Strike a Pose, Mj Rodriguez, you’ve just made history. Today, Rodriguez was nominated for an Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama series, and as Variety reports, she is the first transgender performer to receive an Emmy nod in one of the major acting categories.
Rodriguez anchors FX’s period drama Pose as Blanca, founder and mother of House of Evangelista. It’s her first-ever Emmy nomination in a good year for Pose, which is also up for Outstanding Drama Series and, through Billy Porter, Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series.
She is just the third openly trans performer to receive some Emmy love. Previously, Laverne Cox was nominated in the guest drama actress category four times for her work as Sophia on Orange Is the New Black, and Rain Valdez got a nod in the short form actress category last year for her work in Razor Tongue. Jeffrey Tambor, a cisgendered heterosexual man, won two Emmy Awards in 2015 and 2016 for his portrayal of a trans woman in Transparent.
Check out the full list of 2021 Emmy nominees here.
