It’s undeniable that Carlacia Grant is one of the most promising young actresses who’s debuted in the last decade. Whether you know her from her acclaimed main role as Cleo in “Outer Banks”, or her previous memorable roles in other series and movies, there’s no denying that she’s making a name for herself in the entertainment industry.
It’s not only Carlacia’s acting what stands out about her, though. Her large social media following, enthralling personality and gorgeous looks have also gained her great collaborations with beauty and fashion brands worldwide.
So who is Carlacia Grant, and what has she been doing since rising to fame in “Outer Banks”? Stay here to know all about her!
Early Life
Carlacia Grant was born on 18 January 1991 in New Haven, Connecticut USA. She’s from a Haitian and Jamaican immigrant family, and spent her early life moving around the East Coast, staying in South Florida for several years. Carlacia matriculated from Florida High School.
During her childhood, Carlacia took part in beauty pageants, and won a couple of titles. Her earliest dream was to become a supermodel, yet her height didn’t allow her to, as she affirmed in an interview with Schon Magazine.
Through her grandmother’s insistence, Carlacia spent her 13th summer in a theater camp in which she took part in the play “Treasure Island”, from Robert Louis Stevenson’s novel.
That first role led Carlacia to discover her love for acting and her desire to portray characters for the rest of her life, as she revealed in an interview with 1883 Magazine. Following that life-changing summer, Carlacia attended as many auditions as she could in the Miami Beach area, slowly but surely gaining experience as she waited for a chance to turn her hobby into a profession.
Early Career
Carlacia Grant’s first credited role was as Irene in the mini-series “Roots” from 2016. In an interview with Schon Magazine, Carlacia revealed that Irene’s character ‘changed her’, as it led her to deeply research and learn about her culture and people, given the series’ focus on racial discrimination. As she described it, that experience gave her a sense of ‘responsibility and pride’ for her origins.
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Also in 2016, Carlacia reached a new milestone by playing the first recurring roles of her career, in the crime drama series “Game Of Silence”, in which she portrayed the characters Leesha and Alicia Bausch. On top of that, she was cast in the drama “Greenleaf”, playing the recurring character Danielle Turner in the first two seasons.
In 2019, Carlacia made it into the short film “Headlines” as Crystal Thomas. Two years later she appeared as Trinity Jolson in an episode of the medical drama series “The Resident”, and as Janet in “Apollyon”, a horror film directed by Sean Rosa.
“Outer Banks” & Rise To Fame
Although Carlacia Grant’s earliest role positively added to her career resume, she didn’t rise to fame until being cast as Cleo in the second season of the popular drama “Outer Banks” in 2021.
As Carlacia said in an interview with Still Watching Netflix, she auditioned for the role of Cleo, but initially thought that the character didn’t fit her at all, forgetting about it until she was surprisingly called for another audition sometime later, then for a chemistry reading the next day after sending her tape, and it turned out so well that she immediately got the role.
At the time she was cast as Cleo, she didn’t know much about “Outer Banks” except for other people’s comments about how good the series was. As she told 1883 Magazine, not knowing much about the series played in her favor, because it allowed her to ‘be free’ about playing the character, and not overthink it.
Cleo’s character took a main role during “Outer Banks” third season, and with it Carlacia also took a more active role in the conception of her character, as she began proposing changes to her character’s script, which were positively welcomed by the writers.
Carlacia Grant attends the Premiere of Netflix's "Outer Banks". pic.twitter.com/GzggkywtIf
— 21 (@21metgala) February 17, 2023
Fashion & Deals
Besides her love for acting, Carlacia Grant is also a lover of fashion. Her style doesn’t go unnoticed by her fans and media outlets, gaining her features in Vogue’s online series “Beauty Secrets”, and magazines such as Grazia and Photobook. On top of that, Carlacia’s beauty and fashion secrets have become a topic of conversation on Ebony.com and E! Online.
The fact that Carlacia has over 1.3 million followers on Instagram has played in her favor. She’s been invited to events by international brands Dior and Giorgio Armani, on top of attending the New York Fashion Week 2023 as a brand guest. Also in that year, Carlacia often sponsors glamorous fashion and beauty brands on social media.
Regarding her style, Carlacia describes fashion as her ‘first love’ due to her early inclinations for modeling. However, while her dreams of having a career on the catwalk weren’t possible, that didn’t make her fashion goals disappear. As Carlacia told Schon Magazine, she uses clothing as a way to express and ‘transform’ herself, finding it ‘almost spiritual’ to play with her clothes and accessories as she does with her characters.
Projects For The Future
Carlacia’s career has undeniably seen a rise in popularity with her role in “Outer Banks”. Since debuting in the series in 2021, Carlacia’s landed other roles such as Kim in the movie “Bae Night: The Little Black Book” from 2022, on top of features and interviews with “Access Hollywood” and “Snacked”.
Nonetheless, Carlacia’s goals go beyond what she’s done so far. In early 2023, Carlacia told Content Mode that she saw herself trying a variety of genres in the entertainment industry in which she hadn’t worked before, including romantic comedies and thrillers, on top of appearing in a summer blockbuster.
Carlacia also dreams of starting her own production company, and starring in her projects, following the steps of Viola Davis, who she lists among her inspirations in the industry. Other actresses she looks up to are Angela Bassett, Halle Berry, and Regina King, all of whom have inspired Carlacia to follow her dreams, not only for their acting skills but also for the influence they’ve had as Black women in the entertainment industry, as she revealed to Photobook Magazine.
Personal Life
Not much is known about Carlacia Grant’s romantic life. She’s very close to her family, listing her parents and grandma as her ‘everyday inspirations’, and crediting them for helping her become who she is today.
Due to Carlacia’s Haitian and Jamaican origins, her family helped her get used to the Caribbean accent, slang, and mannerisms necessary to play her character Cleo in “Outer Banks”.
Appearance & Net Worth
Carlacia is an Afro-American woman. Though her height is unconfirmed, some online sources state that her height is around 5ft 5ins (1.70m) tall. Carlacia is often praised by her followers for her sense of style and good looks.
Carlacia’s net worth is estimated at $400,000, which results from her acting career and brand sponsorships, and which is expected to grow as her career moves forward.
