With Denzel Washington’s Co-Sign, Ilfenesh Hadera Became Highest 2 Lowest’s Secret Weapon

Spike Lee trusts her. Denzel Washington knows what she can do. Now is time for the rest of Hollywood to wake up to the powerhouse that is Ilfenesh Hadera. “Put me in, coach,” The Harlem-born actor said to Refinery29 in a recent Zoom interview. In Spike Lee’s latest joint, Highest 2 Lowest, Hadera stars opposite Washington as Pam King. 

The neo-noir thriller, which is an adaptation of Japanese filmmaker Akira Kurosawa’s High and Low, follows David King (Washington), a successful music executive who gets extorted by an up-and-coming rapper (A$AP Rocky). David faces the ultimate moral dilemma as he’s forced to make a decision that could either cost him his family and legacy or his empire. 

Though the choice is ultimately David’s, his wife Pam becomes a critical sounding board. She’s the film’s “North Star,” Hadera said. Her voice also offers the thesis for the underlying message in the film: when did the art we make become less important than fame and riches that come with it?

Like Washington, Hadera has become a regular in Lee’s work. She first appeared in Da Brick, Oldboy and Chi-Raq and then landed a more significant role in the Netflix adaptation of She’s Gotta Have It. She said his sets foster a freedom to be creative and fly or fail without fear.

“On a Spike joint, he keeps the same loyal, capable people around project after project. So despite the newness of it all on a movie set, everybody feels really relaxed and kind of at home,” she said. “You don't always get that and you have to feel free as an artist to play and maybe not get it right.” 

And though the role of Pam King is a dream the Harlem-born actor manifested, she’s nowhere new to this. With an acting career that spans 15 years, she’s worked her way up the call sheet through dozens of projects, including Billions, Master of None and Chicago Fire. She’s currently starring in Godfather of Harlem, which is heading into its fifth and final season, opposite Forest Whitaker. 

Here, Hadera speaks to Refinery29 about becoming a go-to actor for Lee, starring opposite Washington and balancing her love of art with the business of Hollywood.

Ilfenesh Hadera: I saw that Spike had this collaboration coming up with Denzel on this Kurosawa film. And I was like this is incredible first for Spike as a friend and supporter of his, I know how much he loves Kurosawa's work. I saw that announcement and I was so stoked for him. And then, of course, I'm like is there a role for me in this? Spike actually asked what my upcoming schedule looked like so I was like, this might be a good sign. 

As I'm watching the original film, I'm thinking there aren’t many female roles in this movie. I reached out to my agent, and asked if he read the script. And he very, like, bluntly, said, “There's no role for you in this.” But I still held out hope, because Spike had asked about my availability. And then the calls from Kim Coleman, Spike's longtime casting director, started coming in, and the rest is history. It was such an emotional roller coaster.

IH: Truly. I mean, I don't like to ask for much. Spike has become such a dear friend of mine, and he's kept me in work for so many years. He knows my artistic abilities. So, if he doesn't think of me for a part, I don't want to come to him who's given me so much already with hands out. I'd much rather him come to me and say, “Hey, I've got this idea.” Maybe it's a smaller role, maybe it's the role of Pam King, which is a more significant role. But, you know, I always like to let him initiate conversations about casting. 

IH: At this point, I'm like, wow, Spike trusts me. He's not gonna put my name in the mix if he's not sure that I can bring it. We've worked together for many years and are close, but he said to me going into the chemistry read with Denzel, “This is going to be Denzel's choice. He brought me this project, he's a producer on it, he's the star of the show, so this decision will really be his in the end.” So it feels nice to know that I got the Denzel Washington co-sign and it wasn't all Spike’s pull.

IH: It feels great and validating, but also, at this point in my career, I'm like give me a chance, man. Put me in, coach. I know what I can do. You just hope that the people around you trust you and will let you do what you know you can. It's not every day that people have faith in your abilities and let you show them and rise to the occasion.

IH: I think she gives him the freedom to figure it out. People have been calling her the moral compass. I think she guides him gently towards what they both know is the right thing to do. She's not naive, despite knowing what the choice to make is to the implications of giving up basically all they own. What does this mean for their life, for their lifestyle, for what they've worked so hard to build? But I think she lets him come to the right conclusion on his own while guiding him with a gentle hand.

IH: If you're lucky, you get both. And that is such a very small percentage of artists who get the pleasure of doing work that they're passionate about and being able to live a nice lifestyle. You hope people don't go into this with the goal of achieving fame or becoming a multimillionaire. Those should not be the reasons you follow the path of an artist but you shouldn't be demonized for wanting to be recognized by people who consume and love your art and wanting to live a nice lifestyle. 

When I think about projects that are presented to me or jobs that I choose to do, I'm at a place where I do have some financial freedom. I'm really grateful for not being dictated by the dollar amount attached to the project. I have taken jobs in the past that don't strike a creative nerve but, financially, have been necessary for me at the time, and that's not where you want to be. If you can create a foundation so you can stop doing work because of the paycheck, you're in a really great spot. But I'm not turning my nose up at anyone who chooses jobs for safety. We've all got to live. And it's harder and harder right now in this industry. So it becomes more and more challenging to say no to a gig.

IH: I know people are starting to get hip to Godfather of Harlem. When Epix greenlit us, it was a pretty little known network. Now Epix is MGM, MGM plus. But I think, at the time, if that show had been on another streamer with more subscribers, it would have exploded. But it has to be this perfect storm, right? I think we’re starting to get more love, but I wish it had been that way from the beginning. But then you look at a show like The Wire, when that was on in real time, some people were watching it. But now we consider [The Wire] one of the best television shows of all time. So maybe we just need to take a little time step away from it and revisit in a few years, when people have finally caught up to us.

IH: Yeah, there is. I think it makes people appreciate you more in the long run, when it's not just like a flash in the pan and kind of trendy.