Laverne Cox on Bringing Trans Joy to Television

“So many trans stories not told by trans people become trauma porn,” Laverne Cox tells W one recent afternoon over Zoom. “They want to focus on how badly we are treated and us ‘having dignity in the face of horrific things.’ But there are so many other stories.”

That’s why the Emmy-winner wanted to show a different side of trans life. With Clean Slate, the Norman Lear-produced comedy that Cox co-created and stars in, she does just that. The series follows Desiree (Cox), a 40-something trans woman who leaves New York to return to her small Alabama hometown and the father she hasn’t seen since running away more than two decades ago. At first, Clean Slate seems like it might be a typically somber trans tale, where Desiree is destined to be disowned by her father and shunned by the rest of her community. But the eight-episode series quickly slides into an easygoing rhythm, subverting those grim expectations.

“I’ve certainly spoken very openly about discrimination, street harassment, and whatnot in my life,” Cox says. “And we’ve seen [trans people on TV] be murdered and scapegoated as criminals and as hating ourselves. But there are so many trans people living our lives, having fun, and finding ways to laugh even when things aren’t so great. That’s been my life.” Sure enough, Clean Slate shows Desiree making the most out of her new situation, whether she’s bonding with her surprisingly accepting father (George Wallace), hitting up queer masquerade balls with her closeted gay best friend Louis (D.K. Uzoukwu), or pretending not to stare at the abs of her hot love interest, Mack (Jay Wilkison).

Below, Laverne Cox talks about the importance of showcasing trans joy, developing Desiree’s elevated “boho chic” aesthetic, and how she grew from a fashion lover to a bona fide archivist.

Clean Slate is a light show coming out at a particularly dark time. Why does this story feel important?

Hopefully, this will be a moment for people to see us as human beings. We’ve been so dehumanized. I have a lot of Black trans friends who do have stories of being disowned and being told, “You’re going to hell.” But there are stories, too, where those parents come around and say, “You’re my child.” And they’re Christian! Ts Madison’s story is a very public example of that. So is my friend, [the singer and actor] Alex Newell’s. We need to see that there are Christian-identifying people who love their queer, trans and non-binary folks. It’s healing from trauma, and the Norman Lear way to do it is with a joke and laughter, not a finger-wag.

Desiree wears some great looks. How did you approach her style?

Because Desiree is a gallerist, I thought she should have a bohemian vibe. The natural hair was keeping with that, plus I was experimenting with my own natural hair at the time. The costume design was about this New York “broke but bougie” girl who’s had some benefactors and dated some men with privilege who have given her gifts and shopping sprees in the past. I had a brief, slightly bohemian moment in the early 2000s, but this character isn’t me. It was important for me to have very clear things that are “Desiree” and not “Laverne” in the wardrobe department.

Speaking of “Laverne” style, how did you get into fashion?

It was through pop music that I started to know who designers were beyond the things I was buying at the thrift store in high school. It was the era of George Michael’s “Too Funky” and “Freedom! ‘90.” The Age of the Supermodel. Madonna working with Gautier. House of Style on MTV. That’s when I became aware of high fashion. I went to Barnes & Noble and got a Balenciaga book and a Mugler book. A lot of it was just reading and studying because I was broke AF. I couldn’t imagine affording any of this stuff in the ’90s. But when I get into something, I learn as much as possible.

You have an archive of over 500 vintage Mugler pieces. How did you get into collecting?

I was ordering a lot of custom pieces, because I’m not sample size. Whenever it would come time to have a blazer made, I would show a photo of this one Mugler moment to recreate, but no one could. It hadn’t even occurred to me that I could just go online and buy some vintage Mugler. I did, and it was so cheap—like $200, $300. I wish I had bought more! I was worried that it wouldn’t fit. But Morgan Foote, my tailor, created a monster when she told me, “I have a client who buys whatever she wants in whatever size, and we alter it.” I was like, “Wait. You can do that?”

Which designers do you find yourself hunting down the most?

My Holy Trinity are Mugler, Galliano, and McQueen. I started with Mugler, and then it just snowballed. People think of Mugler as this showman, futuristic designer—and he’s certainly that—but the core of the business were those precisely scalpelled, impeccably tailored suits. When I went to the Alexander McQueen “Savage Beauty” exhibit at the Met, I was walking through in tears. Of course, [McQueen] had just passed away. But it was also the beautiful tailoring. I feel lucky to have some pieces from that exhibit in my collection. I go into my archive room and sit and admire these pieces, which I have on mannequins, to be appreciated as works of art. It’s soothing, and it makes me incredibly happy.

What’s one thing you hope viewers get from watching Clean Slate?

Since the world is so dark right now, I hope we can be a reprieve. I hope we can give a sense of how the world can be when we choose to love each other and accept each other for who we are, and that we inspire people to live their lives differently, and to see trans people as human. And if not any of that, to just get a good laugh and escape from the world.

Clean Slate is streaming on Prime Video now.