Ilfenesh Hadera (born December 1, 1985) is an American actress.
Ilfenesh Hadera | |
|---|---|
 Hadera on Billions in 2017 | |
| Born | December 1, 1985 |
| Occupation | Actress |
| Years active | 2010–present |
Early life
editHadera was born on December 1, 1985, in Harlem, New York.[1] She identifies as half Ethiopian and half white.[2] Her father is a Tigrayan refugee and founder of the African Services Committee, a Harlem-based organization that works with African refugees.[3] She volunteered with the organization prior to beginning her acting career.[3][4]
Hadera attended The Harlem School of the Arts, followed by the Fiorello H. LaGuardia High School. She went on to receive an MFA in text and performance studies from RADA/King's College London.[5]
Career
editIn 2010, Hadera made her acting debut in the film 1/20.[6]
A frequent collaborator with Spike Lee, she has appeared in Da Brick, The Blacklist, Oldboy, Show Me a Hero, Chi-Raq, Chicago Fire, The Punisher, and She's Gotta Have It.
Hadera co-starred as Stephanie Holden in the 2017 film Baywatch, and in 2018 starred as Kay Daniels in the TV series Deception. She had a recurring role in the Showtime series Billions, as a secretary to billionaire fund manager Bobby Axelrod, played by Damian Lewis.
On September 29, 2019, Hadera began starring as Mayme Johnson, the wife of Bumpy Johnson in the premiere of the American crime drama television series, Godfather of Harlem on Epix.[7]
Filmography
editFilm
edit| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | 1/20 | Hazel | |
| 2013 | Oldboy | Judy | |
| 2015 | Chi-Raq | Ms. McCloud | |
| 2017 | Baywatch | Stephanie Holden | |
| 2024 | The Bricklayer | Tye | |
| Werewolves | Lucy Marshall | Post-production[8] | |
| TBA | High and Low | TBA | Post-production |
Television
edit| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2011 | Da Brick | Saalinge | TV movie |
| 2013 | The Blacklist | Jennifer Palmer | Episode: "Pilot" |
| 2015 | Show Me a Hero | Carmen Febles | Main cast |
| Chicago Fire | Serena Holmes | Recurring cast: season 4 | |
| 2016 | Difficult People | Abby | Episode: "Patches" |
| Conviction | Naomi Golden | Recurring cast | |
| 2016–17 | Billions | Deb Kawi | Recurring cast: season 1-2 |
| 2017 | Master of None | Lisa | Recurring cast: season 2 |
| The Punisher | Mistress | Episode: "Crosshairs" | |
| 2017–19 | She's Gotta Have It | Opal Gilstrap | Recurring cast |
| 2018 | Deception | Kay Daniels | Main cast |
| 2019–present | Godfather of Harlem | Mayme Johnson | Main cast |
| 2021 | Run the World | Herself | Episode: "What a Co-inky-dick" |
| 2021–22 | Blue Bloods | Det. Angela Reddick | Episode: "USA Today" & "Guilt" |
| 2023 | East New York | A.D.A. Vonny Diskant | Episode: "In the Bag" |
| 2023–24 | The Equalizer | Michelle Chambers | Episodes: "Eye for an Eye", "Truth for a Truth" |
References
edit- ^ "Ilfenesh Hadera: Spike Lee Alum And DJ School Dropout". NPR.org. Retrieved 2020-02-14.
- ^ Falcone, Dana (September 2017). "An Actress Advocating for Refugees". Time.
- ^ a b "Asfaha Hadera". African Services Committee. November 11, 2019. Archived from the original on November 13, 2020. Retrieved November 11, 2019.
- ^ O'Donnell, Dora (January 4, 2018). "Meet 'Baywatch' Actress and Activist Ilfenesh Hadera". Red Bull.
- ^ "From Harlem To 'Baywatch' With Ilfenesh Hadera". Harlem World Magazine. 2017-05-27. Retrieved 2020-02-14.
- ^ ""Deception" Star Ilfenesh Hadera's Career is Honestly a Dream Come True |". SBU News. 2018-03-26. Retrieved 2020-02-14.
- ^ Wills, Cortney (October 4, 2019). "Ilfenesh Hadera on Godfather of Harlem role". The Grio.
- ^ Wiseman, Andreas (2024-06-11). "Frank Grillo Horror-Thriller 'Werewolves' Set For December U.S. Release Via Briarcliff & The Solution". Deadline. Retrieved 2024-07-05.