Ilfenesh Hadera

Ilfenesh Hadera (born December 1, 1985) is an American actress.

Ilfenesh Hadera
Hadera on Billions in 2017
Born (1985-12-01) December 1, 1985
Harlem, New York City, New York, U.S.
OccupationActress
Years active2010–present

Early life

Hadera was born on December 1, 1985 in Harlem to Kim Nichols and Asfaha Hadera.[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

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]

Filmography

Film
Year Title Role Notes
2010 1/20 Hazel
2011 Da Brick Saalinge TV movie
2013 Oldboy Judy
2015 Chi-Raq Ms. McCloud
2017 Baywatch Stephanie Holden

Television
Year Title Role Notes
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"
Blue Bloods Det. Angela Reddick Episode: "USA Today" & "Guilt"
2023 The Equalizer Michelle Chambers Episode: "Eye for an Eye"

References
  1. "Ilfenesh Hadera: Spike Lee Alum And DJ School Dropout". NPR.org. Retrieved 2020-02-14.
  2. Falcone, Dana (September 2017). "An Actress Advocating for Refugees". Time.
  3. "Asfaha Hadera". African Services Committee. November 11, 2019. Archived from the original on November 13, 2020. Retrieved November 11, 2019.
  4. O'Donnell, Dora (January 4, 2018). "Meet 'Baywatch' Actress and Activist Ilfenesh Hadera". Red Bull.
  5. "From Harlem To 'Baywatch' With Ilfenesh Hadera". Harlem World Magazine. 2017-05-27. Retrieved 2020-02-14.
  6. ""Deception" Star Ilfenesh Hadera's Career is Honestly a Dream Come True |". SBU News. 2018-03-26. Retrieved 2020-02-14.
  7. Wills, Cortney (October 4, 2019). "Ilfenesh Hadera on Godfather of Harlem role". The Grio.
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