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Actor

1985-12-01 · Harlem, New York City, New York, U.S. · Female

10 series in the catalog

Ilfenesh Hadera is an American actress. Hadera has been a frequent collaborator of director Spike Lee, appearing in Oldboy (2013), Chi-Raq (2015), She's Gotta Have It (2018-2019) and Highest 2 Lowest (2025).

Early life

Hadera was raised in Harlem, New York. She identifies as half Ethiopian and half white. Her father, Asfaha Hadera, an Ethiopian refugee of Tigrayan descent, is the founder of the African Services Committee (ASC), a Harlem-based organization that works with African refugees. Her mother, Kim Nichols, has served as co-director of ASC since 1984. She volunteered with the organization prior to beginning her acting career.

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.

Career

In 2010, Hadera made her acting debut in the film 1/20.

A frequent collaborator with Spike Lee, she has appeared in Oldboy, Chi-Raq, She's Gotta Have It and Highest 2 Lowest. She's also appeared in The Bricklayer, The Blacklist, Show Me a Hero, Chicago Fire, and The Punisher.

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. In 2025, she played Pam King in Highest 2 Lowest.