Laverne Cox is freaking out about a new opportunity. No, it’s not about her Emmy-nominated role on Orange Is the New Black. And, no, it’s not her exemplary work as a trans activist. Or her growing Instagram fandom, which now counts over 2.6 million extremely engaged followers.
No, it’s bigger than that. It’s about Beyoncé.
“It’s like I’m dreaming,” Cox tells PeopleStyle when she tells us the news that’s giving her butterflies: The well-known Beyoncé superfan—who showed off an itty-bitty black bikini to celebrate the singer’s birthday this week—just scored a gig modeling in the fall campaign for her hero’s athleisure line, Ivy Park. She shot the campaign over the summer (during a one-day trip to L.A. in the middle of shooting OITNB) and it drops today—and her head’s already in the clouds.
“To be honest, it doesn’t feel real,” Cox tells PeopleStyle. “It feels like some weird fantasy that I’ve had since Destiny’s Child. It feels amazing that I get to be a part of this brand that has already inspired me and be working with a woman who has especially been a huge inspiration to me and so many folks around the world.”
The new Ivy Park campaign is all about celebrating “the beauty and strength found in our uniqueness,” a statement provided by the brand reveals, and Cox is honored that the singer thought of her to be the face of it. “It’s about tapping into your inner hero,” Cox tells us, noting that’s something she’s learned from the star.
“Beyoncé is someone who has pushed herself beyond what even she thought she could do,” Cox continues. “It’s a sense of becoming a superwoman, and really pushing yourself beyond all measure.”
And while for Cox it seems like she’s known Beyoncé all her life—and definitely has a full arsenal of interesting Beyoncé trivia and knowledge, plus a memory full of her concert and music video choreography—the actress only met Beyoncé for the first time at the Grammys in February (pictured).
So, did Cox get the chance to meet her hero once again at the campaign photo shoot? “No, she was just about to have the twins,” Cox explains. “But her team is incredible and there is so much love and respect for her vision and what she wants.” And there’s an upside, Cox says: “Obviously she approves everything. It’s just wild to have Beyoncé looking at the proofs from your photo shoot!”
As for the twins, Cox knows a thing or two about ‘em, as she is one herself (her brother is named M. Lamar). “I was hoping she would have them on my birthday cause I’m a twin, but she had them a few weeks later,” explains the actress.
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Her advice for parenting two at a time: “It was really important for my brother and me to have our own identities and not be brought up as a unit,” says Cox. “That was annoying. So I’d say treat them as individuals, not just one person.”
“I’m just so happy for the kids,” she adds. “Could you imagine having Beyoncé as your mother?”
This article originally appeared on People. For more stories like this, visit people.com.