‘No matter what’

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Actress and comedian Niecy Nash spoke to preteen girls at a special retreat at Camp Bloomfield in Malibu on Saturday. Heather O'Quinn / TMT

Comedienne speaks to preteens at Camp Bloomfield

By Ryan O’Quinn / Special to The Malibu Times

Actress and comedienne Niecy Nash spoke at Malibu’s Camp Bloomfield on Saturday to preteen girls on the importance of self-image and a quality education. The actress, who currently appears as Deputy Raineesha Williams on the television series “Reno 911!,” spoke for nearly an hour about personal stories of her experiences growing up in the inner city and adopting the motto “no matter what” when it comes to accomplishing her dreams.

Nash was a guest of the MOSTE program, Motivating Our Students Through Experience, a one-on-one mentoring organization dedicated to breaking the cycle of gang involvement, reducing teen pregnancy, protecting against abusive relationships, preventing substance abuse and reducing school dropout rates for inner city girls ages 11-14.

Nash started the dialog by asking the girls if they liked the way they looked and showing them a picture of the character she plays on “Reno 911.” She says she purposely created the heavyset character as homage to the women who loved her growing up.

“Being comfortable in the skin I was wrapped in was important,” Nash said. “Knowing that for me, wearing the short skirts and a little crop top wasn’t my thing, and being comfortable in my skin and confident in my gifts is what ended up getting me the [acting] jobs.”

Nash stressed to the girls that there are people who will love you just the way you are and it is not important to change your image to fit what other people think you should look or act like.

“There will be people in your young life and adult life that will love you and make you feel good and affirm you,” Nash said. “That’s what being a woman is all about. It’s not tearing somebody else down to make yourself feel better.”

She also gave the young girls dating advice and future-husband advice, joking that she was “throwing that advice in for free.”

Nash said there will be boys and men who love young ladies just as they are and won’t pressure them to compromise their morals.

“The three words that I live by are ‘no matter what,'” Nash said. “It doesn’t matter if life dealt you a bad hand. You can still live the life that you envision on the canvas of your imagination.”

Nash told the teens and pre-teens the story about when she found out she was pregnant and getting married young. She had dreams of dropping out of school and “wearing leg warmers in Hollywood,” and living life like they do on “Fame.” Her mother made her go to college and told her to take drama at the university if that was her passion.

The actress-comedian praised her mother’s persistence and said an education is something no one can take away from you no matter what.

“Make sure as you move along this journey that you don’t let whatever situation you come out of define you,” Nash said. “The only definition that you should have for you is one that you put on yourself. You have to be the one to fill in the ‘I am’ of it all.”

Nash took questions from the girls in attendance and answered candidly about her struggles as a young mother as well as her naiveté in the film and television business when she was starting out.

The actress said she had a baby and no money, so she called a casting director who had once told her she was funny and talented. She told the casting director her situation and he asked her to audition for a film he was casting that day. Without knowing the protocol, Nash went to the audition and refused to leave until she found out if they were going to give her the job that day.

She ended up booking the role in 1995’s “Boys on the Side” with Whoopi Goldberg. Nash recounted her adventures of riding a limousine and flying in first class for the first time.

She also told a story about receiving a call at home from the late director Robert Altman after she only had a couple of credits. Altman asked her to be in a movie he was directing. She had no idea who the director was, didn’t ask the name of the film and was only concerned as to whether she had to curse, be nude and if they were going to send a car for her.

“Bob [Altman] told me he liked to bring the cast in early to get to know each other before we start filming,” Nash said. “I said, ‘Who’s in your little movie?’ And he said, ‘I’d like you to meet Glenn Close, Liv Tyler, Courtney Vance, Lyle Lovett, Charles Dutton, Ned Beatty, and on and on. I excused myself, walked outside to that yard and screamed, ‘Thank you Jesus!’ They looked outside and said, ‘Is she going to be all right?'”

When asked why she came to talk to the young women on Saturday, Nash said she has a passion for other people, especially young women.

“There are times in your life when you experience certain things and you want to tell somebody, ‘Don’t do what I did’,” Nash said. “If you can glean anything from what I’ve been through or my experiences, then I would love to share this with you.”

While at Camp Bloomfield Nash also filmed a segment for “Clean House,” the Style Network show she hosts. She interviewed some of the MOSTE girls on camera and asked them about the camp and what they have learned from the program.

Diane Roberts, a MOSTE mentor, said the girls come from various public schools around Los Angeles and mostly from South Los Angeles.

“It’s one-on-one mentoring coupled with group activities and workshops throughout the year,” Roberts said. “This year’s retreat theme is self-esteem. Principals and teachers recommend students for the program and the girls go through a written application and interview process.”

More information about the MOSTE program, which is celebrating its 21st anniversary this year, can be obtained by visiting the Web site, www.moste.org