Garcelle Beauvais on Tough Love, Grandma Life and Thriving at 58 (EXCLUSIVE)

Garcelle Beauvais has been turning heads since she was 17, when she began her career with the Ford Modeling Agency. Now 58, she’s proven that true talent—and true heart—stand the test of time. From magazine covers to unforgettable roles on Miami Vice, The Jamie Foxx Show and Spider-Man: Homecoming, Garcelle has charmed audiences with her charisma, talent and fearless energy.

Off-screen, her life has been just as full. She’s navigated the joys and challenges of motherhood, raising sons Oliver and twins Jax and Jaid while facing personal struggles, including helping Oliver through a battle with addiction. Through it all, Garcelle has embraced life with courage, resilience and optimism.

Today, she shines as Kai, a determined trucker and co-owner of her family’s business in Lifetime’s Black Girl Missing: Chapter 3—a project she also executive produces. In this exclusive interview with Woman’s World, Garcelle opens her heart about finding purpose, prioritizing well-being and embracing happiness in her fifties.

Woman’s World: You’ve shared your thoughts in the past on tough love with Oliver due to his struggle with addiction. What’s the greatest lesson you’ve learned from that experience?

Garcelle Beauvais: The number one lesson I’ve learned from that would be that sometimes as a parent, you have to do things that hurt your heart. That was the toughest thing I had ever done in my life, because your job as a parent is to protect and nurture and love, and stepping away from all of that in order to let him hit rock bottom was my only choice, and was the toughest thing. 

WW: What do you think helped you both come through this chapter stronger than ever?

GB: For a while, I thought he would never forgive me for that, but credit to him, he understood how bad things were and it forced my hand into making a tough decision. He knows I love him more than anything and we’ve been able to work through it because Oliver also has a very open and loving heart. 

WW: So he’s thriving now?

GB: He’s such a great dad. I’m so proud of him. He’s so present. When I leave their house, I’m exhausted, because I forgot how busy toddlers and infants are. Oliver Jr. has an iPad, so we FaceTime all day long. It’s the sweetest thing. 

WW: Are you called Grandma?

GB: Yes, Grandma. I like traditional. I didn’t want to do “Glamma.” I guess out of respect and tradition of Grandma, that I love.

WW: You stepped back from Real Housewives of Beverly Hills to spend more time with Jax and Jaid. What has this time with the twins meant to you and what do you do with them?

GB: That is one of my happiest times. My happiest times are when I can spend quality time with them and just hear what they’re talking about with their friends and what they’re into. Just creating memories. I’ve been very conscious about creating memories so that when I’m gone, when they have children, that they will remember. And I don’t ever remember my parents saying anything about creating memories, but that’s been really important to me.

WW: How have your dreams and sense of purpose evolved over the years?

GB: I am thriving. I’m very happy now. If someone had told me I would be doing what I’m doing now in terms of producing, filmmaking, I would have thought you were on drugs, because when I started this business, you kind of had a lane and you stayed in that lane. I was a model, then became an actor, and back then, actors weren’t really producing and getting that opportunity, so for me, it’s been great to sort of pivot—although I’m still acting—but to pivot in a way that maybe one day, I won’t be in front of the camera anymore and I’ll just focus on producing. 

It’s been a really good stretch for me, because as an actor, when you show up for a project, you know your lines, you know your character and all that stuff, but for me to be able to start from scratch and hire the director, hire the DP and think of budgets and locations, I’ve learned a lot. I am now developing shows that I’m interested in, I am telling stories.   

WW: You’ve said that in your fifties, you’re doing things you never dreamed possible before and feel happier. What are some of those things?

GB: I think being in your fifties, you put up with less, you have boundaries. I think I’m still working on boundaries, but it’s a thing. For me, being able to take charge and getting a divorce in my mid-forties—who signs up for that?

WW: So what might make you feel happier now?

GB: I think what makes me happier is I really like where I am. I mean, I like where I am with myself, I like where I am in terms of not being afraid to take chances, not being afraid of walking away from something or not being afraid to do this producing thing, and let’s see if I can do it. I think it gives you a sense of feeling brave, because you know you’ve lived through so much else, so why not?

WW: Whether in front of the camera or behind, it’s a pretty high-pressure industry. Then, a busy home life with twins and being a grandma. How do you think you nurture your own mental health? Do you take time for just you and chill out?

GB: That is something I continue to work on and for me, whether it’s taking a day for myself—because sometimes I will hit a wall and that’s when I know you have to turn everything off. Whether it’s going to the beach and just zoning out or taking some hours to myself where there’s no TV, no phone, just to reground myself, even if it’s just walking in my backyard with my feet in the grass, just to get back to me. 

I tend to give my energy out, so sometimes I’m depleted. And it wasn’t until the pandemic where I started to hear about self-care. I had never heard those words growing up—not from my family. I didn’t see my mom do it, because obviously, we were struggling, and she was trying to make ends meet. Nobody was going to a spa. So, it was something I had to learn and now, I realize that self-care is being able to say, “You know what, I said I would go to this, but I can’t. I have to put me first.”

WW: You are the priority.

GB: Right. And that’s what I’m learning to do. Even with my kids, I’ll say, “I love you so much, but I can’t come to this game because I just have to take care of myself.” And I think that’s really important.

WW: Do you have mantras, rituals or practices that help you release stress and stay grounded?

GB: Yes. I am a big fan of lighting candles, and I also like the sage energy in my house. If I have a lot of people over to my house, I like to do that. I also try to meditate; I’m not a big meditator, but I think it’s just taking moments and breathing in. I have positive affirmations that I say every day to myself in the morning, and I feel like those things tend to ground me. If I’m in my car, in my purse, I have little drops of lavender, so I’ll put lavender in my hands and take deep breaths—any little thing that can get me back to center. I even do that when I’m getting on airplanes and have my mask on. I’ll put a couple of droplets in the mask and it just relaxes me. It’s soothing. It just helps me slow down. 

WW: Would you say you are a person who believes what is meant to be will be?

GB: One thousand percent! Even when things go bad, even when things don’t have the outcome that I want, I find that if I wait, I will realize it didn’t happen for a reason. So I’m a big believer in that.

WW: You wrote on social media that energy speaks before words do. What does that mean to you and how do you personally protect your energy?

GB: Social media—I was better at it when it first came out. I felt like I had a love/hate relationship with it. I think sometimes it can really do good things and I think sometimes it can do really bad things. For me, what I’m trying to do is not pick up my phone first thing in the morning. If I can break that habit, it would be worth it. But it’s also my alarm clock, so I recently got an alarm clock so that the phone is not the first thing I pick up, because we end up scrolling and you might see something that makes us feel like, “Oh, I wish I did that, I wish I had that.” I think that’s bad. 

WW: So you got yourself an old-fashioned alarm clock?

GB: I sure did. Yup. I highly recommend it. I am trying. I like to wake up in the morning feeling good.

WW: Age has always taken center stage in Hollywood. Do you think there is a misconception about aging that you’re happy to prove wrong now?

GB: I think people think that it’s over, the party is over. Why try something new? Just keep doing what you’re doing. I think that’s a misconception, especially for women. When I started in this industry, I was told that when you’re in your forties, you’ll never work. Never mind if you’re a Black woman—that’s even worse. So it’s nice to see all these amazing women striving and doing well. I think there’s a misconception that we’re not lovable anymore or it’s too late or you should keep your hair short. None of that!

WW: Maybe 58 could be the new 38. What’s one belief you used to hold about aging that you’ve since said, Okay, it doesn’t matter anymore?

GB: I agree about 38! I really feel that age is just a number, and it’s also a privilege to age, because what’s the alternative? You’re dead. For me, I’m embracing it. I’m thrilled that I’m here. Every day I wake up and say “thank you.” I think it’s embracing what you have. It doesn’t have to be perfect. When we see people who seem perfect, you are capturing a moment in their day. You don’t know what happened before, you don’t know what happened after. So just try to do the best you can.

WW: I know you are into dancing, having been into ballet in the past. Is there a special song that makes you drop everything and begin to dance?

GB: Oh yes. “I’m Every Woman” by Chakka Khan. That’s my favorite. I love it so much and I love her so much too. Every time I hear it, I’m happy and smile.

WW: Have you learned a new skill that has surprised you?

GB: Not really a skill, but letting things go, letting things slide. Don’t hold onto things if they hurt you. That has definitely helped me—just let things go. You can’t control everything. Especially, I remember when I first got a divorce and thought I had to control things in his house with the boys, but I realized I can only control things in my house.

WW: So let go of the negativity.

GB: Yes, yes. And let go of control. Forgiving people and realizing that we’re all flawed and if somebody may hurt you, it may not be for you.

WW: What surprised you the most about becoming a grandmother and how has it deepened your perspective on family?

GB: What has surprised me the most is how much I love not only seeing them, but also seeing Oliver as a dad. As a grandparent, it makes me go, “You know what, I must have done a good job, because where is he getting that from?” It’s almost like passing it down. It’s part of my legacy.

WW: For your upcoming Lifetime project, ‘Taken at a Truck Stop: A Black Girl Missing Movie,’ what drew you to this role?

GB: A few years ago, I started the Black Girl Missing franchise with Lifetime and it’s to highlight the disparity when black or brown people go missing. We don’t get the same media coverage or compassion with the police. What I love about this one is I play a trucker. There is a community of women truckers who I have a whole new respect for and it’s really fascinating that these women are on the road all the time, that they’re alone all the time, they miss a lot of family things because they’re working. They live in these trucks and live on the road. I loved playing a character I never played before. I also love the family dynamics between my character and my sister and my niece, who gets kidnapped. The movie also deals with mental health, so it’s really layered and it’s a really good story that I thought I could bring to life.

WW: Any part that stands out that makes you love your character?

GB: Oh, yes. Being a badass who can kick some guy’s butt! I loved that.