Photo: Instagram
Welcome to Beverly Hills!
By Rebecca Jane Stokes — Written on Sep 03, 2019
If this season of the Real Housewives of Beverly Hills taught us anything (and it barely did), it's that with the likes of Lisa Vanderpump present, the current cast is going to need a serious shakeup. Luckily, it appears like that's exactly what they're going to get! Who is Garcelle Beauvais? She's a legendary actress and model who rose to stardom in the 1990s. Now 52, Garcelle is the latest celeb to announce that she's joining the cast of the Real Housewives, so look out Denise Richards, there's another A-Lister on board and things are bound to get messy.
1. Welcome To Beverly Hills
Bye, bye, Lisa! Whether you loved her or you hated her, fans of RHOBH can all agree on one thing: with Lisa Vanderpump out (and also Camille Grammer) there needs to be some fresh blood stirred into the vat of drama. Hopefully, the two new confirmed cast members who were recently announced will have the power to do just that. Garcelle Beauvais and Sutton Stracke were recently named as new Housewives! While I am sure that Sutton will be a delight (I'm not, I'm just saying that because I want to give her a shot) Garcelle's arrival is super exciting because she will be the first black woman to be named a cast member on RHOBH.
2. Just Getting Started
Garcelle's story is truly American in nature, and somewhat of a Cinderella story too! She was actually born in Haiti but moved with her mom and her six siblings to Miami when she was young in the hopes of making it big in America. Quickly assessing that it would be hard to start a modeling career that mattered in Florida, she made her way to New York City where she soon signed with two massive modeling agencies. Before too long, she was being sent out to meet with the biggest brands around and landed a big job: working for the Nordstrom's catalog.
3. Making It Big Time
It didn't take very long at all before Garcelle went from making a name for herself in the world of modeling to conquering smaller parts on TV and in movies, to suddenly being a name to recognize herself. It was when she landed the role of Francesca "Fancy" Monroe on the smash-hit comedy The Jamie Foxx Show. Garcelle was with the show for its entire 100 episode run, and when it finished she was able to do something that very few TV stars can manage to accomplish successfully: she landed another major role on a TV show, this time with ABC's critically acclaimed hit drama, NYPD Blue.
4. Her Family Life
When Garcelle isn't strutting her stuff on the runway or burning up screens both small and massive, she's spending time with her family. Like many of her soon-to-be co-stars on the Real Housewives of Beverly Hills, she has children from different marriages proving that there is no one traditional definition of what makes a family. Her oldest son, 28-year-old, is named Oliver and was the product of Garcelle's first marriage to a producer named Daniel Saunders. But don't get it twisted, she's not an empty-nester by any means. She's got identical twin sons, Jaid and Jax who are both 11, who shares with her second husband, manager and producer, Mike Nilon.
5. Garcelle's Thoughts On Parenting
Unlike other actors or models who live in the spotlight, Garcelle is open and honest about her own experiences, and that includes sharing her thoughts on parenting. She shared her thoughts on the subject with People, saying: "My sons bring me such joy, even when they drive me nuts. I’m sure you can relate! Let’s face it: little boys have lots of energy, and when you have two who are the same age at the same time, it means a lot of activity!” But being nothing short of a superhero, Garcelle's parenting goes the extra distance, too. In 2013 she wrote a book called I Am Mixed inspired by the experiences of her twin, biracial sons.
6. Garcelle On What To Expect
When news broke about Garcelle joining the cast, she was eager to share her thoughts about what the next season would hold. “I am excited and proud to be joining the cast of such a wildly popular and beloved show like The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills. As a working actor who has been in the industry for some time, it’s exhilarating to have the opportunity to delve into a new chapter in the entertainment spectrum. As the first African American Housewife in the Beverly Hills franchise, I am honored and humbled by this awesome opportunity to exemplify the fact that Black Girl Magic lives and thrives in every zip code," she said.
Rebecca Jane Stokes is a writer living in Brooklyn, New York with her cats, Batman and Margot. She's an experienced generalist with a passion for lifestyle, geek news, pop culture, and true crime.