Laverne Cox Cast In New CBS Pilot Doubt

Laverne Cox cast in new CBS pilot, Doubt

Transgender actress Laverne Cox continues breaking barriers as news arrives that she's been cast in a new CBS network series, Doubt.

The Orange is the New Black actress will play a transgender Ivy League-educated attorney, described as “competitive as she is compassionate. She’s fierce, funny and the fact that she’s experienced injustice first hand makes her fight all the harder for her clients.”

The Doubt role was always conceived as a transgender character, and it’s tough to imagine a better catch for the part – Cox made the cover of Time magazine last year in a story about the transgender movement. While there have been plenty of transgender characters on broadcast TV shows in the past, they are often short-term parts or comedic roles.

Valerie Harper on THE DOCTORS: Proud of "gay" moment on MTMS

In an advance clip of Valerie Harper's upcoming appearance on The Doctors airing March 11th (her first since breaking the news of her terminal brain cancer diagnosis), the acclaimed actress says one of her favorite moments working on The Mary Tyler Moore Show was in scene with cast mate Cloris Leachman that used the word "gay" in a scene.

The series was one of the earliest to use the word on television.

Clip is Courtesy of CBS Television Distribution / Stage 29 Productions, LLC.