Laverne Cox had a big smile on her face for Sunday’s Emmy Awards, chatting enthusiastically with icons like Billy Crystal, Reba McEntire and Jodie Foster on the red carpet.

But at one point, the cheerful TV presenter was moved to tears as she hugged “Baby Reindeer” star Nava Mau, who became just as emotional as they shared a long embrace.

Both actresses have made history as transgender women at the Emmys: Cox was the first transgender person to receive an acting nomination in 2014 for the Netflix series “Orange is the New Black,” and Mau was the first transgender woman to be nominated for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Miniseries this year for “Baby Reindeer.”

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“I’m so proud of you,” Cox told Mau, wiping away tears. “This show is so incredible and the work you do is so amazing. Ten years ago, I became the first openly transgender person to be nominated for an Emmy for acting, and 10 years later, I’m not the last. You’re the fourth (person), and the first in this category. How special is it for you to make history and be a part of such an amazing project?”

Mau responded that the trans community is “fighting” to be able to tell stories like “Baby Reindeer,” which show trans people in all their humanity.

“That’s who we are as trans people: We’re people first,” Mau said. “Yes, it’s an LGBT show, it’s a show with a trans character, and it’s also just a really good show. Ultimately, I hope we can be everything we are on screen.”

Cox went on to emphasize the importance of nuanced portrayals of trans characters, at a time when they are “dehumanized in unimaginable ways and there is so much misinformation about us out there.”

She also reminisced with Mau about working on the 2020 documentary “Disclosure,” which looked back at trans representation throughout film and television history. Cox was an executive producer on the project and Mau was a behind-the-scenes production associate on the film.

“It changed my life,” Mau told Cox. “When I walked onto the set, I saw trans people in leadership positions; I got to sit and watch interviews with trans people talking about their lives, their history, their studies, their craft. I got to watch you walk with all your grace and all your strength.

“I saw that I could dream bigger than I ever dreamed for myself,” Mau continued. “It changed me forever.”

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Laverne Cox and Nava Mau share emotional moment at 2024 Emmy Awards