Laverne Cox is the first openly transgender person to be nominated for a primetime Emmy.
She rose to prominence due to her role as trans female prisoner, Sophia Burset in the Netflix series, Orange is the New Black. This role has helped to bring to light the struggles which trans people may face when they are incarcerated.
Outside of her role, Laverne has become a role model and a spokeswoman for the transgender community.
She has graced the covers of a large number of leading magazines and was featured in Time magazine’s 100 Most Influential People List of 2015.