Since her show Pose has become more and more popular, Mj Rodriguez’s stardom has only skyrocketed. Now, she’s getting an exciting – and groundbreaking – opportunity.
Cosmetics brand Olay, owned by the conglomerate Proctor & Gamble, has signed the Imagen Award-winning actress to a contract, with the intentions to make her the spokesperson of Olay Body’s upcoming 14 Day Skin Transformation campaign.
Related: Trans actress Indya Moore will scream their head off in the horror flick ‘Escape Room 2’
According to The Cut, which spoke with Rodriguez, they note that “it’s the beauty giant’s first partnership with a trans, Latinx woman.”
Never Miss a Beat
Subscribe to our newsletter to stay ahead of the latest LGBTQ+ political news and insights.
“When they called me, I screamed on the phone, because Olay is one of the leading forces in beauty,” Rodriguez told the style publication, “I was like ‘oh my god, am I really being considered for this, am I worthy?’”
As The Cut notes, Rodriguez has become a ‘red carpet staple’ and had her fashion sense shared in Vogue and Allure, so it’s not far fetched to think she would make a successful brand ambassador for the billion-dollar cosmetics group. “A lot of girls like myself — trans women — we don’t get the opportunity to have open dialogue, let alone be in partnership with organizations like this,” she remarked.
The deal called for her to go 14 days while publicly forgoing use of any other cosmetic product but Olay Body Ultra Moisture. She completed it the day she delivered a keynote speech at the 5th Annual Diversity Summit. “After today I’m stepping forward into the future with confidence and I am loving my soft and moisturized skin,” she wrote on Instagram.
In addition to playing Blanca Rodriguez, a ‘house mother’ on the LGBT ballroom-inspired drama Pose, Rodriguez has also appeared on Nurse Jackie, The Carrie Diaries, and Luke Cage in addition to headlining a regional production of Little Shop of Horrors. Just last month, Outfest gave her their Individual Trailblazer Award to “pay tribute to an artist whose recent star-making success comes after years of hard work and acclaimed performances on stage,” according to Broadway World.
In a statement, Rodriguez said “I am so excited to work with Olay Body on this 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.”
