MJ Rodriguez celebrates as she becomes first trans woman to win a Golden Globe award
Michaela Jaé 'MJ' Rodriguez celebrated on Sunday as she made history in becoming the first trans woman to win a Golden Globe, claiming the honors for Best Actress in a Drama Series for her work on Pose.
'OMG OMGGG!!!! @goldenglobes Wow!' the actress said on Instagram, two days after celebrating her 31st birthday. 'You talking about sickening birthday present! Thank you!'
The Newark, New Jersey native took pride in the milestone, predicting, 'This is the door that is going to open the door for many more young talented individuals. They will see that it is more than possible.
'They will see that a young Black Latina girl from Newark New Jersey who had a dream, to change the minds others would WITH LOVE. LOVE WINS.'
Rodriguez, who played the role of Blanca Rodriguez on the FX series, continued: 'To my young LGBTQAI babies WE ARE HERE the door is now open now reach the stars!!!!!'
Rodriguez emerged victorious from a field that included Uzo Aduba (In Treatment); Jennifer Aniston (The Morning Show); Christine Baranski (The Good Fight) and Elisabeth Moss (The Handmaid’s Tale).
'To the nominees we are Queens,' Rodriguez said in the social media post. 'I’m so happy to share space with you! Each and every last one of you women are phenomenal.'
The win also marked the first Golden Globe victory for the series in its three-season run, as the series, created by Steven Canals, Brad Falchuk and Ryan Murphy, debuted in 2018 and aired its finale last year.
She previously made history last year in becoming the first transgender entertainer to receive a leading actress Emmy nomination, but The Crown's Olivia Colman won the award.
Rodriguez spoke about her journey speaking last May with NJ.com, saying, 'I think people finally see Michaela Jaé for who she really is. Mj has matured a lot.
'And now she’s grown into this strong Afro-Latina woman who is still fighting against the grain so that a lot of trans women don’t get typecast or get put into this box of how they’re supposed to act, whether it be in the world or on a television screen.'
She added: 'We’re all human beings, we all have different personalities … I think it takes a person not only like myself, but many who are like me, to constantly go against the grain and scratch the surface.'