The transgender actress, Laverne Cox, known best for her roles in ‘Orange is the New Black,’ and ‘Sophia’ posed nude for a spread of photos in the latest issue of Allure. Cox stated that her preparation for the photoshoot was a tad different than what her friends suggested her to do, which was to drink a variety of juices — a piece of advice is that is typical for anyone who is in the modeling business. Instead, the admired actress indulged in some macaroni and cheese for dinner the night before.

Cox shared that she turned to supermodel Tyra Banks for helpful tips on posing for this shoot in addition to her unique dietary preparation. The actress found that posing for women’s magazines is quite different than posing for a men’s magazine. She explained that for men’s magazines you have to ‘toot the booty.’ However for women’s magazines, the poses are geared more towards a crouched position.

Cox shared that her decision to do the nude photo shoot and pose nude was to raise awareness while promoting self-esteem for both transgender people and black women. She felt that the message that this shoot would produce can really empower the communities she represents. She went on to say, ‘black women are not often told that we’re beautiful unless we align with certain standards.’ Her intent to show herself as a black transgender woman who embraces and loves everything about herself may inspire some people.

As an added bonus to this photo layout featuring Cox, Allure also included similarly rated photos by Katheryn Winnick, Jordana Brewster, Sandrine Holt, and Nicole Beharie. Although they were all unsure about the revealing poses, they all seemed to be thrilled with the final product.