Laverne Cox Reinvents Herself as an Interviewer: ‘Liking It More Than I Thought’

The New York Times

Actress Laverne Cox, known for her roles in “Orange Is the New Black” and “Inventing Anna,” has become a well-known figure on Hollywood’s red carpets. But this season, she’s caught herself on the other side of the mic and has become a television audience guide on Oscar and Grammy specials aired on E!.

Her presence on the red carpet and her interactions with guests, in which she mixes her natural charisma with human warmth, made her stand out despite her limited experience as an interviewer (she was used to being the interviewee).

Cox, 49, began hosting shows on E! during the 2020 Emmy special, and in the second quarter of the following year, the network appointed her as a presenter for its coverage of the 2022 film, TV and music awards.

In order to prepare for the job, Cox, with the help of his producers, does in-depth research to learn more about celebrities before the big nights of their careers.

“I try to watch other interviews they’ve done, if possible, to find a way to ask them questions that haven’t already been asked,” Cox said. “And you have to be in tune with the moment, because there’s a lot going on at the same time.”

Cox, who also co-produced the Emmy special, said one of her favorite moments was her interview with rapper Saweetie at the Grammys. The singer was moved after Cox summarized her accomplishments in detail.

“She realized she wasn’t at the Grammys for the first time, but for the first time as a nominee, and how important that was to her,” said Cox.

“Moments like these are special to me because I was nominated myself,” Cox said. “I remember my first time at an awards ceremony, as a nominee, and how beautiful and special it was; it would be nice to be able to slow down a bit to enjoy the moment. That’s what I’d like to offer them as a colleague.”

In fact, the stars who approached her on the red carpet often seemed as excited to meet her as she was to interview them, and many declared themselves their fans before she had the opportunity to ask what brand they were wearing.

In a phone interview, Cox spoke about the unpredictability of live television, the standout interviews in his career, and his plans for the future. Below are edited excerpts from our conversation.

What was the experience of doing red carpet shows two Sundays in a row?

exhausting. (Laughter.) It’s a lot of preparation.

What made you want to be a red carpet interviewer? And what about this activity do you like the most?

I have to say it’s not something I would have wanted to do. I think the first thing for me is being an actress, and while I’ve always done a lot, I’ve always prioritized acting. So we wanted to make sure I continued to be seen as an actress and not a red carpet person, right? But I’m enjoying it a lot more than I thought I would.

What were some of your favorite red carpet interactions?

Denzel Washington was a highlight, and Andrew Garfield is simply amazing. We had already socialized and that helped. There are moments I liked with Lady Gaga, who I’m a big fan. And a moment with Jared Leto, where he said hi to my brother on the red carpet at the Grammys, and then I got to talk to him about his working method and what he learned.

I love these things. I didn’t know Jon Batiste’s work, anything he did. It was in the run-up to the show that I saw that he was the person who received the most Grammy nominations (this year). And so I started listening to his music and I thought, my God, this guy is a genius. That’s also a thrill for me, discovering new artists and learning about new styles of music or movies.

You’ve been on the other side of red carpet interviews many times. How does that influence the way you approach these interviews?

I try to create a meaningful connection and let people say what they want to say about their work or the world in the most authentic way possible. When I was on the other side and I felt connection and chemistry with the interviewer, I knew the interview would go much better.

Any awkward red carpet moments that you might reveal or unexpected things you learned?

There was a time when I thought the ‘prompter’ [ponto eletrônico] was wrong and it wasn’t. And it happened live, literally, when I was interviewing Finneas at the Grammys, and the ‘prompter’ took me off course.

I may not get all the facts right, and that is uncomfortable and uncomfortable. That’s why I try to prepare myself as much as possible so it doesn’t happen. But there is also a lot of love. Things won’t be perfect, and my prayer, especially in these events, is ‘May God give me permission to be imperfect and still serve Him.’ I still struggle because of my perfectionism, but it’s really impossible: there’s no way to be perfect on live TV. You have to roll with what’s going on and have the ability to laugh at yourself.

Can you imagine doing that job again next awards season?

I think I have one or two more red carpets in my contract. I believe the E! go evaluate at the end of the year, and I will evaluate and study my schedule for next year. Much of this will depend on what I have pending. The biggest difficulty in my life is the schedule. But I’m having a lot more fun than I thought I would.