THE ROOKIE: FEDS - "Bloodline" - The FBI takes on a case from LAPD involving a serial murderer who has been leaving limbs across state lines. After the team follows a lead from Antoinette and Elena's forensic breakthroughs, the killer retaliates against L© Getty Images

Niecy Nash opens up about The Rookie: Feds' uncertain future

The ABC show is currently hanging in the balance due to the ongoing WGA strikes

Ahad Sanwari - New York
Senior WriterNew York
June 8, 2023

The Rookie: Feds star Niecy Nash-Betts isn't ready to say goodbye to the ABC show.

The series, a spin-off of The Rookie, is currently in developmental limbo due to the ongoing Writers Guild of America strikes.

The actress, 53, told Variety: "I love my job so much, I love the people that I work with, and I love the fact that I get to work with my better half over there."

VIDEO: Get a first look at The Rookie and The Rookie: Feds crossover event

Niecy plays Special Agent Simone Clark and recently got the opportunity to work alongside her wife Jessica Betts, who was introduced as her love interest DJ.

She dove deep into what it meant for her to see a character like Simone on screen, a 48-year-old mom who chased after her dream of joining the FBI.

MORE: The Rookie: Feds' Niecy Nash's youngest daughter is her double in head-turning photos

"What I love about that particular character is that I have not seen her on mainstream television," she said. "I'm happy for little Black and brown girls to see something that they can aspire to be.

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Niecy Nash stars in The Rookie: Feds

"Less than 1% of Black women make up the FBI. She's a Black woman over 40 in the FBI. She's not married. She's an equal-opportunity dater, if you know what I mean. Like, who is this unicorn? If she were a real person, she would definitely be my homegirl. She's in her second act and she is making the best of it."

MORE: The Rookie season six: Everything we know so far

ABC has until the end of the month to make a decision on the show, when cast options expire, although the original male-led The Rookie was renewed for a sixth season back in April.

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The Rookie was renewed for a sixth season

Celebrating the show's renewal, star Nathan Fillion wrote on Instagram: "I couldn't be more proud of this show, and I couldn't be happier about coming back for another season. I know what I think is going to happen this next season, but you tell me yours!" 

MORE: The Rookie stars Nathan Fillion and Niecy Nash's net worths are worlds apart from one another

While ABC has yet to confirm a release date for season six, it's likely to return in the fall and will also see the show hit its milestone 100th episode.

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The actress plays Special Agent Simone Clark

"I haven't heard anything, I'm the same as you," she told TV Line in May. "I'm a lady in waiting.

MORE: The Rookie: Feds' Niecy Nash's heartbreaking family tragedy in her own words

"I don't know the fate of that show, but I do know that in the same article I read that said that it was on the bubble, it also said that I was one of the most sought-after actresses at this time," she continued. 

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Niecy won a Critics Choice Award for her performance in Dahmer

A veteran actress with unforgettable turns in shows like Reno 911, Getting On, and ClawsNiecy had a banner 2022, not only for getting to lead The Rookie: Feds, but also thanks to her supporting turn in the controversial Netflix series Dahmer – Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story.

For her performance as the serial killer's next door neighbor Glenda Cleveland, the star received the Critics' Choice Television Award for Best Supporting Actress in a Movie/Miniseries and was nominated for a Golden Globe and a SAG Award.

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