"Orange is the New Black" stars Taylor Schilling, Uzo Aduba, Laura Prepon, Natasha Lyonne, Laverne Cox and Taryn Manning, among others. (Photo : Twitter/OITNB)
Laverne Cox has become a staunch supporter of the transgender indie film "Tangerine" for the Oscars.
"Tangerine" is hailed as one of the most interesting films this year. Directed by Sean Baker, the indie film is led by non-professional transgender actresses.
Cox claims that she was genuinely impressed upon watching the dramatic comedy as lobbied for the film in a room full of Oscar voters on Tuesday night at the Manhattan theatre. Cox said, "I often imagine what it would be like for trans people all over this country and world if a trans woman is nominated for an Academy Award. You have a chance to make that happen."
First-time actress Mya Taylor, who recently picked up an Independent Spirit Awards nomination was also present in the event. In the theatre's green room, Cox and Taylor hugged before the two exchanged beauty and fashion tips.
In an interview with Variety, Laverne said that she was "skeptical about the representation of trans people especially when trans people are not making the work," then added, "I was disarmed by your performance, by Kiki's performance. It's really funny. And it was real and gritty."
Taylor who had a hand in developing the story with Baker said that she has experienced a lot of the events that happened in the film. As with the funny stuff, Taylor said that she improvised.
Cox plays Sophia Burset on Netflix's "Orange Is The New Black," which gained her the distinction of being the first transgender person to be nominated for an Emmy award.
Aside from Cox, Magnolia Pictures has publicly announced that it is also supporting "Tangerine" as a favorite among the films who are set to compete for an Oscar. This marks the first time in history that a distributor is backing a transgender film. Magnolia bought the world rights to "Tangerine" after it was screened at the Sundance Film Festival, Deadline reported.
"Tangerine" is easily gaining the visibility it needs to capture a wider number of audience. To date, the film is avaible to stream via Netflix Instant.
