Here's How Niecy Nash Really Made Her Money

An actress, comedian, host, producer, and model, Niecy Nash is an award-winning star who has done it all. Some of her best-known work, per Pop Sugar, includes hosting "Clean House" from 2003 to 2010, playing the unforgettably hilarious Deputy Raineesha Williams on Reno 911!, playing Denise Hemphill on Scream Queens, and taking on the more serious role of civil rights activist Richie Jean Jackson in "Selma." Nash also appeared in "Uncorked" and "Never Have I Ever" on Netflix and "Mrs. America" on Hulu.

So how much is Nash worth, after years of work in Hollywood? According to Celebrity Net Worth, $4 million. This confirms that with hard work comes rich rewards, a lesson she hopes to pass on to her children. "I teach my children that I have what I have 'cause I work. And when you work, you will have what you have," the actress revealed in an interview with NPR. "Which is not saying I'm not going to help you, but I'm not going to give you the world. But I'm going to teach you how to get it for yourself."

Born in 1970, in Compton, California, Niecy Nash was just 5 years old when she saw actress Lola Falana on TV and decided that's who she wanted to be when she grew up (via IMDb). Her first acting role was a pretty small one: In the 1995 comedy/drama "Boys on the Side," her character is credited as "woman at diner," per IMDb. However, this small role was just an inkling of what was to come during Nash's career. In the last 25 years, she has appeared in crime shows, comedies, horror movies, children's shows, and pretty much every other genre. Looking at her IMDb page, she has a full 92 acting credits — and it seems she's nowhere near finished.

One of Nash's more memorable early roles was on Style Network's "Clean House," an interior design and home makeover show that she hosted from 2003 to 2010. Ever the hard-working woman, Nash reminisces in a 2015 "Clean House" reunion that there were times when she was "exhausted" because she was filming "Clean House" during the day and the 2005 rom-com "Guess Who" at night. You would never suspect that she was tired, however, because she was always so fun and upbeat on the show.

After Nash left in 2010, "Clean House" continued with a new host — but apparently, she was so missed by viewers that ratings went down and the show was canceled in 2011. This demonstrates Nash's talent, charm, and connection to her viewers — all of which have continued to land her high-profile roles and contribute to her $4 million net worth.

"Reno 911!" is a police mockumentary that ran on Comedy Central from 2003 to 2009 and was then revived for its eighth season in 2020. Viewers love Niecy Nash's "Reno" character, Raineesha Williams, a hilarious, boisterous deputy known for abusing her power (per Charactour).

Unbelievably, Nash was completely unfamiliar with sketch comedy before landing the role; she revealed to E! News that she "had never done improv before that show." However, her lack of experience didn't deter her. She said, "I was just a young girl with a dream, and when they called to say, 'Can you do sketch and improv?' I said, 'Of course!' and just lied because I didn't even know what it was."

According to ScreenRant, there was a lot of improv. Nash said, "When we show up ... there's not a lot of writing. It's just like, 'Go stand over there and say something funny.'" For a lot of people, the pressure of improv would be understandably crushing, but Nash took it in stride. Her confidence paid off: Her role in "Reno" — which went on to become a cult-classic series – cemented Nash as a Hollywood "funny woman" (per E! News), which allowed her to gain traction and opened many doors for her career.

"Getting On" is a dark comedy/drama series about a team of nurses working in a geriatric unit who find humor and compassion in difficult situations. Per Variety, Niecy Nash's role as nurse Didi Ortley allowed her to stretch everyone's idea of what she can do, moving her from the strictly comedy genre into deeper, more difficult subject matter.

"I spent a lot of time in my career being told that I could only do one thing," Nash said on Variety's "My Favorite Episode" podcast. "You do broad comedy, that's your lane. And I'm like, no, I can do something else." When Nash landed the role on "Getting On," it was her chance to "step into those waters. ... It was so different for me," she said. "I do a lot of TV where I have on five packs of hair, three pairs of eyelashes, and 45 Spanx. But this was a very stripped-down character."

The show also offered the opportunity for "actors and actresses of a certain age to go and still get work," Nash told Variety, explaining that it can be difficult for older actors to find their place in Hollywood.

Nash's performance garnered two Emmy nominations for outstanding supporting actress in a comedy series, per Variety. The HBO series ran from 2013 to 2015. Although it had just three seasons, it certainly showed the world that while she is a funny woman, Nash can do much more than comedy.

Ava DuVernay's 2014 film "Selma" was a hugely successful and groundbreaking movie, bringing in $13.5 million at the box office and garnering nominations for several Golden Globes. The film centers around Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.'s historic 1965 march from Selma to Montgomery in the fight for voting rights. According to Variety, director DuVernay reached out to Niecy Nash to join the cast of "Selma" after seeing her on "Getting On" — and Nash agreed without hesitation.

In "Selma," Nash plays a maternal character named Richie Jean Jackson. As Nash told CBN, "My assignment on the set of 'Selma' was to embody the spirit of the character that I played. She really was a nurturer to the movement. She made sure that everyone ate, that they had a place to stay." Nash's acting skills and caring personality made the character a perfect fit — to the point that, according to Nash (per CBN), "A couple of times, my cast members said, 'You really are Richie Jean.' ... I was a nurturer in this particular environment."

Nash went on to explain that the bonds created on the set of "Selma" have remained strong: "We have literally become a family," she told CBN. The fact that Nash had such an important role in the landmark movie speaks volumes about her talent, and the role helped to shape her career and build her net worth.

Part of what makes Niecy Nash so successful is her versatility as an actor and her willingness to play complex characters. In "Claws," Nash plays the lead character Desna Simms, a nail salon owner who happens to be involved in organized crime. Nash brings her signature comedic prowess, but also creates a sensitive, multidimensional character who surely has contributed to the show's high ratings.

Nash told Variety that she enjoyed the role, saying, "The thing that I love about ['Claws'] the most is watching women do things that were typically reserved for men ... You would not be surprised to see men selling drugs for the Dixie mafia or committing crimes for their families, a la Tony Soprano or 'Breaking Bad.' Now you get to see women who are badass. Who boss up, who don't all look like each other, but have a common thread of wanting more out of life by any means necessary."

While it's impossible to know just how much Nash has made from "Claws," Backstage suggests that well-known actors can make up to a million dollars per episode, so we're guessing that "Claws" has certainly bolstered her net worth.

"The Masked Singer" is a popular singing competition TV show that is equal parts strange and entertaining. The show's competition has included face-offs between celebrities like Jewel, Natasha Bedingfield, Nick Lachey, Caitlyn Jenner, and many more, according to Cosmopolitan.

When the usual host of the show, Nick Cannon, came down with COVID-19 in February 2021, our favorite jack of all trades Niecy Nash stepped in for him. Of her time on the show, Nash told PopCulture, "It's a great group of people over there, and I had the best time standing in the gap for Nick, I really did." In the same interview, Nash shared that hosting "The Masked Singer" actually opened another door for her: the opportunity to host the reboot of "Don't Forget the Lyrics," which premiered in May 2022.

Once Cannon fully recovered in April 2021, he rejoined the show, leaving Nash free to pursue other ventures. Though it's not known exactly how much she earned from her two months on "The Masked Singer," the show is highly rated, so it's safe to bet she made a pretty penny.

According to Dirt, in 2018, Niecy Nash bought a $2 million Mediterranean-style home in the Bell Canyon neighborhood of Los Angeles — just north of Hidden Hills, the famous area where celebrities like Kylie Jenner, Drake, and Will Smith have resided (per Suggested By Locals).

Her spacious home was built in the 1980s and rebuilt in 2007; it is a generous 5,812 square feet with six bedrooms and 6-½ bathrooms, per Dirt. In a Real Estate Insider tour of the home, you can see the spacious living areas (including a room with an oversized pool table) and beautiful landscaping and gardens, as well as a gorgeous view of the Hollywood Hills.

This isn't Nash's first Bell Canyon home; in 2013, she and her now ex-husband purchased another smaller Bell Canyon residence, per Dirt. She sold that property in 2019 for $1.265 million, which is $130,000 more than she paid when she first bought it, according to the Los Angeles Times. Before that, Nash resided in a so-called starter home in the Northridge community, an area that, according to Dirt, was "uncelebrified."

After an eight-year marriage, Niecy Nash filed for divorce from her husband, electrical engineer Jay Tucker. She said that over time, the two of them had become better friends than partners, according to People. At an Essence Black Women in Hollywood Awards ceremony, Nash said (per People), "In this season of our lives, we are better friends than partners in marriage. Our union was such a gorgeous ride. And as we go our separate ways now, we feel fortunate for the love we share — present tense."

Sometimes divorce comes with monetary gains or losses, but nothing too financially dramatic happened with Nash and Tucker. Following their amicable split, Nash received their Bell Canyon home and their 2016 Tesla, while Tucker took a 2011 Ford truck and a payment of $184,820 from Nash, which is his profit from the sale of another property they shared, according to TMZ. Both Nash and Tucker agreed to waive the right to spousal support indefinitely when they officially separated in June 2019, per TMZ.

Niecy Nash has had an extensive career, but retirement is nowhere in sight: According to Deadline, in 2022, she forged a multi-year deal with eOne to write and produce TV content for the company. This is an impressive job for Nash to take on, as eOne produces series like "The Rookie: Feds" (which Nash stars in) and "Cardinal." She worked with eOne President Michael Lombardo during her time on HBO's "Getting On," since Lombardo was running HBO at the time, according to Deadline — and it looks like they will continue to collaborate on future shows.

"Niecy is a force on-screen and off, with a unique perspective on storytelling that we can't wait to tap into," Lombardo said (per Deadline). "We are lucky to have her leading the charge on the upcoming iteration of 'The Rookie: Feds' and look forward to growing our partnership with her through this deal."

Nash appears to be equally excited, saying, "Listen, Michael Lombardo will forever have me at 'hello!' I loved our working relationship at HBO and it's even stronger now. Being a part of the Rookieverse is a gift that will keep on giving through this partnership."

Niecy Nash recently took on a new role in Netflix's "Dahmer – Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story." In the series, she plays Glenda Cleveland, the neighbor of serial killer Jeffrey Dahmer who continually reported his suspicious behavior to police and ultimately helped in stopping his crimes — but who never received any real attention for her efforts, until now.

Though Nash has some experience working in the horror genre thanks to her time on "Scream Queens," working on "Dahmer" is a different ball game. True crime media can be controversial, especially when respect is not adequately paid to victims and their loved ones. By playing Cleveland with sensitivity, Nash has helped to give her the respect and publicity she deserved, and this ultimately shifted the focus of the show to the victims.

"That was a special woman, to continue on, and on, and on, in an effort to get someone to do something," Nash told Collider. "She deserved way more than a little cheesy plaque in the bottom of a social hall somewhere."

According to The Hollywood Reporter, Niecy Nash is in the process of launching a daytime talk show with CBS Television Distribution. On top of all her acting roles, taking on a talk show would definitely contribute to her net worth. And if there's one actress who is made to be a talk show host, it's Nash. From "Clean House" to "The Masked Singer," her ability to be funny, friendly, welcoming, and entertaining while keeping a show running smoothly has been unparalleled. So, it comes as great news (but not a huge surprise) that Nash signed a deal with CBS for a talk show, according to Entertainment Tonight.

In a June 2021 interview with Entertainment Tonight, Nash said, "They [CBS] were looking for someone to take a dive into the world of talk, and I said, 'Well, where's the microphone?' So that's the path we're going down right now." When the interviewer asked what a "Niecy" talk show would be like, she said, "Oh, honey! What isn't it like? It's fun, it's funny, it's relatable, it has takeaway, you laugh, you cry." There's not yet any solid information about when the talk show will air, but when it does, we'll definitely be tuning in.

On top of her many other accomplishments, Niecy Nash is also an author. In 2013, she released her dating and relationship book, "It's Hard to Fight Naked," in which she shares the love and relationship wisdom she's gained over the years. The book was a success, with an average of 4.5/5 stars on Amazon, and reviewers noted that reading the book felt like "reading a letter from a good friend."

Nash said, via Elev8, "I've been the wife, I've been the ex-wife, so I've been through so many things. I didn't write this book because I feel like I'm an expert. I wrote the book because I feel like I've been through so many things, so it dawned on me that we struggle the most at the things we were created for, which is love. I just invited people to think differently about matters of that heart."

It's been nearly 10 years since the release of her first book, and a lot has changed for Nash since then — including her love life. She married her wife, musician Jessica Betts (who Nash lovingly calls her "hersband") in 2020, and her journey to finding herself and her sexuality was, according to Nash, part of the inspiration for the new book. She has kept information about this second book pretty hush-hush, but did confirm to Entertainment Tonight that "there's a book coming," explaining that "people are very curious about my journey."