Did you know actress Garcelle Beauvais always wanted her own talk show? The “Franklin & Bash” actress sat down with HitFix to discuss her new role, her twins, dating and snagging Kelly Ripa‘s job!
It used to be that having kids in Hollywood was almost a career killer, but in the last few years that seems to have changed. Is it getting easier?
It’s really cool. It’s no longer taboo to not only have an outside life but to have kids. And to incorporate them into your life. That’s what it’s about, right? You want to have a family and also have a career. But it’s a lot of work.
Can you take Jaid and Jax to work?
I brought them to the set of “Franklin & Bash” a while back, which was their first set ever. And we were in the middle of a conference scene, and I heard, “I WANT MAMA!” What are you gonna do? Even though we’re an ensemble cast, there were days when I left in the morning they were asleep and when I came home in the evening they were asleep. So I don’t know how people like Angie Harmon who are number one on a show, I don’t know how they do it.
Do you suffer from the age-old plague of mommy guilt?
I totally get it. I feel like I have some kind of Jewish guilt in me. I feel guilty all the time. And now that I only have them half the time, I try not to do anything when I have them, like go out. This Saturday there was a sale at Decades and my sister wanted to go and I wanted to go and I felt guilty leaving for an hour and a half. Just an hour and a half! But you do the best you can. It’s about quality time, especially now that I only have them half of the time. I try not to have my phone around when I’m with them. We’ll go to Target, which is their favorite store. Absolute favorite.
Now that you’re single again, any chance you’re dating? When you’re not at Target?
I’m going out and staying busy, but in terms of a relationship, I’m not ready for that. When I don’t have the boys, it’s still an adjustment for me. I’m dating here and there. It’s weird, though, because I haven’t been single 11 years.
On how she landed the role of Hanna on Franklin & Bash. Did Mark-Paul recommend you?
Actually, my manager had read the script and said to me, you should get in on it. And I had been wanting to get into the talk show genre, that’s really what I wanted to do even before I started acting. But I loved the script, I loved my role, and I had decided I’m really going for it this time, this is it, I’m not doing anything else, and that day I got a follow-up for “The Talk.” I thought, this is exactly what I want to do, but then I got the offer for “Franklin and Bash.” And it was such a great thing I couldn’t say no.
Do you ever watch Leah Remini or Holly Robinson Peete and think, that could have been me?
I’ve been on “The Talk” and they’ve said, oh, we wanted you! But hopefully in the future, I’ll do a talk show someday. But my perfect job would be Kelly Ripa’s job. You work in the morning and you have the rest of the day to spend with your kids. I saw her this morning and her arms are insane. I just got back to working out myself.
Other than having a talk show, what else would you like to do?
Something I really want to produce and put positive things out there. Reality is all about being scandalous and crazy and train wrecks. I’m working on a few things now, including a film I’m planning with a friend as a producer, but it’s too soon to talk about yet.
Garcelle Beauvais will have to put her talk show dreams on hold a little bit longer as “Franklin & Bash” was confirmed for a second season! Congrats!
