*Garcelle Beauvais made clear in a recent interview that the cultural nickname “auntie” doesn’t align with how she sees herself.
The exchange happened during a conversation with Blavity’s Shadow and Act, when journalist Brenda Alexander described the actress as a “bomb auntie of a certain age.” The term “auntie” is often used to honor respected women, but Beauvais explained why she rejects the label, saying, “If there is a word I hate, it’s the word ‘auntie’ — unless I’m really your auntie, and unless I’m related to you.”
Alexander explained that the phrase was meant admiringly, saying, “We use it as a term of endearment.” Beauvais kept the tone light but stood by her preference, suggesting instead, “We’ll just say that you’re an icon, OK?… I like that.”
The discussion unfolded as Beauvais promoted her latest Lifetime project, “Taken at a Truck Stop: A Black Girl Missing Movie.” As previously reported, Beauvais stars as Kai, a resilient trucker in the latest installment of the network’s Black Girl Missing franchise. The story follows Kai’s desperate search after her niece is abducted by an online predator.
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“I loved a lot of things about Kai. I did love her strength,” Beauvais shared in an exclusive with EUR, emphasizing the character’s grit and the film’s focus on family bonds. The narrative also celebrates the often-overlooked world of female truckers.
“Kai is a tough, tenacious trucker and co-owner of her family’s business,” Beauvais explained, “ I love that we are focusing also on a family, right? The sisters inheriting their dad’s trucking company, which, by the way, there is a large group of female truckers out there that I have a newfound respect for.”
For Beauvais, playing Kai offered a window into an underrepresented world. “We had a few women that we spoke to that told us how to get out of the truck, what’s the demeanor, the danger, because a lot of them sleep in the cabin,” she said. “First of all, we know that it’s a lonely job… but the danger of it and the toughness of it. She even showed us how to lock the cabin so no one can get in while they’re sleeping.”
The actress hopes that highlighting female truckers will bring visibility and respect to their work, while staying true to the core of the “Black Girl Missing” franchise. “I’m glad that we’re bringing light to what they do, but also, keeping true with the Black Girl Missing franchise theme,” she said.
MORE NEWS ON EURWEB.COM: Garcelle Beauvais Shines Light on Online Predators in ‘Taken at a Truck Stop’ | EUR Exclusive
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