Laverne Cox Cast in ‘The Rocky Horror Picture Show’

Laverne Cox
Laverne Cox joins ‘The Rocky Horror Picture Show’ (Photo by John Shearer / Getty Images)

Orange is the New Black‘s Laverne Cox is set to play Dr. Frank-N-Furter in Fox’s reimagining of The Rocky Horror Picture Show. The two-hour musical event will air next fall with Kenny Ortega (High School Musical) directing, choreographing, and executive producing. Original Rocky Horror Picture Show executive producer Lou Adler and Gail Berman will also executive produce the new production.


The cult classic film was released on September 26, 1975 and holds the record as the longest running film in movie history. Tim Curry starred as Dr. Frank-N-Furter with Susan Sarandon playing Janet Weiss and Barry Bostwick playing Brad Majors. Jonathan Adams played Dr. Everett V. Scott, Peter Hinwood is Rocky, Patricia Quinn played Magenta, Nell Campbell is Columbia, and Meatloaf tried out his acting skills as Eddie. Rocky Horror Picture Show writer Richard O’Brien tackled the role of Riff Raff.

The Plot: “The Rocky Horror Picture Show follows sweethearts Janet Weiss and Brad Majors, who stumble upon Dr. Frank-N-Furter’s bizarre abode. Frank-N-Furter, a sexually ambiguous flirtatious alien mad-scientist, is holding an annual, Transylvanian science convention to showcase the birth of Rocky Horror – a fit, attractive man created solely to fulfill Frank’s desires.”

Cox was nominated for an Emmy for her role as Sophia Burset in Netflix’s Orange is the New Black. The groundbreaking actress is the first trans woman of color to play a lead on a mainstream scripted TV show.