Bio
Garcelle Beauvais (sometimes credited as Garcelle Beauvais-Nilon) is a Haitian actress and former fashion model best known for her roles as Assistant District Attorney Valerie Heywood on the television police procedural NYPD Blue (2001-2004), and as Francesca Monroe on the sitcom The Jamie Foxx Show, from 1996-2001.
Se currently stars as Hanna Linden in the comedy-drama television series Franklin & Bash, since 2011.
Beauvais was born in St. Marc, Haiti, to Maria Claire, a nurse, and Axel Beauvais, a lawyer. She has six older siblings.
After her parents divorced, Beauvais, her mother and siblings moved to Massachusetts. While her mother was attending nursing school, Beauvais went to boarding school.
At age 16, the family moved to Miami-Dade area. There she attended both North Miami Beach High School (which is located in North Miami Beach) and Miami Norland High School (which is located in the Norland section of Miami Gardens, Florida.)
At age seventeen, Beauvais went to New York to pursue a career as a fashion model, and was signed with Ford Models. She modeled print ads for Avon, Mary Kay and Clairol. Beauvais also modeled in catalogues for Neiman Marcus and Nordstrom.
She has appeared in Essence and Ebony and had a nude pictorial in the August 2007 issue of Playboy. She also walked the catwalk for Calvin Klein and Isaac Mizrahi.
Her first screen acting job was in a minor role on the action series Miami Vice, in 1984. The following year she landed another part on the show, also for one episode only.
Her first major television role was as Cynthia Nichols in the Melrose Place spin-off Models Inc., appearing in 25 episode from 1994-1995.
She also had a leading role in the short-lived dramedy Opposite Sex (2000) and a recurring role in the short-lived drama series Eyes, from 2005-2007.
Beauvais played the role of Francesca 'Fancy' Monroe in The Jamie Foxx Show from 1996-2001, appearing in all 97 episodes that were made. As soon as the show ended she joined the cast of NYPD Blue, in the show's eighth season.
Other television shows she has made guest appearances in include The Cosby Show, Hangin' with Mr. Cooper, The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, Family Matters, Curb Your Enthusiasm, Life With Bonnie and CSI: Miami.
Feature fiolms she has acted in include Manhunter (her film debut in 1986), Coming to America (1988), Wild Wild West (1999), Bad Company (2002), Barbershop 2: Back in Business (2004), American Gun (2005) and I Know Who Killed Me (2007).
Garcelle has son Oliver (born 1991) from her previous marriage to Daniel Saunders.
She has been married to Mike Nilon since 2001. Their twin sons Jax Joseph Nilon and Jaid Thomas Nilon were born on 18 October, 2007.
She was voted one of "The 10 Sexiest Women of 2001" by the readers of Black Men Magazine.