Niecy Nash-Betts gets candid on Hollywood sex scenes at 55: ‘It's stressful'
The actress, 55, opened up about sex scenes in the entertainment industry, while talking with Helen Mirren, Kathy Bates, Parker Posey, Keri Russell and Cristin Milioti during the Hollywood Reporter's Drama Actress Roundtable.
'Well, I was never the ingénue,' Nash-Betts told the ladies about past roles. 'Then, when I turned 45, it was like, 'And now we want you to be naked.' You waited until now? I was fine to play the part, but the days that you have to film intimate scenes, it's stressful. And I think it's men who do these call sheets because they put them at night. They think it's sexy. No.'
6 Helen Mirren, Kathy Bates, Niecy Nash-Betts, Parker Posey, Keri Russell and Cristin Milioti.
Beau Grealy for 'The Hollywood Reporter'
When it comes to intimate scenes on camera, the 'The Rookie: Feds' actress knows exactly what time of day works.
'Let's do it first thing in the morning, when this man just got out the tub and he's not smelling like a field mouse,' Nash-Betts explained. 'You go through all the heart palpitations, the closed set. 'Was my side meat a little too jiggly? Are my kibbles and bits covered?' And then they don't use it! I put myself out there to be that vulnerable, literally exposed, and you don't use it? Now I got an attitude. Stuff it back in there somewhere!'
Milioti, 39, couldn't agree more.
6 The Hollywood Reporter sit down.
Beau Grealy @beaugrealy
'I can get a little myopic about it,' the 'Black Mirror' star stated. 'I get defensive of the character, and I'm like, 'Why did they cut that thing that she says that explains this, this and this?' I forget to zoom out and think about the story as a larger piece. Much later, I can get why something was cut, but in the moment.'
The powerhouse group also discussed being typecasted in Hollywood, with Nash-Betts revealing she feels she's had a variety of different roles throughout her career.
She noted, 'I've lived a lot of lives as an actor — doing something as loud as 'Reno 911!,' and then you slide all the way over and that pendulum hits 'Jeffrey Dahmer.' I don't know what it would say [today] because it depends on which version of me they're looking for.'
6 Niecy Nash in 'Claws.'
©TNT/Courtesy Everett Collection / Everett Collection
Although she's unsure of what version of herself she's looking to pull out now, Nash-Betts did add, 'I love that I can make people laugh and cry. I do not take it lightly.'
Despite having a roster of variety, the 'Claws' star recalled one moment in particular that didn't sit well with her.
'I had it right to my face,' she said. 'I auditioned for something early in my career, and the two producers looked at each other and said, 'She's got a cute face. You think she can lose weight?' And I was like, 'Guys, she can hear you. She is here. And, no, she can't. Now are y'all going to give me the job?''
6 Niecy Nash in 'Reno 911!'
©Comedy Central/Courtesy Everett Collect / Everett Collection
Nash-Betts got the part, but as she remembered, 'I don't even know if I was the best one, but they probably felt so embarrassed.'
After Mirren, 79, asked if she lost weight for the role, the 'American Horror Story' vet responded, 'No. I went home and ate a cookie.'
Elsewhere in the sit-down, the 'Reno 911!' alum also got candid on her current romance.
Nash-Betts was previously married to Don Nash from 1994 to 2007, before remarrying in 2011 to Jay Tucker.
6 Niecy Nash at the Disney 2025 Upfront.
ZUMAPRESS.com
The pair split in 2020, and she went on to tie the knot with Jessica Betts that same year.
Now, Nash-Betts is happier than ever – despite being told the union could derail her career opportunities.
'Everybody has an opinion! There were people who were like, 'Your fan base has known you to be a certain way, and you need to stay right there. Otherwise, you'll never eat lunch in this town again,'' she admitted. 'Some of that comes from older generations, family members, and that's how they think. But I've always been a person who does one thing: what I want to do.'
6 Niecy Nash hosting 'Clean House.'
Style Network/Courtesy Everett Collectio / Everett Collection
Looking back, Nash-Betts knows she made the right choice, sharing how the singer, 42, has been a constant support system for her over the past five years.
'And I'm going to do it all the way. I give very little thought, if any, to what somebody else thinks about it. I cannot even imagine my life without Jessica,' she expressed. 'This is the greatest love of my entire life. I would not even be able to enjoy my work as much as I do without that kind of support. So I did what I wanted to do. I don't regret it. I would do it again. As a matter of fact, we are about to celebrate five years.'
Now, the wives are ready to celebrate their love story once more in honor of the five year mark.
'We're about to do another vow renewal,' Nash-Bettes told the table, 'a big party, just so I can say 'In your face' to whoever told me not to get married.'
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