50 fearless, confident, all around badass women on television

Photo: Netflix

Sophia Burset – Orange Is The New Black

I might be conflating the character Sophia with the actress that brought her to life, Laverne Cox. But much like Tina Fey, it’s hard to talk about one without the other. As one of the first responsible and dignified portrayals of a transgender woman on television, Sophia had a lot to live up to. Not only did Cox have to contend with being among the few transgender working actors, she also had to take on the prison system, feminism, and address the representation of women of color in the popular culture. That’s a lot to manage.

However, the character Sophia was so well-rounded and interesting, she stopped being a quirk in “very special episode” and quickly became a character in which we are highly invested. What could have easily been a way for Netflix and Orange Is The New Black to participate in a “teachable moment” became a beautiful relationship with a character that we love very much.

From her back story with her son, to former job at the salon, to her time in SHU, she wasn’t “the trans character,” she was just one of our favorites, and that is totally and almost completely due to Cox’s fearless dive into a character that could have become a caricature.