Cassandra Cass is the kind of woman who seems to have stepped out of a dream and decided to make that dream real. An
actress, showgirl, burlesque performer, glamour model and television personality, she has spent decades creating
herself as both a woman and an artist, with a career that has taken her from the drag bars of the American Midwest
to the stages of San Francisco and, eventually, to Hollywood. Audiences came to know her through productions
including CSI: Crime Scene Investigation (2004), Trantasia (2006), Wild Things (2010), What's the T? (2012), Strut
(2016) and Hooked on the Look (2017). But behind the larger-than-life blonde bombshell is a story that began with a
little girl in Iowa who simply knew there was another version of herself waiting to emerge.
Cassandra was born and raised in Des Moines, Iowa, in a family with four boys. From childhood, she gravitated toward
traditionally feminine toys and activities, including My Little Pony and Cabbage Patch dolls. Her mother encouraged
her to explore those interests, while her father initially struggled to understand and accept her femininity. Her
mother would eventually become an important figure in Cassandra's life, and her death from cancer would leave
another lasting mark on her story. As a teenager, Cassandra discovered the world of drag and began sneaking into gay
bars to perform. Drag gave her something precious, a place where femininity was not something to hide but something
she could explore, celebrate and transform into art. At approximately 18, she left Iowa for Florida and began
attempting to live as a woman. The reality was far less glamorous than the dream. She struggled to find employment
while presenting as a woman and was even confronted with offers of sex work, which she refused.
