Laverne Cox, M Lamar.Photo:Mike Coppola/Getty ; Maarten de Boer/ABC
Mike Coppola/Getty ; Maarten de Boer/ABC
Laverne Cox’s twin brother, M Lamar, is her “moral compass,” and over the years, the actress has expressed her appreciation for him.
“There’s a wonderful bond that we share and there’s a tremendous amount of respect that we have for each other as artists and as human beings,” she toldWindy City Times.
When she told her brother she was transitioning, Lamar was entirely supportive. “He was like, ‘Oh, you’re doing the medical thing. Okay, cool.’ It wasn’t an issue,” she recalled.
So who is Laverne Cox’s twin brother? From his own creative ambitions to his unwavering support of his sister, here’s everything to know about M Lamar.
Laverne Cox and her mother, Gloria Cox, attend the premiere of Fox’s ‘The Rocky Horror Picture Show: Let’s Do The Time Warp Again’ in 2016.Tibrina Hobson/Getty
Tibrina Hobson/Getty
Laverne and Lamar were born and raised in Alabama, where they lived with their mom, Gloria, and their grandmother.
“I never knew my father. He was never married to my mother, he was never a part of my life,” she toldTIME.“It was just my mom, my brother and me.”
As a single parent, Gloria raised her kids to be kind and loving, tellingAL.com,“There was no fighting.” An English teacher, she also raised them to value their education. “I always told them to learn as much as possible,” she said.
Gloria told the publication she was “very, very proud” of her kids. “I have two working children. They’re doing very well,” she added.
He’s an artist and a musician
Like his sister, Lamar is highly creative. When the twins were in ninth grade, they enrolled in the Alabama School of Fine Arts, a high school in Birmingham, Alabama, that offered education in endeavors such as creative writing, dance, music and theater. There, Laverne pursued theater arts while Lamar focused on visual arts. He later transferred to another high school, but he never stopped working on his craft.
After high school, Lamar went to San Francisco Art Institute, where he earned a bachelor of fine arts degree in sculpting. He then began graduate studies in sculpture at Yale University, though he left after one year. Meanwhile, Laverne graduated from Marymount Manhattan College with a degree in dance.
In an interview withStory + Rain,Laverne praised her brother’s artistic talent. “He drew and painted very realistically from an early age. He won every art competition you can win on local, state and national levels,” she recalled.
Lamar is also a singer, songwriter, pianist and composer. He has combined his many talents in his work.
Lamar has been described as a multimedia artist, and his exhibits incorporate elements of film, music and performance art. He’s had exhibitions at prestigious venues such asNew York City’s Participant Inc.andMuseum of Modern Art, and the San Francisco Art Institute, among others.
He encouraged Laverne to act
Laverne Cox attends the 2023 Vanity Fair Oscar Party.Amy Sussman/Getty
Amy Sussman/Getty
Prior to her breakout role onOrange Is the New Black,Laverne competed onSean “Diddy” Combs’ VH1 reality show,I Want to Work for Diddy.But Lamar didn’t want her to take that route.
In a 2016 interview with both Laverne and Lamar forHuffPost,he recalled: “I remember seeing you at Marymount Manhattan College in a performance do a dance and then a monologue afterward and I thought, ‘This is what you should be doing — acting.’ You’re a brilliant actor and that’s why I thought you shouldn’t do the reality show.”
Lamar told her not to do it at the time, saying that it “just seemed like the worst idea in the world.”
He worries about her life in the spotlight
Although he encouraged her to pursue acting, he also worries about the level of fame that comes with it.
“Laverne’s a very mainstream person,” he toldWorld of Wonder. “When she first started going in that direction, I was frightened for her and the scrutiny she would receive. A lot of the work she has done for herself, and as an actor, is about being a better human being. I love her, and I wouldn’t wish that scrutiny on her or anybody.”
He appeared inOrange Is the New Black
Laverne Cox in Orange is the New Black.Netflix
Netflix
Though he isn’t primarily an actor, Lamar hasappeared on screen. And while he wasn’t exactly acting alongside his sister, he appeared onOrange Is the New BlackasSophia, Laverne’s character, in her pre-transition flashback scenes.
He wants to forge his own path
M Lamar on ‘Claim to Fame’ in 2022.ABC
ABC
Laverne liked sharingOrange Is the New Blackwith him, but she also understood why he had mixed feelings about it.
Speaking toStory + Rain,she explained that he had “very non-mainstream values” and mainly took the role to pay his bills.
“Part of him sort of regrets doing it because when you Google him, that’s what comes up, not his own work,” she said. “Now his own work is coming up more. He’s never been interested in being in my shadow, in being famous, in being recognized because of me.”
Still, in 2022, he joined ABC’sClaim to Fame,a reality show competition where participants attempt to conceal their celebrity relatives. After he was revealed to be Laverne’s brother and left the show, he toldNewsweekthat, while he wasn’t necessarily confident about his ability to keep his identity hidden, he was used to it.
“Since my sister has become mega-famous, to keep a sense of my life not only being about being related to someone mega-famous, I have routinely lied about being related to her,” he said. “So, this wasn’t a new thing for me."
He and Laverne are incredibly supportive of each other
Laverne Cox arrives to the 2021 New York City Ballet Fall Fashion Gala.James Devaney/GC Images
James Devaney/GC Images
During his elimination fromClaim to Fame,Lamar gave a heartfelt speech praising his sister. “I have never really spoken about her, but since she’s the reason I’m here, I want to say in front of the world, I love her so much.” he said.
“I think she’s the most extraordinary person I’ve ever met,” he continued. “She has endured all kinds of insanity, and continues to. She continues to stand with so much dignity and pride and go forward and be an inspiration for so many people. Her success is so much bigger than her.”
After the episode aired, Laverne shared anInstagrampost thanking Lamar for his ongoing support. “I am an immensely blessed woman in a plethora of ways. One of the most important is that I have known my brother @lamar_m_lamar my entire life,” she wrote. “My brother’s love, support and counsel are part of the reason I am who I am.”
source: people.com
