Laverne Cox (born May 29)[1] is an American actress, reality television star, television producer, and LGBT advocate,[2][3][4] best known for her portrayal of Sophia Burset on the Netflix television series Orange Is the New Black, for which she became the first openly transgender person to be nominated for a Primetime Emmy Award in the acting category,[5][6] and the first to be nominated for an Emmy Award since composer/musician Angela Morley in 1990.[7]