Who is Gillian in Beauty in Black? Character arc and storyline explored

Beauty in Black by Tyler Perry is one of the shows released in late 2024 that has managed to deliver a phenomenal performance. The high-end juicy show premiered on October 24, 2024, on Netflix. It follows the journey of a complex and powerful African American family that has multiple businesses, not all of them completely legal, and a primary character, Kimmie, who ends up stuck in the strange web of the Bellaire family.

Most characters in Beauty in Black are either a part of the shady Bellaire family, work for Mallory Bellaire's makeup company or are part of the strip club/organization run by the family's security head, Jules. Gillian, played by Joy Rovaris, is one of the recurring characters in the first season of the show. She is Mallory's assistant but ends up getting tangled in the complicated webs of the Bellaire family and their tendency to use people who work for them. It's interesting to see how she's dealing with these tangled situations, as she's not one to back down from a challenge.

Here's everything we know about Joy Rovaris' character Gillian in Beauty in Black

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Gillian from Beauty in Black: Character arc and storyline explored

The actor Rovaris, in conversation with The Perception Magazine, described her character Gillian as

"layered—someone who always has a plan, even if she’s pretending she doesn’t. She’s patient, strategic, and full of surprises, She knows how to survive in a world that isn’t always kind to women like her."

The actor described that she went back to her New Orleans roots as well as took inspiration from her favorite characters who've thrived under pressure to bring her character to life in Beauty in Black. In another conversation with Cliche, she described her character as

"a quiet storm brewing. It takes so much strength and patience to sit on the massive secrets that she has. Waiting until the moment when revealing them brings her the biggest reward. Her inferiority is a sacrifice she’s committed to in order to achieve her bigger long-term goals. She’s calculated and patient."

In Beauty in Black, Gillian, Mallory Bellair's assistant, appears to be having an affair with Calvin, who works under Jules as security for the Bellaire family. When Roy Bellaire, the eldest of Horace Bellaire's sons (the patriarch of the family), propositions Gillian into having a sexual interaction with him.

Calvin, Gillian's supposed partner, is upset at this and believes that she would have agreed to the proposition unless Charles Bellaire hadn't stepped in during this interaction. In the form of revenge, Calvin ends up sleeping with Mallory Bellaire, who propositions him.

When Gillian finds out that Calvin slept with Mallory Bellaire, her boss, she decides to seduce Roy in an attempt to get the score even between her and Calvin, as well as maybe use her connection with Roy to achieve bigger goals.

Joy Rovaris brings the character of Gillian to life gracefully in Beauty in Black as a person who has their eyes set on their goals and will do anything possible to achieve these goals. She described her character when talking to Cliche as one who takes the hardships in her life as a chance to learn from them.

"At least initially. I feel the more ‘L’s’ she survives, the more she becomes aware of her power. She’s motivated by her desperation for better than she came from. Gillian’s eye is on the prize and there’s not much she’s not willing to endure to get that prize. But she could potentially lose everything, including her life."

Now that Beauty in Black has been renewed for a second season by Netflix, we might just get to see Joy Rovaris bring her character, Gillian back to life.

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Keep reading Soap Central as we anticipate the release of Beauty in Black Season 2 with more such pieces.