Laverne Cox Gives a Hint About Sophia's Season 4 Storyline on OITNB

Orange Is the New Black just got its premiere date at Netflix's TCA day, and the show also had a panel to herald its fourth season. As has become the norm, though, showrunner Jenji Kohan was tight-lipped about season four details. However, star Laverne Cox, who plays Sophia Burset, was able to talk about her character's season three plot and how it mirrored reality (and she even gave a tiny hint about season four). 

Regarding Sophia's lockup in the SHU, Cox revealed that "that episode was so emotional for me, because it's such the reality for so many trans women who are incarcerated. If you've done any research, most trans women who are incarcerated spend their time in solitary confinement." Cox sounded proud to have been able to bring this educational bit about the prison system to the forefront: "That is the de rigueur in terms of where trans women are placed — usually trans women are also in men's prison. So our show getting to touch on that reality and bringing that to the attention of the public is really exciting to be a part of."

Cox couldn't say anything specific about Sophia's direction in the next season, but she gave this hint: "In season four . . . it was a joy to play, and I got pushed in ways that I didn't anticipate. It was really challenging."