What is Laverne Cox's Net Worth and Salary?
Laverne Cox, an American actress, reality TV star, and producer, boasts a net worth of $6 million. She gained fame through her role as Sophia Burset on the esteemed Netflix series "Orange is the New Black." With this role, Cox became the first transgender person nominated for a Primetime Emmy Award in acting. Her career includes numerous TV appearances, film roles, and magazine covers.
Early Life and Education
Laverne Cox was born on May 29, 1972, in Mobile, Alabama. She has an identical twin brother named M Lamar and was raised by her single mother and grandmother in the AME Zion church. During her childhood, Cox faced bullying for not conforming to traditional masculine behaviors and attempted suicide at age 11. She attended the Alabama School of Fine Arts in Birmingham for creative writing before switching to dance. Later, Cox attended Indiana University Bloomington for two years before transferring to Marymount Manhattan College, where she studied acting.
Career Beginnings on Television
Cox made her television debut in 2008, appearing in episodes of "Law & Order" and "Law & Order: Special Victims Unit." She also participated in the first season of VH1's reality series "I Want to Work for Diddy." VH1 later offered Cox her own show, resulting in the makeover series "TRANSform Me," making her the first black transgender person to star in and produce her own show.
"Orange is the New Black" Breakthrough
Cox's widespread fame came in 2013 when she began playing Sophia Burset on Netflix's "Orange is the New Black." The series ran for seven seasons, during which Cox received multiple Emmy nominations, becoming the first transgender Emmy acting nominee. She also won the Screen Actors Guild Award twice as part of the show's ensemble. The series' diverse representation provided Cox with a platform to advocate for trans rights.
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Further Television Career
While still on "Orange is the New Black," Cox appeared on "Faking It," "Girlfriends' Guide to Divorce," and "The Mindy Project." She also executive produced and featured in the documentary "Laverne Cox Presents: The T Word," winning a Daytime Emmy Award. Cox played Dr. Frank-N-Furter in the TV film "The Rocky Horror Picture Show: Let's Do the Time Warp Again." In 2017, she starred as Cameron Wirth in CBS's "Doubt," which was canceled after two episodes. Cox guest-starred on shows like "Weird City," "Dear White People," and "A Black Lady Sketch Show." She lent her voice to "Tuca & Bertie" and "Awkwafina is Nora from Queens." In 2022, she appeared on "Celebrity Wheel of Fortune" and played Kacy Duke on Netflix's "Inventing Anna."
Film Career
Cox's significant film role came in 2011 with the dance film "Musical Chairs." She starred in the thriller "36 Saints" and gained bigger roles from 2015, featuring alongside Lily Tomlin in "Grandma." She also appeared in "Freak Show" and "Can You Keep a Secret?" and had a cameo in the 2019 "Charlie's Angels" remake. In 2020, Cox appeared in the black comedy thrillers "Bad Hair" and the Oscar-winning "Promising Young Woman" with Carey Mulligan. Her other credits include the documentary "Disclosure: Trans Lives on Screen" and the action comedy "Jolt."
Modeling
Cox has graced numerous publications and campaigns. In 2014, she featured in V magazine's "Rebels" issue and appeared on the cover of Essence. In 2015, she posed nude for Allure's "Nudes" issue, the first transgender actress to do so. She covered Entertainment Weekly, British Vogue, and Time. In 2019, she headlined New York Fashion Week for 11 Honoré.
Activism and Honors
Cox is an active LGBTQ rights advocate. In 2014, she campaigned against an Arizona law targeting transgender women of color and collaborated with ACLU in 2017 for a trans history advocacy video. Her activism has earned her numerous awards, including GLAAD's Stephen F. Kolzak Award and the Transgender Law Center's Claire Skiffington Vanguard Award, along with an honorary doctorate from the New School.
