Hari Nef

Hari Nef, born October 21, 1992, is an American actress, model, and writer. Born in Philadelphia into a Jewish family, she is the daughter of advertising executive David Neff and Robin Clebnik. Following her parents' divorce when she was two years old, she was raised by her mother in Newton, Massachusetts. Nef attended Newton South High School, where she participated in the South Stage program, and later earned a degree in theater from Columbia University in May 2015. She began transitioning during her time at Columbia.

Nef began her modeling career with a runway debut at New York Fashion Week Spring 2015, walking for Hood By Air and Eckhaus Latta. In May 2015, she became the first openly transgender woman signed to IMG Models. She achieved another milestone by appearing on a special collectors' cover for the September 2016 issue of British Elle, becoming the first openly transgender woman on the cover of a major commercial British magazine. Her modeling portfolio also includes walking in nine shows during the Spring/Summer 2023 New York Fashion Week and starring in a 2017 L'Oréal Paris True Match television commercial.

Her acting breakthrough came in 2015 when she was cast as Tante Gittel in the Amazon series Transparent. Series creator Joey Soloway wrote the role specifically for Nef after the two connected on social media. Her performance earned her a nomination for the 2016 Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Comedy Series.

Following her breakthrough, Nef expanded her television, film, and theatrical career. In 2018, she starred in the comedy thriller Assassination Nation, secured a recurring role as Blythe on the psychological thriller series You, and made her New York theater debut in Jeremy O. Harris' play Daddy. In 2022, she appeared in the comedy film 1Up and starred in the play Des Moines. In 2023, she performed in an adaptation of Anton Chekhov’s The Seagull, featured in the HBO drama series The Idol, and appeared in Greta Gerwig's film Barbie. She was also cast to portray Candy Darling in a biographical film.

In addition to acting and modeling, Nef is a published writer. She wrote a regular sex advice and experience column for Adult magazine and has contributed pieces on fine art, film, gender, and transgender identity to publications such as The New York Times, Artforum, Dazed, Vice, L'Officiel, and BlackBook.

Nef resides and works in New York City and is an advocate for transgender women and girls. She has also spoken out in support of Palestine and against Israel. In April 2026, she was arrested alongside Chelsea Manning and nearly 100 others during an anti-war protest organized by Jewish Voice for Peace in New York City.