Laverne Cox has been shattering barriers and redefining what it means to be seen, heard and celebrated in Hollywood for many years. As a Daytime Emmy Award-winning actress, producer and LGBTQ+ advocate, she has continuously pushed the envelope for trans representation, using her platform to elevate conversations around identity, inclusion and the power of storytelling. From her groundbreaking role as Sophia Burset in “Orange Is the New Black” to becoming the first openly transgender person nominated for a Primetime Emmy Award, Cox has solidified her place in history as a cultural force.
The trailblazer has added yet another pivotal role to her ever-expanding legacy with “Clean Slate,” a comedy series that marks a rare but significant moment in television: a trans woman in a leading role. Starring alongside the legendary George Wallace, Cox plays Desiree, a woman returning home to Alabama to reconnect with her father (Wallace) after years of estrangement. The show’s premise is rich with humor and heart, tackling themes of family, acceptance and the complexities of coming home as one’s true self. While stepping into this role, Cox not only entertains but also contributes to the evolving fabric of television history, offering audiences a story that is as groundbreaking as it is deeply human.
Check out this exclusive chat with Laverne Cox and George Wallace below.
“Clean Slate” places a Black trans woman at the center of a family story — without tragedy or tokenism. How does this series challenge outdated portrayals of Black families and push forward a new kind of storytelling?
Cox: The intention for the show was to tell the truth. What is wonderful about so much of this story is that a lot of the stories come from my life. When you actually look at the lived experiences of trans people — I mean, some stereotypes are stereotypes for a reason — but a lot of this stuff is about my own healing journey, about the South, New York, men and my overall healing. It is not cliche if you have the lived experience [or] you are interested in the humanity of the characters in a way that it is hopefully about an understanding. As an actor, I am always like, “Why do people do what they do?” In creating the story and creating the character I play in Desiree, before I started acting as her, I was also like, “Why does she do what she does?”
Everybody has a raison d'être — even if they do questionable things, there is a reason, and [it is] often trauma, shame, misinformation or misunderstandings. That understanding, I think, fosters humanity.
If “Clean Slate” could influence how future generations see and tell Black stories, what do you hope its legacy will be?
Wallace: Love is the answer, and love is all you need. We make everything about love. We go back to the Bible: “Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.” Outside of [Desiree’s] community and the people of color, everybody we know through [“Clean Slate”] can kind of understand more about her community and how we all can come together, live with each other, and learn to live with each other — listen, learn, laugh and love.
Cox: When I think about sort of archetypal Black families, I remember Esther Rolle in [“Good Times”] and how it was super important for her [to] not be a single mother [and] that John Amos played the father on that show. There has historically been a desire to sort of create [or] produce this heteronormative straight couple in Black families … this patriarchal, heteronormative model.
On our show, we have a widower and families that we are born into, but there is an extended family and a chosen family in [“Clean Slate”] with Mac and Opal, with Ella and Louis. I think it is about the chosen family as well. I am always interested in imagining something beyond patriarchal models, something beyond heteronormative models. Desiree is certainly pushing to make new rules about family. She will get there.
Wallace: If we get a second season, I do want, in the future, for Desiree to make us move into a brand-new house and enjoy life more abundantly (laughs).