Laverne Cox hates being a ''role model''.

The 31-year-old actress is sick of being considered someone who people think they should live their life like and instead thinks she should be seen as a ''possibility model'' so people are aware of who they can be.

She said: ''I hate the term 'role model'. I think it's presumptuous to think anyone should model their life after me, but I do like the term 'possibility model' and thinking about what's possible.''

The 'Orange is the New Black' star went on to say she feels a lot of ''pressure'' being one of the only transgender actresses on television, especially because people have such high hopes for the prison-based comedy drama in which she plays Sophia Burset.

She explained: ''There's a tremendous amount of pressure.

''I feel that pressure and it's challenging and difficult and scary and all that stuff.''

However, Laverne - who is currently shooting the fourth series of the Netflix show in New York - is still thrilled she landed the part.

On being cast as the character, she told the Summer 2015 issue of Gay Times magazine: ''I was just happy to get a job! I hadn't worked in, like, nine months as an actress and I was thinking about going to graduate school and not acting anymore. I was thinking 'I gotta make some money' because my rent was past due. I'd literally been in eviction court and stuff, so I wanted a job real bad.

''And I thought, 'Oh my God, this is what I've been waiting for and I'll get to show that I can act and maybe I'll get more work off the back of it.'''