Holly Woodlawn

You wouldn’t believe Holly Woodlawn’s real name. She was born as Haraldo Santiago Franceschi Rodriguez on October 26, 1946. She hailed from Juana Diaz Puerto Rico although she grew up in Miami Beach. Her name Holly was a tribute to the heroine of Breakfast at Tiffany’s while her last name was inspired by an episode of I Love Lucy. She became famous after appearing in Scarecrow in a Garden of Cucumbers, Women in Revolt, and Alibi.

At the age of 16, she moved out and made her way to New York City. She recounts this adventure in her very own memoir, A Low Life in High Heels. She didn’t have any credit cards and she was surviving the streets while other kids were still in school. She founded Holly Woodlawn Memorial Fund for the Transgender Youth at the Los Angeles LGBT Center.In 2015, Woodlawn was found to have cancer. She died of brain and liver cancer 6 month later in LA.