Laverne Cox has a busy schedule. She's shooting the CBS legal series “Doubt,” but just three weeks ago she was on the set of “Orange Is the New Black,” for which she's returning as Sophia Burset in Season 5. And on Oct. 20 she'll be seen in Fox's reboot of “The Rocky Horror Picture Show,” taking on the role of Dr. Frank-N-Furter, a truly mad scientist.

The following is an edited transcript.

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Q: What can we expect from this new “Rocky Horror”?

A: It's a reimagining of the 1975 film. And when we say reimagining, it's really a tribute to the first film and a tribute to the history and legacy of “Rocky Horror.” We've brilliantly incorporated audience participation into the film, which has been such an integral part of why it's the longest-running film in history. It's about celebrating the spirit of “Rocky” and honoring that. The first film is still playing in theaters, so we're not trying to redo that but pay homage to it.

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Q: What was it like stepping into a role made iconic by Tim Curry?

A: I had such a great time playing Dr. Frank-N-Furter; it was one of the most joyous work experiences of my life. I'm working on “Doubt,” a CBS legal drama, right now. There are so many moments where I have to do less — she's a buttoned-up lawyer. With Frank-N-Furter, it's no holds barred, and it's rare you get to be on camera and be as big as Frank-N-Furter gets to be. That's usually reserved for the theater. We had our rules for the world we created, but we got to play a lot, and it was so much fun.

Q: Did you grow up with the original film?

A: I discovered it my freshman year at Indiana University before I transferred to Marymount Manhattan College. Some friends of mine were talking about it, and I had never seen it. We watched it in the dorm, and they were talking back to the screen, and I was like, “What are you doing?” It was so cool, and I was immediately transfixed by the film and the music. Frank-N-Furter just spoke to me — the gender fluidity of the character, the naughtiness and the sexiness. At the time I was existing in a gender-nonconforming space. I had a shaved head and wore makeup every day and hadn't yet medically transitioned. And I was like, “Oh, my God, this is me.” And now it is me. I'm the new Frank-N-Furter. I still can't believe it.

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Q: Tim Curry is in the new version of the film, too. Did you cross paths with him?

A: Tim Curry plays the narrator in our film, and our first day of rehearsal here in LA, Tim was there. He is delightful and funny and still very naughty and has that British sense of humor. He listened to me sing every single song he made iconic the first day. He was very sweet and complimentary.

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Q: At the Emmys this year, Jeffrey Tambor said he would not be unhappy if he were the last cisgender man to play a female transgender on TV and urged people to give trans actors chances. How did you feel about that?

A: I loved it. I love Jeffrey. I love that he has embraced so much humanity but understands the political realities of what it means for a cis person to be playing a transgender part. And his is a really good example of how they needed an actor of a certain age who had not yet transitioned to play this part, and you maybe needed to cast someone cisgender. There are artistic concerns where we have to honor the intentions of the work.