Laverne Cox has been working in the entertainment industry since the start of the new millennium, and has been rising in Hollywood since getting her big break while starring on Netflix’s Orange Is the New Black. Like some actors in Hollywood, she wasn’t always honest about her age but it’s something she now doesn’t want to lie about.
The Inventing Anna star appeared on The Ellen DeGeneres Show recently to promote the new Netflix show. Cox brought up DeGeneres’ recent birthday, making DeGeneres bring up Cox’s upcoming and important birthday. With the actress turning 50 in May, she opened up about how she is no longer lying about her age in Hollywood and why she even started doing it in the first place:
I started lying, being elusive about my age in 2000. In the year 2000, I was 28 years old and I was dating a guy who was 21 and he broke up with me because I was ‘too old.’ If I’m too old I’m going to be 22. And so for the next two years, on my dating apps and online, I was 22 everywhere. And then I didn’t feel comfortable lying. So then over 21 became my age. So I was over 21 from like 2002-2019. The first time I said my real age out loud, I was at a speaking engagement in Texas in January 2019 and I thought the sky was gonna fall. And it was like nothing. It was a reminder that in our heads, we might have shame about something and it’s like terrible and awful and people know, people really know. No one really cares. It’s just all in our heads. I’m proudly 49 and 50 and I’m so excited.
While some stars have lied about their age in order to get a role, it seems like Laverne Cox just didn’t want to seem “old." When Cox confessed about her age after it initially started spreading thanks to IMDb, her worries washed away. And it looks like admitting her age only made her that much more confident.
Laverne Cox has risen in fame with plenty of projects ever since Orange Is the New Black, so it likely wasn’t easy lying about her age as she got more famous. It makes me wonder if her real age never got out, would she still be lying about it? It’s hard to tell, but she seemingly has no regrets. At least now she can live as who she wants and she is happy about her age. Plus, I would love to look like her when I’m nearing 50.
Meanwhile, Cox can currently be seen thriving at 49 on Netflix’s new series Inventing Anna. The series is based on the true story reported by New York Magazine's Jessica Pressler and follows controversial social media personality Anna Delvey and the world of high society and cash stealing. Cox plays Kacy Duke, Anna’s personal trainer and confidant. The series marks her return to Netflix following Orange Is the New Black’s end in 2019.
It will be interesting to see if Laverne Cox ever plays a character that is much younger than her, since that is pretty common in Hollywood. In the meantime, she doesn’t seem to be slowing down on the acting any time soon, so be sure to catch her on Inventing Anna, now streaming on Netflix! And don't forget to check out what else is coming to Netflix in 2022. For more viewing options now and in the coming weeks, take a look at our 2022 TV schedule!
