Laverne Cox makes history: Cast in CBS pilot as transgender lawyer

She'd be the first series regular trans character on a primetime CBS show.

Published February 11, 2015 8:31PM (EST)

Laverne Cox           (AP/Frank Micelotta)
Laverne Cox (AP/Frank Micelotta)

Laverne Cox could very well be making history once again.

The Emmy-nominated actress is probably best known for her role as "Orange is the New Black's" Sophia Burset. Others might regard her as the celebrity guest who schooled Katie Couric about the politics of transgender identity on her own show or as the subject of one of Time's most emblematic cover photos.

Cox signed on for the CBS pilot "Doubt" Wednesday, playing Cameron Wirth, an Ivy League-educated lawyer. If the series is picked up, it could make her the first trans series regular on a CBS primetime show.

This news is a silverlining to an otherwise dismal month for trans women of color. Antitrans violence has led to the death of five trans women of color just within the first five weeks of the new year -- most recently, with Penny Proud, a 21-year-old New Orleans resident who was fatally shot on Feb 10.

If you're not yet familiarized with Laverne Cox, have a look at Litchfield Prison's Resident Queen of the Duct Tape Flip Flop below:


By Colin Gorenstein

Colin Gorenstein is Salon's assistant editor of internet and viral content. Follow @colingorenstein or email cgorenstein@salon.com.

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