Laverne Cox has become the first transgender person ever nominated for an Emmy award, for her work on Orange is the New Black – which has 12 nominations in all. She’s been nominated in the Outstanding Guest Actress in a Comedy Series category for her role as Sophia Burset on the hit prison show, which also features an array of lesbian and bisexual characters. Orange is the New Black is up for Outstanding Comedy Series, while lead actress Taylor Schilling is nominated for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series for her role as Piper Chapman, a woman who is sentenced to 15 months in a women's federal prison for transporting a suitcase full of drug money to her former girlfriend some years prior. Kate Mulgrew, who plays “Red” on the show is nominated for Best Supporting Actress in A Comedy Series, while series regulars Laverne Cox (as Sophia Burset), Natasha Lyonne (as Nicky Nichols) and Uzo Aduba (as Crazy Eyes) are oddly nominated under a “guest” category which comes down to the types of contract they have. HBO's adaptation of Larry Kramer's play also earned a number of accolades for its cast. Mark Ruffalo is up for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Miniseries or a Movie while the rest of the male supporting cast, including Matt Bomer, Alfred Molina, Joe Mantello, and Jim Parsons (a double nom for Big Bang Theory), are all up for Outstanding Support Actor. Julia Roberts was also nominated and will face Bates and Conroy in the same category. Jodie Foster also earned a nomination for directing the episode, "Lesbian Request Denied." Other Emmy nominations of interest are Modern Family’s Jesse Tyler Ferguson for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series and Jim Parson from Big Bang Theory for Outstanding Lead Actor In A Comedy Series. Parsons is also nominated in his work in The Normal Heart, as is Mark Ruffalo. The HBO adaptation of Larry Kramer's play is also up for Outstanding Television Movie, while cast members Matt Bomer, Alfred Molina and Joe Mantello are all up for Outstanding Support Actor alongside Parsons.
Credit: GayNZ.com Daily News staff
First published: Friday, 11th July 2014 - 9:20am