Niecy Nash
Carol Denise Betts, known professionally as Niecy Nash-Betts, is an American actress. Her career began in the late 1990s, with appearances in the films Boys on the Side and Cookie's Fortune. She garnered recognition for her portrayal of Deputy Raineesha Williams in the comedy series Reno 911!, along with hosting the Style Network show Clean House, for which she won a Daytime Emmy Award.
Nash received two Primetime Emmy Award nominations for starring as Denise "Didi" Ortley in the comedy-drama series Getting On. She also portrayed Lolli Ballentine in the sitcom The Soul Man, and Denise Hemphill in the horror-comedy series Scream Queens. From 2017 to 2022, she played Desna Simms in the crime comedy-drama Claws, winning a Satellite Award. She currently stars as Detective Lois Tryon in the horror drama series Grotesquerie.
Nash collaborated with director Ava DuVernay in the drama films Selma and Origin, and the miniseries When They See Us, for which she was nominated for another Primetime Emmy Award. Nash also played feminist leader Florynce Kennedy in the miniseries Mrs. America, and starred in the miniseries Dahmer – Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story, winning severals awards, including a Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress as well as receiving a Golden Globe and a Screen Actors Guild Award nominations.
Early life
Nash was born Carol Denise Ensley, in Palmdale, California, on February 23, 1970. She was raised in Compton, California. At the age of five, Nash developed an interest in entertainment after watching actress Lola Falana on television. When she was fifteen, Nash witnessed her mother get shot by an abusive boyfriend. She became a spokesperson for M.A.V.I.S., the organization founded by her mother after the 1993 shooting death of Nash's younger brother, Michael. M.A.V.I.S.'s mission is to inform the public of the violence children encounter on school campuses. Nash graduated from Gardena High School, then later California State University, Dominguez Hills, in Carson, California.Career
Early works
Nash made her professional acting debut in the 1995 comedy-drama film, Boys on the Side starring Whoopi Goldberg. On television, she later guest-starred in NYPD Blue, Judging Amy, Reba, Girlfriends, CSI: Crime Scene Investigation, and ER. She also appeared in the 1999 comedy film Cookie's Fortune directed by Robert Altman, and had a recurring role on the CBS drama series City of Angels in 2000.From 2003 to 2009, she played the roles of Deputy Raineesha Williams and T.T. on the Comedy Central comedy series Reno 911!. She hosted Clean House on the Style Network from 2003 to 2010, as well as providing the voice of Mrs. Boots on the ABC Family animated series Slacker Cats, and starred as Rhonda, opposite Jerry O'Connell, in the short-lived Fox sitcom Do Not Disturb in 2008. She guest-starred on The Bernie Mac Show as Bernie's sister Bonita from 2003 to 2005. Nash won a Daytime Emmy in 2010 as the producer/host of Clean House: The Messiest Home in the Country in the category of Outstanding Special Class Special. On August 4, 2010, Nash announced that she was leaving Clean House, and that the show would continue without her.
Nash appeared on the tenth season of ABC's Dancing with the Stars beginning in March 2010, where she was partnered with Louis van Amstel. On May 11, Nash and van Amstel were eliminated from the competition, taking fifth place. In 2011, she got her own reality show, Leave It To Niecy, on TLC, about her life with her new husband and stepson, but it was quickly cancelled. In that same year she was in a TLC wedding special. She also appeared in the films Code Name: The Cleaner, Reno 911!: Miami, Cook Off!, Not Easily Broken, G-Force, and Trust Me.
2012–present
In 2012, Nash began starring opposite Cedric the Entertainer in the TV Land sitcom The Soul Man, a spinoff of Hot in Cleveland. The series ran five seasons and ended in 2016. In 2013, she began starring opposite Laurie Metcalf in the HBO comedy series Getting On. She received a Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series nomination for her role on the show in 2015 and 2016, as well as a Critics' Choice Television Award for Best Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series in 2016. For her performance, Nash received positive critical reception, followed by more serious roles.In 2014, Nash played Richie Jean Jackson, the wife of Dr. Sullivan Jackson, in the historical drama film Selma, directed by Ava DuVernay. DuVernay cast Nash after seeing her on the series Getting On. The film received acclaim from critics; on Rotten Tomatoes, the film holds a rating of 99%, based on 205 reviews, with an average rating of 8.7/10. Selma was listed on many critics' top ten lists. Also that year, Nash joined the cast of the Fox comedy series The Mindy Project in a recurring role as Dr. Jean Fishman, a rival of the title character.
From 2015 to 2016, Nash co-starred on the Fox horror-comedy series Scream Queens as a security guard, and then FBI Agent Denise Hemphill. She appeared in another Fox comedy, Brooklyn Nine-Nine, as Andre Braugher's sister. Also in 2016, she was cast in the leading role in the Fox comedy pilot The Enforcers. The pilot, however, was not ordered to series. Nash later had a recurring role as Louise Bell in the Showtime period drama Masters of Sex.
In 2017, Nash was cast in a leading role in the TNT crime comedy-drama series Claws, produced by Rashida Jones, about a South Florida nail salon. Also in 2017, Nash appeared in Mary J. Blige's music video for "Strength of a Woman". For her dramatic turn in Claws, Nash has received critical praise. She received a Best Actress – Television Series Musical or Comedy, as well as another nomination for the NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Actress in a Comedy Series.
In July 2018, Nash received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in the television category. In August 2018, it was announced that Nash would star in and produce Naked With Niecy Nash, a late-night talk show for TNT. Later that year, Ava DuVernay cast her in the Netflix limited drama series When They See Us. For her performance, she received critical praise and a nomination for Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Limited Series or Movie.
In 2020, Nash starred in Netflix drama film, Uncorked, directed by Prentice Penny, and had a recurring role in the Netflix comedy-drama Never Have I Ever, created by Mindy Kaling. Also that year, she played civil rights advocate Florynce Kennedy in the Hulu miniseries Mrs. America. Later in 2020, Nash signed on to host her own syndicated daytime talk show for CBS Television Distribution. Nash reprised her role as Deputy Raineesha Williams in the seventh season of Reno 911! which aired on Quibi. She starred in the Lifetime movie Stolen by My Mother: The Kamiyah Mobley Story playing Gloria Williams, her abductor. She also appeared in the 2021 Paramount+ movie Reno 911! The Hunt for QAnon. The eighth season of the series, titled Reno 911! Defunded, premiered on The Roku Channel in February 2022. During season five of The Masked Singer, Nash served as a guest host while regular series host Nick Cannon recovered from COVID-19. On April 28, 2021, Fox announced that it had ordered a revival of Don't Forget the Lyrics with Nash as host. It premiered on May 23, 2022.
Nash guest-starred on two episodes of The Rookie, titled "Simone" and "Enervo", which served as a backdoor pilot centered on her character and aired on April 24 and May 1, 2022. On May 13, 2022, the spinoff, titled The Rookie: Feds, was ordered. The series premiered on September 27, 2022. In July 2022, Nash signed a first-look television deal with Entertainment One. Also that year, she played the title character's mother in the drama film, Beauty.
In late 2022, Nash starred as Glenda Cleveland in the Netflix true-crime limited series Dahmer – Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story. She received positive reviews for her performance. She won the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie, Critics' Choice Television Award for Best Supporting Actress in a Movie/Miniseries, and the NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Actress in a Television Movie, Mini-Series or Dramatic Special. Additionally, she received nominations for the Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Miniseries or Television Movie and the Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actress – Series, Miniseries or Television Film. The following year, she starred in the biographical drama film Origin by Ava DuVernay, based on the life of Isabel Wilkerson. It premiered at the 80th Venice International Film Festival on September 6, 2023, and began a limited theatrical release in January 2024. In June of 2023, Nash was honored as The Hollywood Reporter's Raising Our Voices Trailblazer at the second annual Raising Our Voices luncheon.
In May 2025, it was announced that Nash would be one of the grand marshals at the L.A. Pride parade.
Personal life
In February 1993, Nash's brother Michael Ensley was shot and killed at the age of 17 by a 16-year-old gunman at Reseda High School in California. In the aftermath, Nash began telling jokes to help her mother cope with depression. "That is when I knew I had a gift to do comedy. I decided I was going to go out and spread this around as a means to help the other people who are suffering."Nash was married for 13 years to Don Nash, an ordained minister. They filed for divorce in June 2007, and have three children together.
In September 2010, Nash became engaged to Jay Tucker. Nash participated in a TLC reality show that followed the preparations for the wedding. On May 28, 2011, they were married at the Church Estate Vineyard in Malibu. On October 30, 2019, Nash announced her pending divorce from Tucker via Instagram. On June 21, 2020, the divorce was finalized.
On August 29, 2020, Nash married singer Jessica Betts, whom Nash refers to as her "hersband". Nash has not elected to label herself or identify with any sexual orientation. She said in an appearance on The Ellen DeGeneres Show that she did not feel that she was "coming out" as she was not sexually repressed prior to her marriage to Betts.
Filmography
Television
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
| 1996 | Party of Five | Nurse | Episode: "Spring Breaks: Part 1" |
| 1998 | Rude Awakening | Gaynielle | Episode: "Naked Again" |
| 1999 | Malcolm & Eddie | Jackie | Episode: "B.S. I Still Love You" |
| 1999 | Time of Your Life | Clerk | Episode: "The Time She Came to New York" |
| 2000 | City of Angels | Eveline Walker | Recurring cast |
| 2000 | Popular | Teacher | Episode: "Hard on the Outside, Soft in the Middle" |
| 2000 | Any Day Now | Miss Lavonde | Episode: "Lighten Up, Rene" |
| 2001 | Rude Awakening | Caller #3 | Episode: "Altar Ego" |
| 2001 | Kate Brasher | June/Jane Clark | Episode: "Tracy" |
| 2001 | One on One | Darla | Episode: "Fifteen Candles" |
| 2001 | That's Life | Darlene | Episode: "Plus One" & "Idiots" |
| 2001 | NYPD Blue | Tonya Dunbar | Episode: "Baby Love" |
| 2001 | Judging Amy | Letitia Sitz | Episode: "Beating the Bounds" |
| 2002 | Reba | Maya | Episode: "He's Having a Baby" |
| 2002 | Girlfriends | LaShelle | Episode: "Just Dessert" |
| 2002 | For Your Love | Clerk | Episode: "The Blast from the Past" |
| 2002 | Presidio Med | Nurse | Episode: "Milagros" |
| 2002 | CSI: Crime Scene Investigation | Snuff film processor | Episode: "Snuff" |
| 2003 | That's So Raven | Madame Cassandra / Shirley | Episode: "Psychics Wanted" |
| 2003 | ER | Judith Anderson | Episode: "Missing" |
| 2003 | Kid Notorious | Tollie Mae | Main cast |
| 2003–05 | The Bernie Mac Show | Benita | Guest cast |
| 2003–09, 2020–22 | Reno 911! | Raineesha Williams | Main cast |
| 2003–10 | Clean House | Herself/host | Main cast |
| 2004 | Half & Half | Carla | Episode: "The Big Mother of a Mother's Day Rides Again Episode" |
| 2004 | Monk | Varla Davis | Episode: "Mr. Monk and the Girl Who Cried Wolf" |
| 2005 | My Name Is Earl | Rhonda Gibbs | Episode: "Cost Dad the Election" |
| 2006 | The Boondocks | Cookie Freeman | Episode: "Wingmen" |
| 2006 | Minoriteam | Fasto's Mama | Recurring cast |
| 2007 | Kathy Griffin: My Life on the D-List | Herself | Episode: "Dating for Publicity" |
| 2007–09 | Slacker Cats | Mrs. Boots | Recurring cast |
| 2007–13 | American Dad! | Additional voices | Recurring cast |
| 2008 | MADtv | Herself | Episode #14.1 |
| 2008 | The Mighty B! | Miriam Breedlove | 2 episodes |
| 2008 | Chocolate News | Trina Harper | Episode: "Episode 2" |
| 2008 | Do Not Disturb | Rhonda Peet | Main cast |
| 2009 | The Real Housewives of Atlanta | Herself | Episode: "New Attitude, Same ATL" |
| 2009–10 | Messiest Home | Herself | Recurring cast |
| 2010 | New Now Next Awards | Herself/host | TV special |
| 2010 | RuPaul's Drag Race | Herself / guest judge | Episode: "The Snatch Game" |
| 2010 | Brandy & Ray J: A Family Business | Herself | Episode: "It's a Celebration" |
| 2010 | Dancing with the Stars | Herself | Contestant |
| 2010 | Gary Unmarried | Charleen | Episode: "Gary Tries to Find Something for Mitch" & "Gary Unmarried?" |
| 2010 | The Cleveland Show | Janet | Episode: "Another Bad Thanksgiving" |
| 2011 | Way Black When: Primetime | Herself/host | Episode #1.6 |
| 2011 | Annual Trumpet Awards | Herself/host | TV special |
| 2011 | The LeBrons | Gloria | Main cast |
| 2012 | Celebrity Wife Swap | Herself | Episode: "Niecy Nash/Tina Yothers" |
| 2012 | Leave It to Niecy | Herself | Main cast |
| 2012 | Let's Talk About Love | Herself | Main cast |
| 2012–16 | The Soul Man | Lolli Ballentine | Main cast |
| 2013 | Life After | Herself | Episode: "Sheryl Lee Ralph: Life After Dreamgirls" |
| 2013 | Who Wants to Be a Millionaire | Herself | Episode: "Celebrity Week 4 & 5" |
| 2013 | Hollywood Game Night | Herself/panelist | Episode: "America's Got Game Night" |
| 2013 | Ben and Kate | Roz | Episode: "Father-Daughter Dance" |
| 2013–15 | Getting On | Denise "Didi" Ortley | Main cast |
| 2014 | Exhale | Herself | Episode: "What Is Love?" |
| 2014 | Family Game Night | Herself | Episode: "Celebrity Edition: Niecy Nash" |
| 2014 | Bad Teacher | Carla | Episode: "What's Old Is New" |
| 2014 | The Mindy Project | Jean Fishman | Recurring cast |
| 2015 | Celebrity Family Feud | Herself | Episode: "Cheryl Hines vs. Niecy Nash/Duck Dynasty vs. Katy Mixon" |
| 2015 | Hollywood Game Night | Herself / celebrity player | Episode: "Cedric Gives Niecy a Hand" |
| 2015–16 | TripTank | Additional voices | Recurring cast |
| 2015–16 | Scream Queens | Denise Hemphill | Recurring cast |
| 2016 | The $100,000 Pyramid | Herself / celebrity player | Episode: "Kevin Pollak vs. Niecy Nash" |
| 2016 | Brooklyn Nine-Nine | Debbie Holt | Episode: "The Cruise" |
| 2016 | Masters of Sex | Louise Bell | Recurring cast |
| 2016 | As the Fire Pit Burns | Jennifer Bowen-Brown | Main cast |
| 2016–19 | Match Game | Herself / celebrity player | Recurring guest |
| 2017 | Drop the Mic | Herself | Episode: "Niecy Nash vs. Cedric the Entertainer" |
| 2017 | Modern Family | Joan | Episode: "All Things Being Equal" |
| 2017 | Angie Tribeca | Pandora | Episode: "Go Get 'Em, Tiger" |
| 2017–22 | Claws | Desna Simms | Main cast |
| 2018 | Kevin Hart: What The Fit | Herself | Episode: "Firefighting with Niecy Nash" |
| 2018 | Fresh Off the Boat | Wilhelmina | Episode: "Big Baby" |
| 2018 | A.P. Bio | Kim | Episode: "Teacher Jail" |
| 2018 | Speechless | Kiki | Episode: "J-i-Jingle T-h-Thon" |
| 2018–19 | Family Guy | Sheila | Recurring cast, guest |
| 2019 | Black Girls Rock! | Herself/host | TV special |
| 2019 | When They See Us | Delores Wise | Main cast |
| 2019 | Marvel Rising: Playing with Fire | Shocktress | Episode: "Playing with Fire" |
| 2020 | Behind Her Faith | Herself | Episode: "Niecy Nash" |
| 2020 | I Can See Your Voice | Herself/panelist | 2 episodes |
| 2020 | The Masked Singer | Herself / guest panelist | Episode: "The Group A Finals - The Masked Frontier" |
| 2020 | Celebrity Game Face | Herself | Episode: "Sweatsuit Charades and Donut Holes" |
| 2020 | A Million Little Things | Gloria | Episode: "The Kiss" |
| 2020 | Mrs. America | Flo Kennedy | Recurring cast |
| 2020 | Stolen by My Mother: The Kamiyah Mobley Story | Gloria Williams | TV movie |
| 2020–23 | Never Have I Ever | Jamie Ryan | Recurring cast; 16 episodes |
| 2021 | The Masked Singer | Herself | Host |
| 2021 | GLAAD Media Awards | Herself/host | TV special |
| 2021 | Q-Force | Caryn | Recurring cast |
| 2021 | The Problem with Jon Stewart | Thelma | Episode: "Guns" |
| 2021 | Reno 911!: The Hunt for QAnon | Raineesha Williams | TV movie |
| 2022 | About Last Night | Herself | Episode: "Casey Wilson/Niecy Nash/Damion Lee/Sydel Curry Lee" |
| 2022 | Don't Forget the Lyrics! | Herself/host | TV series; also executive producer |
| 2022 | Finding Your Roots | Herself | Episode #9.3 |
| 2022 | Celebrity Game Face | Herself | Episode: "Tournament of Losers" |
| 2022 | Monster | Glenda Cleveland | |
| 2022 | Reno 911!: It's a Wonderful Heist | Raineesha Williams | TV movie |
| 2022–2023 | The Rookie | Simone Clark | Recurring cast |
| 2022–2023 | The Rookie: Feds | Simone Clark | Main cast |
| 2022–2024 | Don't Forget the Lyrics! | Herself/host | Main host |
| 2023 | Finding Your Roots | Herself | Episode: "Secret Lives" |
| 2023 | Celebrity Family Feud | Herself | Episode #10.8 |
| 2023 | Agent Elvis | Bertie | Main cast |
| 2023 | Human Resources | Hope | Recurring cast |
| 2024 | We Are Family | Herself | Episode: "Hey Mama!" |
| 2024 | Grotesquerie | Lois Tryon | Main cast |
| 2025 | All's Fair | Emerald Greene | Main cast |
| 2026 | The Hunting Party | Erica Burke | season 2 episode 2 "Adrian Gallo" |