Niecy Nash | |
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Born | Carol Denise Ensley February 23, 1970 Palmdale, California, U.S. |
Other names | Niecy Nash-Betts |
Alma mater | California State University, Dominguez Hills |
Occupation(s) | Actress, comedian, television host |
Years active | 1995–present |
Spouses | Don Nash
(m. 1994; div. 2007)Jay Tucker
(m. 2011; div. 2020)Jessica Betts (m. 2020) |
Children | 3 |
Carol Denise Betts (previously Nash, née Ensley; born February 23, 1970)[1] (/ˈniːsi/), known professionally as Niecy Nash, is an American actress, comedian, and television host. Her acting career began in the late 1990s, with appearances in the films Boys on the Side (1995) and Cookie's Fortune (1999). She garnered recognition for her portrayal of Deputy Raineesha Williams in the comedy series Reno 911! (2003–2009, 2020–2022), along with hosting the Style Network show Clean House (2003—2010), for which she won a Daytime Emmy Award.
Nash received two Primetime Emmy Awards nominations for starring as Denise "Didi" Ortley in the comedy-drama series Getting On (2013–2015). She has also portrayed Lolli Ballentine in the sitcom The Soul Man (2012–2016), and Denise Hemphill in the horror-comedy series Scream Queens (2015–2016).[2] From 2017 to 2022, she played Desna Simms in the crime comedy-drama Claws (2017–2022). She currently stars as Detective Lois Tryon in the horror drama series Grotesquerie (2024–present).
Nash collaborated with director Ava DuVernay in the drama films Selma (2014) and Origin (2023), and the miniseries When They See Us (2019), for which she was nominated for another Primetime Emmy Award. Nash also played feminist leader Florynce Kennedy in the miniseries Mrs. America (2020), and starred in the miniseries Dahmer – Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story (2022), winning a Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress as well as receiving a Golden Globe nomination.[citation needed]