Actress MJ Rodriguez has become a spokesperson for the beauty brand Olay Body and thus taken another step in opening doors for trans individuals like herself.
According to Queerty, Rodriguez announced the news ahead of the 5th Annual Diversity Summit in Washington, D.C., where she was the keynote speaker last week.
“Olay Body is leading by example for other brands by opening doors for trans individuals like myself,” the actress said in a statement. “I am so excited to work with Olay Body on this campaign leading up to my speech at the Diversity Summit. This is officially my first ever beauty campaign — I am so thankful to have the opportunity to show other trans women of color everywhere that they are seen and that they are worthy.”
In a Saturday Instagram post, the Pose star continued to express her excitement for the new partnership with Olay Body.
"I’m down here in Washington D.C. Speaking on the importance of diversity, inclusion and equality," she said. "I am feeling all types of confident for my speech at the Diversity Summit thanks to my friends at Olay Body."
According to The Cut, this is Olay Body's first partnership with a trans, Latinx woman. Rodriguez plans to post updates about her skin care routine during the next two weeks as part of the company's “14 Day Skin Transformation” campaign.
Insider recently deemed the Pose star as one of the 16 transgender celebrities changing television, saying her role as Blanca Rodriguez on the show has catapulted her into the spotlight.
In an interview with Metro, Rodriguez said people are taking trans individuals more seriously now and hiring them for more acting roles.
“[It’s] invigorating in a way we get to be ourselves and live out loud. Intimidating because there are so many things that come our way. And with what we have to deal with and the responsibilities that we have, [it] can be a little overwhelming,” she said. “Just making sure that we speak for our community in the right way and that we do the work that needs to be done that a lot of people out there aren’t doing. Whether through our craft or speaking on a platform that we need to be speaking on.”
In an interview with The Cut, the actress said she was surprised when she got the call from Olay Body.
"When they called me, I screamed on the phone, because Olay is one of the leading forces in beauty," she told The Cut. "I was like ‘oh my god, am I really being considered for this, am I worthy?’”
The rising TV star said a lot of women like herself don't get the opportunity to work in partnership with such organizations.
"As a woman, as a Black or Latina or trans woman, we have to constantly give words of affirmation to ourselves. It’s just hard for us,” Rodriguez told The Cut. “I’m just focusing on amplifying my voice, trying to get it out there as much as possible.”
