Baby Reindeer Star Nava Mau emotionally celebrated her historic nomination on the Emmy red carpet.
While speaking with Laverne Cox for E!'s broadcast of the 2024 Emmys red carpet, Cox immediately got emotional and hugged Mau.
“I should hold on, I’m the host,” a visibly tearful Cox told Mau. “This show is so incredible, and the work you do is so incredible.”
For this year's show, Mau was nominated for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie, becoming the first trans Latina nominee in that category. Cox was notably the first openly transgender person to be nominated for an acting Emmy for Orange is the new black at the moment.
“Ten years ago I became the first openly transgender person to be nominated for an Emmy as an actress, and 10 years later I’m not the last,” Cox told Mau. “You’re the fourth and the first in this category.”
Reflecting on the significance of her candidacy, Mau said, “I think what we’ve been fighting for in the community is to be able to tell stories that are from the heart and that are grounded in humanity. Because that’s who we are as trans people. We are human first.”
From Baby ReindeerMau celebrated the fact that it's not just a show that has a trans character, but it's “a great show” overall. “I think that's the best thing to celebrate Baby Reindeerthat yes, it is an LGBTQ show; it is a show that has a trans character, and it is also a really beautiful show, and it is something that I am very proud of. And ultimately, I hope that we continue to be all that we are as trans people on screen.”
Cox noted that Mau worked on Disclosure: Trans Lives Onscreen, a 2020 film that explored trans identity in popular culture over the past century. Cox starred in the film, offering a deep understanding of trans history.
“It changed my life,” Mau said of working on the film. “It was the first time I'd been on a set of that magnitude… and I'd seen trans people in leadership positions. I could see you [Cox] walking in all your grace and all your power and I saw that I could dream bigger than I had ever dreamed for myself.”
As he bid farewell to Mau, Cox praised the actress: “You are making history and you are making us all very proud.”
For Sunday's show, Shogun leads the pack in nominations, earning 25 nods, including Best Drama Series, setting several records in the process. Netflix's Baby Reindeer received 11 nominations, including Best Miniseries/Anthology, Best Actor for Richard Gadd, Best Supporting Actor for Tom Goodman-Hill, and Best Supporting Actress for Mau and Jessica Gunning.
The series has already won for Best Casting for a Limited/Anthology Series and Best Cinematography Editing.
The Emmys air live from the Peacock Theater in Los Angeles on ABC. Eugene and Dan Levy host.