Deception and Baywatch star Ilfenesh Hadera has been cast in Epix’s Godfather of Harlem as Mayme Johnson, the wife of crime boss Bumpy Johnson.

The series, based on a true story, has already cast Forest Whitaker as Johnson, a crime boss who battles the Genovese crime family for control in the 1960s. Along the way, he also creates an alliance with Malcolm X, bringing the civil rights movement in contact with the world of crime. Mayme, on the other hand, is described as a tough woman and, according to Deadline’s description, a “testament to the power of the African American mother as insulator, protector and champion.”

Hadera’s been in several high-profile projects in the last few years aside from Deception, which aired on ABC and the Dwayne Johnson-starring Baywatch reboot. She has starred in the reboot series of She’s Gotta Have It, The Punisher, Master of None, Billions, Difficult People, Chicago Fire and Chi-Raq.

Godfather of Harlem is written and executive produced by Paul Eckstein and Chris Brancato, the creator of Narcos. Chris Whitaker’s production house, Significant Productions, is behind the project with Whitaker and Nina Yang Bongiovi producing.