Laverne Cox compared the cancellation of her Amazon Prime Video series Clean Slate to taking “a dagger to [her] heart.”
“I’m still processing [the cancellation],” Cox, 52, exclusively told Us Weekly on the opening of The Tryst Puerto Vallarta on Friday, April 25. “We discovered a couple of weeks before we announced it and I cried like a baby.”
Clean Slate — which Cox created and produced with costar George Wallace and Dan Ewen — revolved around 40-year-old Desiree (Cox) returning to her small Alabama hometown to return out as a trans woman to her father (Wallace) after a 23-year estrangement. Cox confirmed earlier in April that Prime Video was not moving forward with a second season.
“After all, I’ve had shows canceled before, but I’ve never birthed a show, a scripted television show. It’s been prefer it was my baby greater than another scripted project I’ve been an element of,” she confessed to Us. “So, it was just so close and it was loosely based on my life. So, it was devastating, and I believe it was also devastating within the context of being, I believe allegedly, I’m the primary trans person, a star in a comedy. I saw that somewhere. I haven’t [confirmed it] — it’s sad, however it’s not unexpected in the present political environment, however it’s just sad in relationship to that.”
Laverne Cox in ‘Clean Slate’ Prime Video
Except for the “gut punch” of Clean Slate ending so soon, Cox said she was appreciative of the viewers who truly embraced the sitcom’s inclusive message.
“The fans who loved it, what I do wish to do is shout out the fans who’ve been amazing online. Amazing,” she said. “When I’m going out into the world, how many individuals have watched it without me prompting them. People just all around the country and all around the world who’ve watched it are loving it and are asking for a season two. I’m sorry, it’s not my fault.”
Cox said she hasn’t yet given up hope of finding Clean Slate a brand new streaming or TV home, as she planned to “shop it elsewhere.”
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“It’s really about that reference to the audience. And you possibly can touch one person and we touched multiple person with our show,” she added. “And in order that brings me a lot joy. I’m gutted personally, but then I’m going out on the planet and we’ve made people laugh and we’ve made people think and we’ve had people like [say], ‘That’s my grandmama, that’s my auntie. Oh girl.’”
She went on, “Individuals are seeing themselves in these characters and this can be a dream for an artist. So, it’s an enormous accomplishment to get a TV show on the air, as well. So, I’m literally processing this with you. So, it’s a miracle that we made it to TV, and so I even have a lot to be pleased about … Our fans have just [shared] the love and that is actually what it’s all about. The community.”
As for what could possibly be next in her profession, Cox told Us that the experience of doing a sitcom has convinced her to tackle even tougher projects.
“Doing comedy was so freeing for me in other facets of my work and in advocacy, and I’m just, I’ve given myself permission to let go and be funny,” she said. “Doing a show with George Wallace, doing press with George Wallace, giving myself permission to be silly and leaning into that and laughter together with that may exist with other things. So, I mean, truthfully, at this stage as an artist, as an actress, I would like to do something that actually challenges me.”
Laverne Cox and George Wallace Paras Griffin/Getty Images
Cox continued, “I feel like I’ve not realized my potential as an artist, so I want something really difficult to let the youngsters know that she’s an actress. And so something completely transformative. I even have two movies. One was announced, Animal Farm, the remake of Animal Farm, that’s animated [and] I play Snowball, that was just announced. We don’t know where that house is going to be. And I even have one other movie called End result with Keanu Reeves, and that’s coming out, probably, later this 12 months.”
The Emmy Award-nominated actress added that she hoped to “do something really different” after Clean Slate — preferably a project she could produce.
“I’m pondering of something that’s just completely [new], I feel like I want to play a person or something. I don’t know … because people know Laverne now, and so I want to vanish into something,” she teased. “The following thing I do, I would like to completely disappear into it. So ,yeah, I’m looking forward to that. I don’t know what it’s yet, but I would like to vanish. And so the people can really get into the talent again and get into the craft and the acting.”
Cox announced one other big profession shift in January when she exited E!’s award show red carpet coverage after three years of interviewing the most important stars in Hollywood.
“With an incredible amount of gratitude, I’ve decided to not return as host of #LiveFromE’s red carpet coverage,” Cox wrote via Instagram on January 2. “I’m so incredibly pleased with the work we did over my three-year tenure. I’d like to specific my sincere due to everyone at @nbcuniversal, @eentertainment and @denofthievestv on your incredible support.”
