‘RHOBH’ Star Garcelle Beauvais Once Shared the Meaning Behind Her Name on ‘Star Search’
Published July 13 2022, 6:57 p.m. ET
Actress Garcelle Beauvais’ entertainment career has spanned over four decades. Whether you know her as Fancy on The Jamie Foxx Show or her current job on The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills, Garcelle has attracted a significant fan base for her looks, charm, and wit.
While she’s best known for her acting roles and reality TV fame, Garcelle started out as a model in the 1980s and once lived with Eileen Ford. During that time, the future host of The Real garnered attention on a popular talent show.
Garcelle Beauvais appeared on a ‘Star Search’ episode before she became famous.
During an October 2021 episode of Garcelle’s former talk show, The Real, she and her co-hosts discussed the most significant “Ls” (losses) they received in their careers. After Loni Love mentioned how she lost an episode of Star Search before her career took off, Garcelle told her that she also appeared on the show, which sent Loni, Adrienne Bailon, and Jeannie Mai Jenkins into disbelief.
Despite her co-hosts’ doubts, Garcelle further explained she entered the talent show’s modeling competition in 1985. Not only were they shocked that the category existed on Star Search, but Adrienne also couldn’t believe that Garcelle didn’t win. Additionally, Jeannie demanded fans dig up both Garcelle and Loni’s Star Search footage.
Following Jeannie’s request, Garcelle chimed in on Twitter and asked viewers to find the footage and send it to her page.
“#starsearch me and @LoniLove Who can find those videos?!” the actress asked.
A fan shared a link to Garcelle’s Star Search appearance under Garcelle's post. In the video, a younger Garcelle spoke to host Ed McMahon onstage before she showed off her poses. During the chat, she told Ed the history behind her name and how her mother had it picked out before she knew Garcelle’s gender.
“I come from a French background, and my mother loves to read French novels,” Garcelle explains in the clip. “And one day she was reading, and she read the name Garcelle and decided that her next child was going to be named Garcelle… whether I was a boy or a girl.”
What is Garcelle Beauvais’ nationality?
After her Star Search appearance, Garcelle continued modeling until she eventually transitioned into acting. In 1995, she landed her first starring role in Models Inc., which led to other acting opportunities.
In addition to her career accolades, Garcelle often advocates for her home country — Haiti. She and her family lived in St. Marc for several years before immigrating to the U.S. In 2021, Garcelle spoke out to President Joe Biden, urging him to reconsider “slamming the door” on Haitian immigrants hoping to cross the Mexican border into the U.S.
The Bad Company star paid homage to Haiti in July 2022 with her interior home collection — Garcelle at Home. Garcelle told People she pulled many colors and themes from her “island roots” while creating the products.
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