Garcelle Beauvais on Working with Lohan, Playboy
It couldn’t be a more interesting time for actress Garcelle Beauvais. The pregnant mother of boy twins and August’s Playboy cover girl co-stars across Lindsay Lohan in I Know Who Killed Me out this weekend in movie theaters. Garcelle weighs in on Lohan being a method actress and says the family needs to help her instead of caring about getting press for themselves.
Listen to the Garcelle Beauvais CYInterview:
(Backup Player: Including IE)
Chris Yandek: How’s the pregnancy going with the twin boys?
Garcelle Beauvais: “It’s going great. It’s going really good. I have good days and bad days. But you know what? I am so blessed that I am taking it all in stride, trying to anyways. I miss having sushi. That’s the only thing.”
CY: You definitely look younger, but is it different at 40 than compared to when you had your first son?
GB: “Definitely! I think I’m a lot more relaxed in terms of oh my goodness what about work? What about my career? I think nowadays women are sort of allowed to have it all. I think I’ll be ok. I am definitely more relaxed with these two.”
CY: What was the main reason you wanted to bare all in the August edition in Playboy?
GB: “I really wanted to do it for me. I thought about it over the years and just thought all the time what will people think? I guess being at my age now it’s sort of like I really wanted to do it for me, and it wasn’t what other people thought. I thought the timing was good and I had to convince my husband it was gonna be ok.”
CY: Did you feel comfortable now because you’re older?
GB: “Yeah. I think as you get older you’re more comfortable in your skin. Definitely the hang-ups are a lot less than they were when I was in my 20s.”
CY: I Know Who Killed Me comes out this weekend in theaters nationwide. Tell me about your role in this film.
GB: “I play the lead FBI agent that’s sort of trying to track down this killer if you will. I saw it last night. It’s fantastic. Lindsay is really great in it and I just hope people go and support it considering everything that’s going on with her right now.”
CY: How did you prepare for the role?
GB: “I get a lot of roles where it’s sort of a tough girl chick thing, that I didn’t have to research. In terms of working with FBI’s, I went around with the cops and sort of just got a sense of what they do on a day to day or when they’re trying to put a puzzle together for a murder or for a case. That’s what I did.”
CY: Many of the greats including Lee Strasberg and Stanislavsky used method acting with many of the great legendary actors. Do you use the technique for roles like this movie or others?
GB: “Well, I think for me it was sort of bringing in her strength and showing that she is a true leader and that she is true to the character, being strong and looking efficient in the role.”
CY: Haiti is one of the less fortunate countries in the world. Being from there, do you feel more grateful and appreciative of where you are and your ability to make a good living off your craft?
GB: “Absolutely! Every single day I think about it because I could’ve been selling coconuts somewhere. It’s been a true blessing. It’s amazing. It goes to show you that anything is possible and anyone can sort of do it because I never even dreamed of this.”
CY: Is it possible that Lindsay Lohan who you co-star with in this film has had some of her recent troubles because of method acting?
GB: “Yeah. I think that there is sort of relation to everything in terms of life, in terms of what you do. I think a lot of it has to do with getting it too fast, getting it too much without having any boundaries where somebody is going to say hey, you gotta act right. You know what I mean?”
CY: Yeah. So now we see Lohan playing this scary role as a stripper. She probably went to clubs and she was probably studying around all these other people with crazy lives and now it’s kind of like a mirror image of what she’s going through right now.
GB: “Yea, a lot of times it’s life imitating art and vice versa. I think for her right now that’s what that is.”
CY: Is it fair that Lindsay Lohan who has real acting talent and has earned everything gets compared to people who are just famous for being famous right now?
GB: “Yeah. I think you now what? It’s really, it’s so hard to work in this business and to get a job and have opportunities that it’s a shame these girls aren’t taking advantage of it. I do think we should glorify more of the good girls who are working hard, who do show up for work, and stuff like that.”
CY: Did you try to lend support to her while filming this movie?
GB: “No. You can’t really do that. She was the star of the movie and when she showed up for work, we really just wanted to get the job done. It wasn’t about giving advice. She was very nice to me. She was very sweet and you just gotta do the job.”
CY: I don’t think myself and many others will ever forget the character of Francesca Monroe on The Jamie Foxx Show. What are your fondest memories of that time period?
GB: “That was so much fun. For us it was really being on the set. During rehearsals we would talk to one another and Jamie would always have great stories. It was just a really fun time. We thought when we did the pilot if we did 13 we would be thrilled and we ended up doing 100. It’s pretty amazing.”
CY: So I am sure when you probably heard the news earlier this week, as far as being a mother you were probably devastated right?
GB: “Yeah, absolutely. It was definitely disappointing. I really hope her family steps up for once. You know what I mean? It’s like help her out as opposed to everybody trying to get press. Just help her out. She needs help.”
CY: Finally, besides becoming a mother again this fall, what else is coming up for you?
GB: “Well, right now I am focusing on that. I think I am gonna focus on that and wait for pilot season in January and see what happens.”