attended Marymount Manhattan College in New York City, where she shifted her focus to acting.

Cox’s career began with small roles in television and film, including an appearance on the VH1 reality show I Want to Work for Diddy and the show TRANSForm Me. Her breakthrough came in 2013 when she was cast as Sophia Burset in Orange Is the New Black. Her nuanced and powerful portrayal of a transgender woman in prison earned her critical acclaim and made her a groundbreaking figure in television history. In 2014, she became the first transgender person to appear on the cover of Time magazine.

Beyond Orange Is the New Black, Cox has appeared in numerous film and television projects. She starred in the Fox television remake of The Rocky Horror Picture Show: Let’s Do the Time Warp Again (2016) as Dr. Frank-N-Furter, appeared in the films Promising Young Woman (2020) and Jolt (2021), and has guest-starred on series including The Mindy Project, Doubt, and Inventing Anna. She has also become one of the most prominent voices in the transgender rights movement, speaking at universities, organizations, and events worldwide.

With an estimated net worth of $6 million in 2026, Cox has built her wealth through acting, producing, public speaking, and brand partnerships. She became the first openly transgender person to have a Madame Tussauds wax figure in 2015 and has received numerous awards and honors for her advocacy work. She executive produced the documentary Free CeCe, which highlighted issues facing the transgender community, and continues to use her platform to advocate for equality and representation.