[3][9][10] Her father Thomas Beetz[11] is a German cabinet maker who immigrated to the United States in 1990 after the fall of the Berlin Wall,[12][13] and her mother is an African-American social worker from New York.

[13] Growing up in New York's Washington Heights neighborhood,[14] she became interested in acting while attending Muscota New School and performed in community theaters and on local stages.

[12] After Beetz graduated from college, she spent a year "broke and waiting tables" before she was cast in Atlanta.

[13][clarification needed] At the 70th Primetime Emmy Awards in 2018, Beetz received a nomination for Outstanding Supporting Actress In A Comedy Series, for her role in FX's Atlanta.

[19] In May 2022, Vanity Fair reported that Beetz had recently gotten engaged to her writing partner, actor David Rysdahl.