Niecy Nash-Betts Captures Drama Beautifully in These 3 Captivating Performances
Niecy Nash-Betts could make history during next week’s Golden Globe Awards. After earning her first career nomination for her riveting performance as Glenda Cleveland in Netflix’s limited series Dhamer—Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story, the comedian queen turned drama thespian could become the first black actress to win a Golden Globe for a limited series.
Niecy is best known for her role in the 2003 comedy television series Reno 911!—a parody of the reality show Cops—as Deputy Raineesha Williams. She later starred in classic films such as Malibu’s Most Wanted and Guess Who, and she’s even lent her voice to the animated feature film Horton Hears a Who! However, near 2010 the actress steered off the comedic path. She ventured into drama, picking up roles in more serious films, including Not Easily Broken, Selma, and Netflix’s Beauty. In honor of Niecy’s impressive nomination, we’re looking at some of her most captivating drama performances.
The 80th Golden Globe Awards will be on Tuesday, January 10, 2023, at 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT from The Beverly Hilton in Beverly Hills, California, on NBC and Peacock.
Dolores Wise / ‘When They See Us’
Niecy poured her heart and soul into her performance as Dolores Wise in the 2019 American crime drama television miniseries, When They See Us, created, co-written, and directed by Ava DuVernay for Netflix. Wise was the mother of actor Jharrel Jerome's character Korey Wise, a member of the “Exonerated Five,” who spent nearly 12 years behind bars after being wrongfully convicted in the Central Park jogging case of Trisha Meili in 1989. The performance ultimately earned the actress several accolades, including a Primetime Emmy nomination for “Outstanding Lead Actress in a Limited Series or Movie.”
Richie Jean Jackson / ‘Selma’
Fans had grown to love Niecy for her comedic styling. However, in 2014, the award-winning actress opted for a more serious role as author, teacher, and civil rights activist Richie Jean Jackson in the Ava DuVernay-directed historical drama film Selma. Meetings for the pivotal Selma to Montgomery marches attended by Martin Luther King Jr., Southern Christian Leadership Conference staff, and members of Congress were held at Jackson’s home.
Glenda Cleveland / ‘Dhamer—Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story’
In one of her more serious and perhaps terrifying projects to date, Niecy is Glenda Cleveland, the series’s female lead and the next-door neighbor of famed serial killer Jeffrey Dahmer, portrayed by Primetime Emmy Award-winning actor Peter Evans. Glenda is brave and was ultimately the one who calls the police numerous times and even tries calling the FBI to alert them of Dahmer’s erratic and suspicious behavior but to no avail.
In an Instagram post, the actress shared with fans, “I love being an actor, but the industry told me to ‘stay in my comedy lane’ I knew In my soul I was capable of more,” before adding, “It’s less about what I proved to them, it’s more about what I proved to myself.” Her performance Glenda earned the actress her first career Golden Globe Awards nominations for “Best Supporting Actress in a Television Limited Series / Motion Picture.
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