Laverne Cox's Orange Is the New Black character, Sophia Burset, was put through the ringer—and then some—this season. There were tears, makeovers, fight scenes and touching moments and the Emmy nominee wouldn't have it any other way.
"I'm just so excited for people to see this season...It was my favorite to shoot and I think [Jenji Kohan, the show's creator] raised her game and every single actress on the show has raised her game...My storyline this season got really real, kind of too real in some ways, but that is the brilliance of the art form that we get to do," Cox told us.
Cox sat down with E! News in the NBCUniversal Experience Store to talk all things Orange Is the New Black season three. Like, what it was like going toe-to-toe with good friend and costar Selenis Leyva—Gloria Mendoza to OITNB fans—and filming those emotionally taxing scenes and speeches, including getting sent to—SPOILER—the SHU.
Cox told us that the salon scene where her character is assaulted was very difficult for her to shoot. In fact, just reading it was really hard. "Violence against trans women is an issue I talk a lot about," she said. "When I got the script, I knew that it was bigger than me. This storyline touches so many people and I was hoping that if we really go there and for the people who have grown to fall in love with Sophia, if they see her going through this, maybe it can inspire people to have different conversations about the violence that trans people experience in prison and in our daily lives. Hopefully it can spark some conversation and change in our world."
The actress, who recently made headlines for her Broadway Bares performance, said she "just left my body" while shooting those difficult Orange Is the New Black scenes this season, particularly when Sophia goes to see Caputo (Nick Sandow) after her assault. In the end, Sophia was sent to SHU for her "own protection." So how does SHU affect Sophia? "Girl, I don't know," she said.
Click play on the video above to find out why it was hard for Cox to watch her costar Levya verbally attack Sophia, who she wants to film with, and the latest scoop on Cox's CBS pilot Doubt.
Orange Is the New Black season three is now streaming on Netflix.