The Laverne Cox Gala – July 29, Salle Wilfrid-Pelletier

Laverne Cox is an Emmy-nominated actress and Emmy-winning producer best known for her work on the critically acclaimed Netflix original series Orange Is the New Black where she plays the ground breaking role of ‘Sophia Burset.’

Laverne has recently expanded her TV presence with two more fantastic roles:  the iconic  ‘Dr. Frank-N-Furter’ in the Fox remake of Rocky Horror Picture Show, which premiered in Fall 2016, and a starring role in Doubt, a CBS legal drama from the producers of Grey’s Anatomy, where she played ‘Cameron Wirth’, a Trans Ivy League-educated. Laverne was the first transgender actor to play a trans-character as a series regular on network television.

Laverne continues to break boundaries and make history with accolades including back to back SAG Awards for “Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Comedy Series,” an Emmy nomination for “Outstanding Guest Actress in a Comedy Series,” a Critic’s Choice nomination for “Best Supporting Actress,” and consecutive NAACP Image Award nominations for “Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series.”

In addition to her acting, Laverne is a renowned speaker and has taken her empowering message of moving beyond gender expectations to live more authentically all over the country. Her work as an advocate landed her a coveted spot as one of Glamour magazine’s 2014 Women of the Year.