Carol Denise Betts (previously Nash, née Ensley; born February 23, 1970) (), 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 (1995) and Cookie's… Carol Denise Betts (previously Nash, née Ensley; born February 23, 1970) (), 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 (1995) and Cookie's Fortune (1999). She garnered recognition for her portrayal of Deputy Raineesha Williams in the comedy series Reno 911! (2003–09, 2020–22), along with hosting the Style Network show Clean House (2003–10), 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 (2013–15). She also portrayed Lolli Ballentine in the sitcom The Soul Man (2012–16), and Denise Hemphill in the horror-comedy series Scream Queens (2015–16). From 2017 to 2022, she played Desna Simms in the crime comedy-drama Claws (2017–22), winning a Satellite Award. In 2024 she played Detective Lois Tryon in the horror drama series Grotesquerie (2024) and currently stars as Emerald Greene in the legal drama series All's Fair (2025–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 as Glenda Cleveland in the first season of the Netflix anthology series Monster (2022), 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.
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