Outcome star Laverne Cox talked about what it’s like being a celebrity managing work-life and friendships.
Cox spoke with Blavity/Shadow and Act Managing Editor, Trey Mangum, about the Apple TV film, which follows a longtime star named Reef (Keanu Reeves) who must confront a potentially cancel-worthy old video he participated in years ago.
Cox said that being a celebrity in today’s time means having friends who will stick by you and know who you really are.
“It’s something I often think about, and it’s really when something is said that’s not so nice about you on the internet,” she said. “Not that I’m bulletproof—I’m insanely sensitive—but my family and friends are affected by it more.”
Cox said she has “the blessing of the people who are really close to me is that when things have been difficult, and I think that’s a lot of what this movie’s about, when things are difficult and you’re really struggling, the people who are really there for you show up in a way that you don’t even expect. And so I know who my friends are and I have chosen very well.”
She added how in Outcome, a lot hinges on who the main characters’ friends are and how they handle the extra scrutiny that comes with being a friend to a famous star.
“Your friends are the people who know all your deep, dark secrets and they keep them. They keep your secrets because they’re your friends and they’re not gonna be tweeting about you and [doing] Instagram Lives about you,” she said. “What’s kind of awesome about this film is that Reef is obsessed with perception because it affects his career and it affects his opportunities and I’m hyper aware of that as well. It certainly matters in terms of your ability to continue to work and then have an audience show up for you. But the people in your life…who love you and really see you and who are there for you mean everything.”
Check out the full interview above. Outcome is now streaming on Apple TV.