No Matter What, Niecy Nash Was Determined To Be A Star

Niecy Nash is currently the baddest woman on TV, starring as Desna Simms on TNT’s Claws. And, in real life, she’s just as badass. 

For ESSENCE’s September issue, the star opened up about how becoming a mother made her hustle that much more to pursue her dreams.

Nash revealed that she made the decision to completely go after what she wanted while raising three kids and working nights. The actress told her then-husband, Don Nash, “I’ve given my body over to another human being for nine months. Can I have nine months for me to make it work?”

And, in those nine months she found the roles that would launch her career, a featured role on Reno 911!, a hosting gig for Style Network’s Clean House, and a role on The Bernie Mac Show.

“I was the only one dragging kids [to auditions], but the three words that I started to live by in that time was ‘no matter what,'” the actress told ESSENCE.

”People say, ‘Oh, you can’t be a mom and do this.’ How come you can’t? When your kids come into your life, they can adjust to what you’re doing. You don’t adjust to what they’re doing. How somebody who ain’t paying the mortgage running the show? I did what I had to do…Once I got on the other side and started working, I’ve never stopped.”