Trans History at The Emmys

Laverne Cox, 'Baby Reindeer' star Nava Mau tear up over making trans history at Emmys

By: Patrick Ryan

Nava Mau at the 76 Emmy Awards

USA TODAY:   Laverne Cox was all smiles before Sunday’s Emmy Awards, idly chatting up icons including Billy Crystal, Reba McEntire and Jodie Foster on the red carpet.

But the normally bubbly TV host was brought to tears as she embraced "Baby Reindeer" star Nava Mau, who got similarly emotional as they shared a long hug. Both actresses have made Emmys history as trans women: Cox, the first trans person to ever earn an acting nomination for Netflix's "Orange is the New Black" in 2014; and Mau, the first trans woman to be nominated for best supporting actress in a limited series for "Baby Reindeer" this year.

"I'm so proud of you,” Cox told Mau, wiping away tears. "This show is so incredible and the work that you do is so amazing. Ten years ago, I became the first openly transgender person to be nominated for an acting Emmy, and 10 years later, I'm not the last. You're the fourth (person), and the first in this category. How special is that for you to be making history and to be part of such an amazing project?"

Mau responded by saying that the trans community has been "fighting" to tell stories like "Baby Reindeer," which show trans people in all of their humanity.

That's who we are as trans people: We are humans, first and foremost," Mau said. "Yes, it's an LGBT show, it's a show that has a trans character on it, and it's also just a really good show. Ultimately, I hope we get to be all that we are on screen."

Cox continued by emphasizing the importance of nuanced depictions of trans characters, at a time when they are "dehumanized in ways that are unimaginable, and there's so much misinformation out there about us." She also reminisced with Mau about working on the 2020 documentary "Disclosure," which looked back at trans representation throughout film and TV history. Cox was an executive producer on the project, and Mau was a production fellow behind the scenes on the movie.

"It changed my life," Mau told Cox. Walking onto that set, "I saw trans people in positions of leadership; I got to sit and watch interviews with trans people talking about their lives, their histories, their studies, their craft. I got to see you walk in all of your grace and all of your power.

"I saw that I could dream bigger than what I had dreamt for myself before that," Mau continued. "It changed me forever."