Reina Hardesty (born January 4, 1996) is an American actress and cinematographer from Orange County, California. She is best known for playing Stella Namura in the Crackle series StartUp and Joss Mardon in The Flash on The CW.
In 2025, she starred opposite Daniel Dae Kim in the Amazon Prime Video spy thriller Butterfly, marking her biggest lead role to date.
Who is Reina Hardesty?
Reina Hardesty is an American actress and cinematographer who built her career across both sides of the camera. She began working as a cinematographer on short films in 2015 before transitioning to acting.
Her television work spans drama, action, and comedy genres. Credits include StartUp, The Flash, Greenhouse Academy, Brockmire, and All Rise, across a career that spans over a decade.
Hardesty earned her first lead role in a major streaming production in 2025.
She starred as Rebecca in the Amazon Prime Video series Butterfly, playing a contract killer assigned to assassinate her own father.
The show premiered on August 13, 2025, and featured Hardesty opposite Daniel Dae Kim and Piper Perabo. Critics noted her performance as a standout element of the series.
Her background as a cinematographer also continues to influence her work. Hardesty is a member of the SAG-AFTRA labor union in the United States.
Early Life of Reina Hardesty
Reina Hardesty was born on January 4, 1996, in Orange County, California. Her father, Greg Hardesty, is a reporter and senior staff writer at UC Irvine.
Her mother, Manako Ihaya, works as a Japanese-to-English interpreter and translator in California.
Hardesty grew up in Orange County and developed an early interest in performance. She reportedly also has an elder brother, though his identity has not been publicly confirmed.
Her father chronicled a notable moment from her teenage years in the Orange County Register.
He wrote about how Hardesty sent and received over 14,500 text messages in a single month as a teenager.
Greg Hardesty wrote about the experience to encourage parents to think about their children’s digital habits. That article drew public attention to Reina before she pursued an acting career.
Reina Hardesty Age
Reina Hardesty is 30 years old as of June 9, 2026, born on January 4, 1996. Her zodiac sign is Capricorn. In 2025, she starred in her most prominent role to date as Rebecca in the Amazon Prime Video series Butterfly.
Reina Hardesty Ethnicity and Nationality
Hardesty holds American nationality, born and raised in Orange County, California. She is Japanese-American, with her mother being of Japanese descent and her father being American. Her multicultural background has informed her connection to AAPI representation in the entertainment industry.
Reina Hardesty Height and Weight
Reina Hardesty stands 5 feet 4 inches (163 cm) tall. Her weight is reportedly around 54 kg (119 lbs), though this figure has not been confirmed by Hardesty herself. She maintains a slim build, which fits the physically demanding roles she has taken on in action-oriented productions.
Reina Hardesty Education
Hardesty reportedly attended Trabuco Hills High School in Orange County, California. She later reportedly graduated from Playhouse West School and Repertoire, a well-regarded acting school in California.
Her training at Playhouse West would have given her a strong foundation in technique ahead of her professional debut.
Reina Hardesty Career
Early Work and Career Start
Hardesty began her career behind the camera in 2015, working as a cinematographer on several short films including A Dish Best Served. That same year, she made her television acting debut in the series Yes, Doctor…?, playing a supporting role as Grace.
Her next television appearances came in 2016. Hardesty appeared in Bluffside Drive as Monica Crew and in Astrid Clover as Gypsy that same year.
She booked the role of Young Maxine in the 2017 TV movie LAid.
Her 2017 breakthrough came when she landed roles in two streaming productions simultaneously. She joined the Netflix series Greenhouse Academy as Aspen Fairchild and the Crackle series StartUp as Stella Namura.
Both roles ran through 2018 and established her within the streaming television landscape.
Notable Roles
Hardesty joined the cast of The CW superhero series The Flash as Joss Mardon, also known as Weather Witch, in 2018. Her arc on the show ran through 2019.
In the same period, she also appeared in the series Timeless (2018) and began a recurring role in Brockmire.
Her role as Beth in Brockmire ran through 2020.
Hardesty also appeared in the series DC’s Legends of Tomorrow in 2020 and in All Rise the same year as Molly Park.
In 2022, she appeared in the Amy Redford film What Comes Around, where one reviewer described her performance as “dynamic” and noted it outshone the lead.
Her 2024 film credit includes the Netflix dark comedy It’s What’s Inside, which screened at the Sundance Film Festival before its streaming release.
Recent Work
In 2025, Hardesty starred as Rebecca in the Amazon Prime Video series Butterfly, a six-episode spy thriller based on the Boom! Studios graphic novel series by Arash Amel.
The show premiered on August 13, 2025, and was co-created by Ken Woodruff and Steph Cha. Hardesty’s character is a contract killer sent to assassinate her estranged father, played by Daniel Dae Kim.
Critics praised the central father-daughter dynamic and highlighted her performance throughout the series.
Piper Perabo also starred in the production, which filmed in South Korea and the United States.
The cast and setting reflected the show’s intentional focus on Asian American themes, a direction executive producer Daniel Dae Kim pursued when adapting the source material.
Reina Hardesty Filmography
Hardesty’s acting credits span television and film across more than a decade. Her television roles include Yes, Doctor…? (2015), Bluffside Drive (2016), Astrid Clover (2016), Greenhouse Academy (2017–2018), StartUp (2017–2018), Timeless (2018), The Flash (2018–2019), DC’s Legends of Tomorrow (2020), All Rise (2020), Brockmire (2020), and Butterfly (2025).
Her film credits include the short film A Dish Best Served (2015), What Comes Around (2022), The Secret Art of Human Flight (2023), and It’s What’s Inside (2024).
Butterfly stands as her most prominent lead credit, placing her at the center of a major streaming production for the first time.
Reina Hardesty Awards and Recognition
Hardesty has not yet received major industry award nominations, though her work on Butterfly in 2025 drew notable critical attention. IMDb’s biography notes that she has not yet received major industry awards, despite recognition for her performances.
Critics specifically called out her role in What Comes Around (2022) as a dynamic standout.
Her Butterfly performance earned praise from multiple outlets following the August 2025 premiere. One reviewer described her as bringing “emotional firepower” to a role that could have easily felt one-dimensional. Her profile within the industry continues to grow following those notices.
Reina Hardesty Net Worth
Reina Hardesty’s estimated net worth is $1 million as of 2026. Her income comes primarily from her acting work across television and film, including her recurring roles in StartUp, The Flash, Brockmire, and her lead role in Butterfly on Amazon Prime Video.
Early in her career, Hardesty also worked as a cinematographer on short films, adding a second professional income stream in her initial years.
Her role in Butterfly marked a step up to lead status in a major streaming production, which is likely to influence future opportunities and earning potential.
Reina Hardesty Social Media
Hardesty is active on Instagram under the handle @reinahardesty, where she shares updates from film sets, personal photography, and career milestones. She is also present on X (formerly Twitter) under the username @reinahardesty, which she joined in June 2013.
Her Instagram posts reflect her interest in both acting and behind-the-camera work.
She regularly connects with fans and shares content related to her projects and creative life.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Reina Hardesty’s net worth?
Reina Hardesty’s estimated net worth is $1 million as of 2026, earned through her acting career across multiple television series and films.
How old is Reina Hardesty?
Reina Hardesty is 30 years old as of June 9, 2026, born on January 4, 1996, in Orange County, California.
Who is Reina Hardesty dating?
Reina Hardesty has not publicly confirmed a relationship. She keeps her personal life private, and her current relationship status has not been publicly disclosed.
What is Reina Hardesty’s height?
Reina Hardesty stands 5 feet 4 inches (163 cm) tall.
What movies and projects has Reina Hardesty been in?
Hardesty is best known for StartUp (2017–2018), The Flash (2018–2019), Brockmire (2020), and the Amazon Prime Video series Butterfly (2025), where she played the lead role of Rebecca opposite Daniel Dae Kim.
Where was Reina Hardesty born?
Reina Hardesty was born in Orange County, California, on January 4, 1996.
The Bottom Line
Hardesty’s lead role in the Amazon Prime Video series Butterfly, which premiered on August 13, 2025, marked a major step in her career. Critics praised her performance as Rebecca, a contract killer navigating a complex relationship with her estranged father.
Born in Orange County, California, to a Japanese interpreter mother and an American reporter father, Hardesty brought both craft and cultural authenticity to her work in Butterfly.
Her background as a cinematographer also gives her a perspective on storytelling that extends beyond performance.
Her film It’s What’s Inside screened at the Sundance Film Festival in 2024 before its Netflix release, adding another significant credit to her growing portfolio.
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