• Celebrity
    • Daniel Kaluuya Digital Cover
    • Digital Cover Method Man
    • Digital Cover Zazie
    • Celebrity News
    • ‘Yes, Girl!’ Podcast
    • Entertainment
    • Black Celeb Couples
    • Celebrity Moms
    • Red Carpet
    • If Not For My Girls
  • Fashion
    • ESSENCE Fashion House 2022
    • Fashion News
    • Street Style
    • Accessories
    • Fashion Week
  • Beauty
    • Black Beauty Awards 2022
    • ESSENCE Hair Awards 2022
    • AVEENO Skin Health Startup Accelerator
    • Beauty News
    • Skin
    • Makeup
    • Nails
    • Girls United: Beautiful Possibilities
  • Hair
    • Hair News
    • Natural
    • Relaxed
    • Transitioning
    • Weave
    • 4C
  • Love
    • Love & Sex News
    • The Solve Podcast
    • Weddings
    • Parenting
    • Relationships
  • Lifestyle
    • ESSENCE Gift Guide 2022
    • ESSENCE + smartwater Live Well Challenge
    • Build Your Legacy 2022
    • Dream & Plan with Confidence Prudential
    • AMEX Platinum Travel
    • Homecoming Season 2022
    • Lifestyle News
    • Health & Wellness
    • Black History Month
    • ESSENCE Eats
    • Money & Career
    • Entrepreneurship
    • Travel
    • Food & Drink
    • Black Travel Guide
  • News
    • Paint The Polls Black
    • Sponsors Recognition Page 2022
    • Latest News
    • Raise Your Voice
    • Culture
    • Politics
  • Video
  • Festival
    • 2023 ESSENCE Festival Of Culture
    • 2023 ESSENCE Film Festival
    • 2022 Fest Videos
  • Events
    • 2023 ESSENCE Film Festival
    • 2022 Girls United Summit
    • 2022 ESSENCE Fashion House
    • 2022 Black Women In Hollywood
    • 2022 HOLLYWOOD HOUSE
    • 2022 Homecoming Season
    • Wellness House
    • She Got Now
    • Dear Black Men
    • I Am Speaking
    • Power Tools
  • Studios
  • Girls United
Skip to content
SUBSCRIBE
  • MAGAZINE
  • NEWSLETTER
  • Celebrity
    • Daniel Kaluuya Digital Cover
    • Digital Cover Method Man
    • Digital Cover Zazie
    • Celebrity News
    • ‘Yes, Girl!’ Podcast
    • Entertainment
      • Paint The Polls Black
    • Black Celeb Couples
    • Celebrity Moms
    • Red Carpet
    • If Not For My Girls
  • Fashion
    • ESSENCE Fashion House 2022
    • Fashion News
    • Street Style
    • Accessories
    • Fashion Week
  • Beauty
    • Black Beauty Awards 2022
    • ESSENCE Hair Awards 2022
    • AVEENO Skin Health Startup Accelerator
    • Beauty News
    • Skin
    • Makeup
    • Nails
    • Girls United: Beautiful Possibilities
  • Hair
    • Hair News
    • Natural
    • Relaxed
    • Transitioning
    • Weave
    • 4C
  • Love
    • Love & Sex News
    • The Solve Podcast
    • Weddings
    • Parenting
    • Relationships
  • Lifestyle
    • ESSENCE Gift Guide 2022
    • ESSENCE + smartwater Live Well Challenge
    • Build Your Legacy 2022
    • Dream & Plan with Confidence Prudential
    • AMEX Platinum Travel
    • Homecoming Season 2022
    • Lifestyle News
    • Health & Wellness
    • Black History Month
    • ESSENCE Eats
    • Money & Career
    • Entrepreneurship
    • Travel
    • Food & Drink
    • Black Travel Guide
  • News
    • Paint The Polls Black
    • Sponsors Recognition Page 2022
    • Latest News
    • Raise Your Voice
    • Culture
    • Politics
  • Video
  • Festival
    • 2023 ESSENCE Festival Of Culture
    • 2023 ESSENCE Film Festival
    • 2022 Fest Videos
  • Events
    • 2023 ESSENCE Film Festival
    • 2022 Girls United Summit
    • 2022 ESSENCE Fashion House
    • 2022 Black Women In Hollywood
    • 2022 HOLLYWOOD HOUSE
    • 2022 Homecoming Season
    • Wellness House
    • She Got Now
    • Dear Black Men
    • I Am Speaking
    • Power Tools
  • Studios
  • Girls United
Home · Entertainment

7 Things To Know About 'She's Gotta Have It' Star Ilfenesh Hadera  

7 Things To Know About ‘She’s Gotta Have It’ Star Ilfenesh Hadera
Steven Ferdman/Getty Images
By Danielle Kwateng-Clark · Updated October 24, 2020

Ilfenesh Hadera was a brilliant choice to play Opal Gilstrap in Spike Lee’s reboot of She’s Gotta Have It.

As Nola Darling’s love interest, she is sensual and blatantly honest. The horticulturist with an outspoken daughter enjoys the company of Nola, but when it comes to committing, the two are incompatible. She’s quick to call out Nola when necessary and social media loves her. And much like Opal, Hadera is candid cosmopolitan. 

Born and raised in New York City, Hadera has played many different types of women. Case in point: This year alone she’s played a life guard, makeup artist, mistress and FBI agent.

Beyond her roles, the talent is really interesting —learn more about her below.



In 2017 alone, she’s been in four major projects:
The actress has had a busy year having starred in Master of None, She’s Gotta Have It, Billions and Baywatch alongside Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson. Her next role is in ABC’s Deception.

She’s a proud New Yorker:
Born and raised in Harlem, Hadera is incredibly proud of her uptown New York City roots. She was raised in an American-Ethiopian home with a younger brother. While she was auditioning for acting roles, she was a hostess for ten years.

Her name has a beautiful meaning:
Ilfenesh means “you are infinite” in her Ethiopian father’s language of Tigrinya, which she speaks. She also spent time in the country.

She attended formal acting school in London:
Hadera has been acting for years, first going to Stony Brook University for undergrad theater, and later graduate school in London for a joint program between the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art and King’s College where she got her MFA.

Best date. Best Valentine. Best guy. Love you my Albie baby ♥

A post shared by Ilfenesh Hadera (@ilfenator) on Feb 14, 2017 at 8:41pm PST

She’s been married before —and has the tattoos to prove it:
In an interview with ESSENCE, the actress revealed that she met her ex-husband while abroad in the UK and got matching tattoos. She’s since moved on and is engaged to Alex Soroken, who asked to marry her on her 30th birthday last year.

She’s tall:
The beauty is 5’11” but despite her Amazonian height, she’s never pursued modeling as a full time career. Acting has her heart. “There were some weeks where I wasn’t doing anything,” she told ESSENCE. “And then some weeks where it was everything. But back in the day when I was hostessing, I prayed for this. So it’s all good. Can’t complain.”

Double your Impact TODAY on #GivingTuesday This #GivingTuesday, Nov. 28, African Services' Board of Directors will match all gifts up to $10,000. In Ethiopia and New York City, @africanservices skilled and dedicated staff help more than 30,000 of the most vulnerable people from around the globe each year overcome legal, health, and social challenges to get on their feet. MY FRIENDS THERE IS NO SUCH THING AS DOING TOO MUCH WHEN IT COMES TO WORTHY CAUSES!! Save the elephants, donate to Planned Parenthood, help people to access clean drinking water let’s do it all! LINK IN BIO ♥️♥️♥️

A post shared by Ilfenesh Hadera (@ilfenator) on Nov 28, 2017 at 7:14am PST

She has a huge heart:
As reported by E! News, Hadera helped promote and raise awareness around the African Services Committee that helps provide services to enhance immigrants’ prospects of thriving in this country through literacy programs, HIV testing and counseling, a food pantry, housing and more.

COMPANY INFORMATION
  • Our Company
  • Customer Service
  • Essence Ventures
  • Change Your Address
  • Contact Us
  • Job Opportunities
  • Internships
  • Media Kit
  • tag
SUBSCRIBE
  • Newsletters
  • Give a Gift of ESSENCE
  • Magazine Tablet Edition
FOLLOW US
MORE ON ESSENCE
  • Home
  • Love
  • Celebrity
  • Beauty
  • Hair
  • Fashion
  • ESSENCE festival

ESSENCE.com is part of ESSENCE Communications, Inc.

Essence may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. Offers may be subject to change without notice.

©2023 ESSENCE Communications Inc. All Rights Reserved. | Privacy Policy | Terms of Use | Essence.com Advertising Terms

Get The ESSENCE Newsletter and
Special Offers delivered to your inbox

By clicking Sign Up, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.

Get The ESSENCE Magazine
by subscribing below
subscribe now