Kitana Kiki Rodriguez

She is best known for her role as Sin-Dee Rella in Sean Baker's 2015 film Tangerine. The first Academy Award campaigns for openly transgender actresses supported by a film producer were launched for Rodriguez and Mya Taylor for Tangerine.

Rodriguez, an openly transgender woman, had been sharing an apartment with her eventual Tangerine co-star Mya Taylor at the time that she was discovered by filmmaker Sean Baker at a local Los Angeles LGBT Center. She had no acting experience prior to being cast in the role.

Though she had been nominated for a Best Actress category at the Independent Spirit Awards, Rodriguez was notably absent from the Awards Ceremony, among others. Her co-star Taylor commented on this, saying that Rodriguez both, had personal problems to tend to, and is a very private person who prefers to avoid the spotlight. Though Tangerine was her breakthrough hit, Rodriguez did not pursue acting after the film.

Film

Television