Laverne Cox is undoubtedly one of the hardest working women in Hollywood. After starring in last year’s critically acclaimed film Promising Young Woman, the 48-year-old actress and activist linked up with Shondaland for a new podcast that debuted earlier this month, The Laverne Cox Show, which has already featured notable guests like Brene Brown and Damona Hoffman and currently holds a 4.5-star rating on Apple Podcasts. Now, the multi-hyphenate talent is announcing her return to TV alongside comedian George Wallace, in a series set to handle potentially sensitive subject matter — reuniting with one’s family post-transition — in what one hopes will be a subtle, humorous, and affirming new show.
Produced by Norman Lear, Clean Slate is a half-hour comedy set to follow a cranky carwash owner (Wallace) excited to learn that his estranged child is returning home to Alabama after 17 years away. Yet he’ll have to come to terms with the fact his child, Desiree (Cox), is a “determined, proud, trans woman,” according to a show description. Few other details about the plot or a release date have been announced.
Cox’s comedic chops are sure to be on display, and the comedy will be a departure from some of her more dramatic roles, as seen in Orange Is The New Black, the Netflix series that first catapulted her to fame, and the short-lived CBS primetime courtroom drama Doubt.
Outside her work on screen, Cox’s life seems to be going well, despite the COVID-19 pandemic; last week, she appeared on The View, where she dished on self love and finding a new beau during the pandemic. “He’s 22 years younger than me,” she told Sara Haines. “The age difference hasn’t been an issue. It’s just really hard to find someone that you connect with. It’s hard to find love. I’m a 48-year-old Black trans woman who’s kind of famous, and I feel like it’s a miracle that I found love again and I’m just celebrating that and super excited that God has brought this man into my life. It feels divine.”
Between her personal life, film, television, and podcast projects, Cox doesn’t seem to be slowing down any time soon — and that’s what we love to see in a new year full of new possibilities.
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