Ciara Renée

Ciara Renée Harper (born October 19, 1990) is an American actress and singer. She is best known for her roles on Broadway as The Witch in Big Fish, the Leading Player in Pippin, Jenna in Waitress, and Elsa in Frozen. She played Esmeralda in The Hunchback of Notre Dame at Paper Mill Playhouse and La Jolla Playhouse. In 2015, she guest starred as Kendra Saunders / Hawkgirl in episodes of CW series Arrow and The Flash, before reprising the role in the main cast for the first season of the associated series DC's Legends of Tomorrow, from its premiere in 2016. Her vocal type is mezzo-soprano.

Early life Renée was born and raised in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. She attended Central Dauphin East High School and graduated with a degree in Music Theatre from Baldwin Wallace University in 2013. Renée made her Broadway debut at the Neil Simon Theatre as The Witch in Big Fish after working in a pre-Broadway workshop of Bull Durham. Based on the Victor Hugo novel and animated Disney film of the same name, Renée took on the role of Esmeralda in a musical adaptation of The Hunchback of Notre Dame at the Paper Mill Playhouse in association with the La Jolla Playhouse from March 15 to April 5 of 2015, a performance the Daily News described as "earthy and lovely". In March 2015, it was announced that Renée had been cast as Kendra Saunders / Hawkgirl in The CW's spin-off series DC's Legends of Tomorrow, an expansion of the network's existing universe of DC Comics adaptations. The production ran from October 20 to December 18. On November 22, Lilli Cooper replaced her in the role.

In the summer of 2017, she played Mary Magdalene in the Andrew Lloyd Webber musical Jesus Christ Superstar at The Muny in St. Louis, Missouri.

It was announced on January 15, 2020 that Renée would be returning to Broadway to play Elsa in Frozen beginning February 18. However, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, all Broadway theatres were closed in March 2020. Disney later announced that Frozen would not reopen after the lockdown.

Renée replaced country singer Jennifer Nettles as Jenna in the Broadway musical Waitress on November 25, 2021 and performed opposite Joshua Henry as Dr. Pomatter.

On August 25, 2025, it was revealed that Renée had filed a lawsuit against the producers of the musical Wanted after she was informed that she was to be re-cast prior to the show transferring to Broadway. Renée had played the co-lead role of Mary Clarke during a run at the Paper Mill Playhouse in New Jersey when the show was titled Gun and Powder, with the suit alleging that Renée's contract for that initial run guaranteed her "the right to continue [in the role] in a production of the Play mounted by the producers] in New York or London upon completion of good faith negotiations".

Filmography + Television Year Title Role Notes 2014 Law & Order: Special Victims Unit Señora Perez Episode: "Girls Disappeared" 2015 The Flash Kendra Saunders / Hawkgirl 4 episodes 2015 Arrow Kendra Saunders / Hawkgirl Episode: "Legends of Yesterday" 2016 Legends of Tomorrow Kendra Saunders / Hawkgirl Main cast (season 1) 2017 Master of None Ellen Episode: "Le Nozze" 2018 The Big Bang Theory Sunny Morrow Episode: "The Conjugal Configuration" 2023 Your Honor Janelle Recurring role (season 2) 2026 Elsbeth TruRose Episode: "High Class Problems"

Film + Year Title Role Notes 2020 A Shot Through the Wall Candace Walker 2023 Paint Ambrosia Iong

Theatre credits