Garcelle Beauvais on Why She Loves Halle Berry

When it comes to making girlfriends in Hollywood, actress Garcelle Beauvais knows all too well how challenging it can be.

“Only one person gets the [acting] job and some people feel like they can’t be your friend because that somehow takes away from their chances,” the 44-year-old newly divorced mom told ESSENCE.com during the ESSENCE Music Festival.

As a result, Beauvais has few industry friends in the spotlight; Halle Berry being one of them. [Note: Beauvais received a text from Berry to arrange a playdate as we were conducting the interview.] The two moms can often be spotted out grabbing a girls-only lunch or on playdates with their children. “I think what [Halle] loves about me is I’m not ‘Hollywood,’” added Beauvais.

“We go to breakfast with our kids and it’s not about anything else. I was going to do a local show in L.A. and she texted me and was like, ‘I didn’t know you had a new show?’ because when we’re together, we’re real friends, we’re moms and it’s not about business.”

Asked what she loves about her Oscar-winning girlfriend, Beauvais says, “What I love about her is that she loves being a mom and so do I. We just want to be regular, because this business is crazy.”

Here’s a toast to great friendships.