From The Advocate May 2012
Laverne Cox: A New Challenge for the Trans Actress
Transgender actress Laverne Cox pushes boundaries in Musical Chairs, a new film about wheelchair ballroom dancing.
By Michelle Garcia
http://www.advocate.com/Print_Issue/Spectator/Laverne_Cox_A_New_Challenge_for_the_Trans_Actress/To prepare for her role as a transgender woman who uses a wheelchair in the new film Musical Chairs, actress Laverne Cox decided she needed to get used to wheeling around. Cox plays Chantelle, a friend to ballroom dancer Mia, who falls for Armando, a guy from the other side of the tracks. He introduces the women to the world of wheelchair ballroom dancing.
Whenever possible, Cox made it a point to stay in her wheelchair to better understand her character. One afternoon, amid upper-body workouts and after weeks of rehearsal, Cox ventured out into New York's Times Square during the dizzying lunch rush with two of her costars. Even with the guidance of cast mate Auti Angel, who is disabled in real life, Cox and fellow actor Morgan Spector had no idea what they were in for.
