Hailie Sahar

Hailie Sahar was born on July 12, 1988, in Los Angeles, California. Her background includes African, Latin American, Indian, German, and Jewish heritage. She grew up in a religious household with five brothers and began her performance career as a dancer for the WNBA team, the L.A. Sparks. Sahar was active in the Los Angeles Ballroom scene, becoming a “mother” of the House of Rodeo at 18, one of the youngest to achieve this leadership role, before moving to the House of Allure. Her early experiences shaped her commitment to advocacy within the LGBTQ+ community.

Sahar’s professional acting career commenced with her on-screen debut in the 2011 film “Leave It on the Floor.” She gained recognition for her roles in television, appearing as Adriana in Amazon Studios’ “Transparent” (2016) and as Lady of the Night in USA Network’s “Mr. Robot” (2017). A significant career milestone came with her casting as Lulu, Mother of the House of Ferocity, in Ryan Murphy’s FX series “Pose” (2018-2021). This role was part of a groundbreaking ensemble of five transgender lead actors, which earned global acclaim and multiple Emmy Awards. During this period, Sahar achieved another notable milestone by simultaneously appearing on two television shows, “Pose” and Freeform’s “Good Trouble” (2019-2024), where she played Jazmin. She also secured a national commercial contract with Descovy, further expanding her visibility.

Beyond acting, Sahar has ventured into other creative endeavors. She released her debut music video, “Star Traveler” (2023), and launched her lifestyle brand, House of Sahar, featuring her signature fragrance, Sultana. Her work as a producer includes executive producing and co-directing the documentary “Beyond Ed Buck” (2022), supported by Gilead, which screened at national and international film festivals and secured distribution with AMC’s ALLBLK Network. In 2020, it was announced she would executive produce and star as the trailblazing Los Angeles icon Sir Lady Java in an upcoming biopic. Sahar is also recognized for her advocacy, having spoken on the HIV/AIDS epidemic at the Ronald Reagan International Trade Center and actively supporting the East L.A. Women’s Center against domestic violence. Her contributions to representation have been highlighted in publications such as Vogue, Essence, Variety, Allure, OUT Magazine, and People Magazine, where she was named one of the “Most Beautiful People” in 2020.