If you haven’t heard about Orange is the New Black, you must be living under a rock on the moon. Although Netflix have already rolled out the idea of their own original series with House of Cards and Arrested Development, Orange is the New Black really captured both critics and audiences attention alike making it one of the website’s most popular shows.
One of the best characters from the series, with certainly one of the most touching back stories is Sophia Burset, the transgender inmate who serves as the prison’s resident beautician. Last week, we were lucky enough to catch up with Laverne who spoke to us about her work both on and off the small screen.
Cox spoke about auditioning for her role, stating that the writers are very clear on they write for a character: “They start to write for our voices. I was talking to another actor on-set and he was saying that learning his lines got easier over time and I think part of it’s just, you know, the muscle of working all the time.
And then also I think the writers are writing based on our voices and knowing how the cadence of how we speak, et cetera. So I think it’s a combination.”
Laverne is also pretty outspoken about some of the constraints of working as a trans actress: “You know, the constraints really come from the outside. As an artist, I think it’s really important not to put any kind of limitations or constraints on myself. I think they come from in their minds that trans women can’t play just gender women that people aren’t going to connect to trans characters or that shows aren’t going have good ratings if there’s a trans character on it, things like that.
So I think the industry has to change and I think their ideas have to begin to change about who trans people are and what it means to have trans folks, you know, playing ourselves and playing characters that are written as trans on television. I’m hopeful that Orange is the New Black will change the game of it in those terms.”
Laverne works tirelessly in her spare time as a transgender advocate, regularly contributing to the Huffington Post and speaking out on transgender issues, which of course brings with it a certain amount of pressure: “Yes, I feel pressure. I’m talking to a lot of LGBT press. I think that it’s really about gender more than anything and gender expectations that oppress LGBT people in general. I mean, sometimes it’s about who you’re having sex with, but a lot of times as we enter culture, it’s about gender and it’s about expectations. I can’t think of how many gay male friends of mine who have been told that they’re not masculine enough by other gay men.
And so there’s this whole sort of gender expectation thing. So these are things I would want to say to LGBT press. And since I’m saying it now that I have the opportunity, so the pressure is I want to talk about things that are important in terms of issues that affect my people, trans women of color.”
The actress noticed a lot of similarities between herself and Sophia, similarities that helped her play the role: “The ways in which I’m similar to Sophia really as an actor, the shell of the character might be different than my own that she might talk differently or walk differently, but her emotional life is very much my own.
So I relate to Sophia’s feelings of guilt; she sacrificed everything, her family, her freedom to be true to who she is and to live as her authentic self. And she’s paid an awful price for that in terms of her family and there’s some guilt around that and she hasn’t been able to resolve fully, particularly her relationship with her son, Michael.”
Cox is also particularly interested in where the character will go and exploring some of her issues:”I really do trust and believe in our brilliant writing team. You know, I’ve said this a few times today that her relationship with her son, I’m curious about that; what happens with that, her relationship with the other inmates.
And so I don’t want to predict or say. I know that it’s going to be fantastic because I know that we have a brilliant writing team and I know it’s going to be amazing. I can’t wait.”
The entire first series of Orange is the New Black is available on Netflix.
