Laverne Cox to debut at Madame Tussauds
Actor will be first transgender celebrity in museum’s history
Cox’s wax figure will be unveiled in the San Francisco branch later this month. PHOTO: FILE
LONDON:
Laverne Cox will become the first ever transgender figure in the history of Madame Tussauds when her wax figure will be unveiled during Pride Weekend in San Francisco later this month. The American actor marked a milestone in the portrayal of transgender characters in the television series Orange is the New Black, and was the first transgender actor to land an Emmy nomination for acting.
“I am so deeply honoured to have been asked to be part of the Madame Tussauds legacy,” Cox said in a statement published on Madame Tussauds’ website. “When I think about being who I am, a black trans woman from a working class background raised in Mobile, Alabama, this honour feels even more improbable and extraordinary.”
The museum said that it was proud to celebrate Cox’s achievements and the impact she has made through raising awareness and her stance on equality and inclusion within the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community.
US President Barack Obama has taken a firm stand over the past year on transgender rights, an area of debate that is becoming hotly contested. Last year, in a presidential first, Obama used the word ‘transgender’ in the annual State of the Union address, and he has also endorsed same-sex marriage.
Cox’s figure will be placed in the San Francisco branch of Madame Tussauds.
Published in The Express Tribune, June 12th, 2015.
Laverne Cox will become the first ever transgender figure in the history of Madame Tussauds when her wax figure will be unveiled during Pride Weekend in San Francisco later this month. The American actor marked a milestone in the portrayal of transgender characters in the television series Orange is the New Black, and was the first transgender actor to land an Emmy nomination for acting.
“I am so deeply honoured to have been asked to be part of the Madame Tussauds legacy,” Cox said in a statement published on Madame Tussauds’ website. “When I think about being who I am, a black trans woman from a working class background raised in Mobile, Alabama, this honour feels even more improbable and extraordinary.”
The museum said that it was proud to celebrate Cox’s achievements and the impact she has made through raising awareness and her stance on equality and inclusion within the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community.
US President Barack Obama has taken a firm stand over the past year on transgender rights, an area of debate that is becoming hotly contested. Last year, in a presidential first, Obama used the word ‘transgender’ in the annual State of the Union address, and he has also endorsed same-sex marriage.
Cox’s figure will be placed in the San Francisco branch of Madame Tussauds.
Published in The Express Tribune, June 12th, 2015.