Ilfenesh Hadera | |
Birth Date: | 1 December 1985 |
Birth Place: | Harlem, New York City, New York, U.S. |
Occupation: | Actress |
Years Active: | 2010–present |
Ilfenesh Hadera (born December 1, 1985) is an American actress.
Hadera was born on December 1, 1985, in Harlem.[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.[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]
In 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]
Year | Title | Role | Notes | |
---|---|---|---|---|
2010 | 1/20 | Hazel | ||
2013 | Oldboy | Judy | ||
2015 | Chi-Raq | Ms. McCloud | ||
2017 | Baywatch | |||
2024 | The Bricklayer | Tye | ||
Werewolves | Lucy Marshall | Post-production[8] | ||
TBA | High and Low | Post-production |
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" |