Garcelle was born in Haiti. Her mother, Maria Claire, was a teacher who moved Garcelle and her six older children to Massachusetts after a divorce from her father, Axel, four years prior. At age 16, the family moved again to Miami. At 17, Garcelle pursued a modeling career in New York. She got a break on Aaron Spelling's tv show, "Models, Inc.". She then joined L.A.'s comedy troupe, The Groundlings. She became engaged to Mike Nilon, an agent. She was formerly married to producer Daniel Saunders for 6-1/2 years with whom she had a son, Oliver born on 1992.