Laverne Cox is an American actress and LGBTQ+ advocate, best known for her role as Sophia Burset on the Netflix series Orange Is the New Black. Born on May 29, 1972, in Mobile, Alabama, she became the first openly transgender person to be nominated for a Primetime Emmy Award in an acting category. In addition to her acting career, Cox is a prominent activist for transgender rights and representation. She has used her platform to raise awareness about issues affecting the transgender community and has appeared in various media outlets to discuss topics related to gender identity and equality.