Niecy Nash-Betts is Getting Ready to Shock You. Again.

Confident, comedic, curvy, chameleon-like and charismatic, the actress, 54, may be the most underrated talent of the 21st century. Her next project is not for the squeamish.

By

LaKisha Cargill

 
Published August 08, 2024
photo collage of Niecy Nash-Betts
Natasha Cunningham

Are you a Niecey Nash fan? Which of her roles is your favorite? Share your thoughts in the comments below.

Whether she is hosting a television show, delivering a comedic line, taking a turn at the dramatic, or living life, Niecy Nash-Betts, the Emmy award-winning actress, producer, comedian, television host, mom of three, and wife, will not be denied. Nash-Betts has navigated the twisting curve balls that life has thrown her way, radiating authenticity and resilience at every turn. Unabashedly embracing her curvy figure and voluminous personality, Nash-Betts has risen to stardom on her terms.

One of those terms is recognizing what is for her is for her. Nash-Betts recounts on the podcast "Just for Variety" a question her daughter asked her regarding why she was encouraging various actresses to audition for a role for which Nash-Betts was also auditioning. Nash-Betts advised that her daughter said, "Somebody's going to get your part." She replied, "No, my part is my part. If it's my part, it was meant to be. And if it's not, how wonderful is it that I was a conduit for one of my friends getting a job?" Even as early as the age of five, Nash-Betts has been determined to be "Black, fabulous, and on TV," according to Variety. This confidence has gotten Nash-Betts to where she is today.

Nash-Betts, 54, born Carol Denise Ensley in Compton, California, has been in this entertainment game for decades and endeared herself to worldwide audiences. But her road to stardom has not been a straight path and is a testament to her hard-working spirit and belief in herself. From her days hosting Clean House to playing Cedric, the Entertainer's wife on Soul Man, to the role on Reno 911 and everything in between, Nash-Betts has solidified her role in popular culture and as a comedic actress, and she continues to impress as a dramatic star as well.

Never boring, never predictable, never forgettable

In 2014, her portrayal of civil rights activist Richie Jean Jackson in the acclaimed Ava Duvernay movie Selma allowed Nash-Betts to showcase her dramatic prowess. She has continued this path with numerous roles highlighting strong Black women amid racial unrest and tragedy. Nash-Betts has also played Delores Wise, mother of Korey Wise from the Exonerated Five, in the Ava DuVernay miniseries When They See Us. In 2020, she won an NAACP Award for Outstanding Actress in a Television Movie or Series. Recently, she took home the 2023 Critics' Choice Television Award, NAACP Image Award, and the Primetime Emmy Award for her role in the miniseries Dahmer - Monster: The Jeffery Dahmer Story. She can currently be seen in DuVernay's movie Origin, a film adaptation of Isabel Wilkerson's book about the caste system worldwide.

How creepy does her upcoming horror project sound? Listen for yourself

This fall, the actress is also slated to star in an upcoming horror series titled Grotesquerie with Courtney B. Vance, Travis Kelce and Lesley Manville. Nash-Betts, in character, voices an eerie teaser on Instagram. Listeners hear:

“I don’t know when it started, I can’t put my finger on it, but it’s different now. There’s been a shift, it's like something’s opening up in the world—a kind of hole to the center of nothingness."

"...You say, ‘Well, hon, evil has always existed,' cite some statistic about how the world is getting better, less murder, more help, less global horror, 'never been a better time to be alive, hon,'" Nash continues forebodingly, "But then they come back. It’s not getting better! Something’s happening around us, and nobody sees but me.” The FX drama is created by Ryan Murphy, known for American Horror Story.

It’s a family affair

Nash-Betts is looking for opportunities where she and her "hersband," musician Jessica Betts, can showcase their talents and range and work alongside each other. The two married in 2020 in a surprise wedding. When asked about her official coming out on “Red Table Talk,” Nash-Betts replied, "Coming out of where...I love who I love when I love them." Nash-Betts also stated it was not a coming out but rather "a going into herself." She says that this was a curve as Nash-Betts contends she had never been friends with anyone before she fell in love with them, and her relationship with Jessica is different. Nash-Betts asserts she loves who she is with now, as she loved who she was with at that moment, too.

Nash-Betts has three children from a previous marriage to Don Nash. Her three adult children, Dominic, 32, Donielle, 29, and Dia, 24, have all been bitten by the entertainment bug and are following in their mother's footsteps. While Dominic has chosen to be behind the camera as a producer, Donielle and Dia enjoy being in front of the camera. Both daughters have appeared on shows with their mother, including Dahmer, Never Have I Ever, and Rookie: Feds. Dia also played a younger version of her mom on Claws and had a role in Reno 911. Nash-Betts has said she never thought her kids would be in this field, but it is "a family affair." Speaking of family, learn which other Hollywood A-listers to whom she’s related.

Photo Illustration: Natasha Cunningham (Getty Images 3, Seth Olenick/comedy central/Everett collection, courtesy Warner Brothers)

Are you a Niecey Nash fan? Which of her roles is your favorite? Share your thoughts in the comments below.

LaKisha Cargill is a Birmingham-based freelance writer and award-winning poet who focuses on lifestyle, health and wellness, diversity and inclusion, and pop culture. She has contributed to Reckon South, Honey, and Wildfire Magazine. She is also an experienced insurance professional who has contributed to industry publications. Find LaKisha on Instagram @lakishawrites.