Niecy Nash talks creating holiday traditions with wife Jessica Betts, acting as activism

Niecy Nash has played many unique characters throughout her career, and she knows which one would be the best COVID-19 quarantine buddy.

"I would probably say Nurse Didi from "Getting On," because she is a caregiver and sometimes I just want people to take care of me, so I would probably choose her," Nash, 50, told "Good Morning America." "But I would choose Raineesha from 'Reno 911!' if I wanted to laugh because I was having a rough day."

These two roles are prime examples of the range Nash has shown during her time in show business, having starred in both comedies and dramas. On top of that, she even has a Daytime Emmy for hosting "Clean House" and came in fifth place during her season of "Dancing With the Stars," so this actress is capable of anything — and that's just the way she likes it.

"I always want to try new things. I've tried all of the disciplines in this business and they're all so delicious," Nash quipped. "I just love expanding and not limiting myself, so I'm going to taste it all."

One of the most identifiable aspects of Nash's choice of roles is using her platform to tell important stories. From films like 2014's "Selma" to TV shows like "When They See Us," "Mrs. America" and the upcoming "Women of the Movement," Nash has made it a mission to spread activism with her work.

"For some, these stories are new. And for others, they maybe even have known the stories but have not seen them fleshed out," she explained. "So I love to be a part of something that has such a rich tapestry and also is used as a learning tool. I mean, that's the best part about it. It's like edutainment."

When she isn't helping others discover new things about the world through acting, Nash has been spending what downtime the global pandemic has given her to grow as a person.

"What I learned about myself is that I can do anything. Yeah, I said it," she joked.

"I thought that my mother was the only crafter in the family ... [but] I found out I can craft as well," Nash continued. "I found out that I'm also a chef in the making, I found out that I am an amazing encourager and I also found out that I really hate working out."

In terms of crafting, Nash recently masterminded a custom Christmas card with her new wife, Jessica Betts, whom she married this summer.

This holiday season, Nash is encouraging families to follow in her footsteps to "create their own holiday magic" with HP Printables, a free and fun resource to help get folks through what she is calling "Staycation 2020." A spokeswoman for the campaign, the actress said that among other activities, HP Printables will allow people to create a Christmas card as festive as hers.

Nash said the next item on their to-do list is creating their own holiday traditions, including spending time with her three adult children from her first marriage.

"What I think we're planning is something very special for the two of us [on] Christmas Eve and then we will spend the actual [Christmas] day with the children," she said.

Back when she was a kid herself, Nash recalled how she was "spoiled" and even tried to catch a glimpse of Santa Claus when he and his reindeer-pulled sleigh stopped by her house.

"When I was a little girl, I used to always try to sneak and go to sleep behind the couch so I could really see if [Santa Claus] was going to come down the chimney," Nash remembered. "I never saw him, but I know he came."