Niecy Nash-Betts Discusses Potential for ‘Grotesquerie’ to Continue After Shocking Dream Twist
Niecy Nash-Betts revealed whether Grotesquerie‘s shocking dream sequence twist means there could be more seasons of the show.
“In a perfect world, [there would be] more seasons,” Nash-Betts, 54, exclusively told Us Weekly about the hit FX series. “But [there are] definitely more twists to come.”
During the newest episode of the show, which aired on Wednesday, October 16, viewers were asked to forget what they saw in the first six episodes because it was all a dream. None of what happened took place anywhere except in Lois’ (Nash-Betts) mind because she was the one who was actually in a coma.
Nash-Betts teased that Lois will be reintroduced to the audience, adding, “When she transitions on the other side of episode 7 — to her awake life — it’s like meeting her with fresh eyes. It’s like, ‘Who is she now?’”
Lois initially was introduced as a detective hunting down a sadistic serial killer while struggling with an addiction problem, a sick husband (played by Courtney B. Vance) and a daughter with an eating disorder (played by Raven Goodwin).
“Not necessarily everyone is experiencing Lois’ sort of addiction. But we all have our flaws,” the actress shared with Us. “We all have the thing that might highlight something for someone in our orbit that says, ‘Hey, I know I’m not perfect, but I’m trying.’”
Nash-Betts’ goal while playing Lois was offering the character respect and grace, noting, “I really wanted to make her relatable. And I still wanted people to see the good in her so that they would root for her.”
Grotesquerie was a project close to Nash-Betts’ heart as it allowed her to collaborate with creator Ryan Murphy on bringing Lois to life in the first half — and now the character is set up on a whole new journey.
“Ryan and I have a great relationship. It’s built on three things: love, respect, and foolishness. The third one is really what keeps us going. But Lois went on a journey and when you meet her, she’s at the height of her addiction. She is so close to her rock bottom,” Nash-Betts recalled. “So there’s a lot of layering in that performance because you never know where she is in her disease at a given moment.”
Nash-Betts put in a lot of work to portray Lois’ deteriorating mental health.
“She could be plastered, she could be hungover or she could be tipsy. Working with Ryan [helped] really map that out so that you saw her in all of the places that she could be in emotionally,” she explained. “[Also] this kind of a role with a detective down on their luck, drinking too much and still trying to solve the case is typically played by white men. So to be able to stand flat-footed in that as a Black woman, you definitely have to turn in a very grounded performance because how do you make it real?”
She continued: “How do you show all the layers? It is not an easy process, but that’s why I love Ryan so much. As a partner, he’s so hands-on that any place that there’s a question or a doubt, he is at the ready to help me unpack it and find my clear path that I want to present to the audience.”
Nash-Betts also took on a leadership role as an executive producer on Grotesquerie. She was determined to bring some levity and fun to the set despite the heavy subject matter that was being filmed.
“As soon as we cut, I don’t care if I’m crying my eyes out, I am going to crack a joke. I’m going to try to bring the crew and the cast back up. I posted on my Instagram some behind the scenes photos because people always say, ‘Wow, this is so dark and so intense,’” she detailed to Us. “What is it like on set? Mayhem and foolishness. That’s what it’s like. And I’m the ringleader.”
That mindset extends beyond the set as well. “I try to make sure I use my windshield time. So coming and going, I learn my words for the next day,” Nash-Betts concluded. “So that when I get home, I can be a lover and a wife [to Jessica Betts]. That’s how I find my balance.”
